Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 6 Pepper, 2 each red/yellow/green
• 5 m.-large zucchini
• 3 m.-large eggplant(s) (Melanzane)
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 3 can/n tomatoes (peeled in pieces) each approx. 450 g, not pureed
• salt and pepper
• 700 g béchamel sauce (ready-made product or homemade), slightly thicker than normal
• 200 g Parmesan, grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp milk
• 6 lasagna sheets, fresh OR
• 1 package of lasagna sheets, dry
• Spice mix, Italian
• 500 g minced beef

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

with meat variant, for the rectangular UltraPlus

TIP: Important!! If dry lasagna sheets are used, the vegetable mixture needs to be moister, meaning more liquid, and the béchamel sauce also needs to be more liquid, as the dry sheets absorb a lot of the liquid. The lasagna should also be prepared a few hours in advance. Then cover and let the whole thing rest; this will make the sheets soft from the liquid. You can tell if the top layer is very wavy after a few hours. This is normal. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Then let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. The recipe below is for fresh lasagna sheets. Too much liquid makes this version too runny and doesn’t hold together. It’s important that the béchamel sauce is made a little thicker than normal. PREPARATION: Peppers: remove the insides, including the white membranes, cut into wedges and then into cubes approx. 2 by 2 cm, they can be slightly larger. Do not peel or hollow out the zucchini and also cut into cubes that are not too large. Do the same with the eggplant. Finely chop the onion, peel and halve the garlic and sauté in olive oil in a large frying pan. Then remove the garlic. Add the vegetables and sauté. Season with salt, pepper and Italian herb mix. Deglaze with the pelati and liquid and simmer over a moderate heat. First, cover for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that not too much liquid remains. The vegetables should still have a bite. If the liquid evaporates too much, add a little water or tomato juice (use unsalted juice). LAYERING: Moisten the bottom of the dish with 2 tablespoons of milk (so that everything doesn’t stick later). Then alternate – lasagna sheets – sugo – béchamel sauce – cheese – the next layer of lasagna sheets – sugo – cheese. The last layer – lasagna sheets – sugo – béchamel sauce and sprinkle everything with plenty of cheese. BAKING: Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 25 minutes. It should have a nice crust. However, it depends on the oven. Cover with aluminum foil if necessary so that it does not turn black and burn. Remove from the oven and let rest for approx. 10-15 minutes so that it is easier to divide into portions later. Don’t worry, it will not get cold. It tastes even better, not so hot from the oven. VERSION WITH MEAT: 1 pepper each (red/yellow/green), 1 eggplant, 2-3 zucchini (depending on size). First prepare the vegetables as described above and steam them briefly, then place them in a bowl. In the same frying pan with approx. 1 tbsp olive oil, brown approx. 500g of minced beef (less fat), then add the vegetable mixture and continue processing as described above. MY TIPS: I always make more of both mixtures. They can be reheated the next day (tastes even better) and served with rice or pasta. You can also add a can of pelati and the sauce is ready. Lasagna can also be frozen. After thawing, warm it up in the microwave or oven. Lasagna is NEVER the same. You can also experiment a lot. Use less of one or more of the other vegetables depending on what you like. If meat is used, you can also use just one type of vegetable, but adjust the quantities accordingly. They are always delicious.