Fine vegetable lasagna

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 800 g tomatoes, peeled and diced (can optional)
• 1 medium-sized onion(s), finely diced
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely diced
• 1 stalk(s) Celery, medium-sized
• Salt and pepper, sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 m.-sized eggplant(s), cut lengthwise into 5mm slices
• 4 tbsp Flour, double-grip
• 1 egg(s)
• salt and pepper
• Oil (sunflower oil) for frying
• 300 g leaf spinach, fresh, blanched or frozen thawed
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small shallot(s), finely diced
• 1 garlic clove(s), crushed
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated
• Salt and pepper, nutmeg
• 2 m.-sized zucchini, cut lengthwise into 5mm slices
• 4 tbsp Flour, double-grip
• salt and pepper
• Oil (sunflower oil) for frying
• 1 handful of porcini mushrooms, dried
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot(s), finely diced
• 400 g mushrooms, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped
• 200 ml cream
• 3 eggs
• 6 tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated
• 12 lasagna sheets or fresh pasta sheets
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours

a complex but worthwhile vegetarian main course

Tomato sauce: Sauté onions, garlic, and celery in oil until translucent. Add tomatoes, season with a little salt, simmer for 30 minutes, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar. Eggplant: Beat egg with a splash of water and a little salt and pepper. Coat eggplant slices in flour, dip in the egg mixture, and fry in oil until golden brown. Place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess fat. Spinach: Sauté shallot and garlic in butter until translucent. Roughly chop spinach and mix with onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Zucchini: Coat zucchini slices in flour and fry in oil until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, and place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess fat. Mushrooms: Pour hot water over the porcini mushrooms to just cover them, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Sauté the shallot in the butter until translucent, add the mushrooms (if necessary, cook in two batches so the pan is not too crowded) and fry until lightly browned. Add the soaked porcini mushrooms and their liquid and simmer over low heat until the liquid has reduced. Season with salt and pepper. Cheese and cream sauce: Mix the cream, eggs, and grated Parmesan. Pre-cook the lasagna sheets in boiling salted water for 2 minutes (fresh pasta dough) – 3 minutes (pre-made sheets). Drain and place them on an oiled (cold) baking sheet. Now it’s time to layer them: First, put half of the tomato sauce on the base. Then a layer of pasta, then the fried eggplant, the spinach, and 1/3 of the cream and cheese sauce. Now another layer of pasta, then the zucchini, the fried mushrooms, the parsley, and another 1/3 of the cream and cheese sauce. Then add the final layer of pasta, the second half of the tomato sauce, the remaining cream and cheese sauce, the mozzarella, and the basil. Bake in the oven at 200°C for 20-25 minutes, perhaps briefly turning on the broiler at the end to allow the cheese to become golden brown and crispy. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow everything to settle and the lasagna to be easily sliced.