Delicious Three Cheese Veggie Lasagna

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite cooking shows and had to try it. It was just as delicious as it looked on tv and I am so glad I have this in my food repertoire now. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we did!
Oh and thanks Nik for inspiring me to try meatless dishes! I'm going to add them to our menu once or twice a month.

Ingredients:
(6-8 servings) 

4 tbsp butter

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 tbsp panko bread crumbs ---> My favorite is Kikkoman Japanese Panko

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley leaves ---> I didn't use these

2 to 3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower

1 cup seeded and chopped zucchini

1 cup seeded and chopped squash

Salt and coarse grind black pepper

1 medium onion, diced or finely chopped

4 tbsp of whole wheat flour

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 1/2 cups milk

1 cup vegetable stock ---> I used a beef bouillon cube

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 box of lasagna noodles

#### I roughly halved of all of these portions (except for the grated parmesan) and we had the perfect amount including leftovers.

 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Noodles
Blanch your lasagna noodles in a large bowl of really hot water for about 15-20 mins until al dente or until the vegetables and sauce are done cooking.Then drain and set them aside.

Veggies

Cut up your broccoli and cauliflower into florets size if you didn't buy frozen broccoli florets. Then, scoop all the seeds out of your zucchini and squash to minimize the water extraction and cut into chunks. Scooping out the seeds will prevent the veggie mix from being too watery. I preferred preparing ALL of my veggies before cooking them because I know my burner tends to cook quickly.
Sautee the broccoli and cauliflower in a pan of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sautee until al dente. Add the zucchini and squash once the broccoli and cauliflower are close to being done. I'm sure you know how fast they cook. Just don't let them get mushy.

Sauce
Take your onion and miced garlic and sautee them in 1-2 tbsp of butter, but don't let them get too brown. Next, add 2-4 tbsp of whole wheat flour to the garlic, onion and olive oil. The mixture will be thick like dough. Then, add the the vegetable/beef stock, milk, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and half of your parmesan cheese. Continue adding seasoning according to taste.
Let your sauce mix simmer on low, until thickened.

Panko Mixture
Add your red pepper flakes and smoked paprika to a bowl of 1-2 tbsp of butter and heat all of it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Once melted, add your panko bread crumbs and stir in.

Build your lasagna in your oiled square (or rectangular) pan:
Sauce -> noodles -> veggies -> sauce -> noodles -> cottage cheese-> veggies -> shredded mozzarella cheese -> noodles -> sauce -> panko mixture

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of the baking process for a crunchier crust.
Cool and serve.

 

To check out the recipe go here.