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Woody's Vegetable Lasagna with Asiago Cheese Sauce

Greg Antonelli
This cheesy, creamy lasagna is great for Lent, because it doesn't have any meat.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

Filling:

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
  • 2 pounds fresh white mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
  • 2 medium-large zucchini, chopped (about 1 pound)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups freshly grated Asiago cheese, divided
  • 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Noodles:

  • 18 sheets of dry, no-boil lasagna noodles (7"x3.5" sheets, about 1 lb)

Instructions
 

  • For filling, In a skillet over medium heat melt butter in olive oil. Add onions, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, and mushrooms and saute for about 7 minutes, until softened and browned around the edges. Add basil, salt, pepper, and transfer to a bowl to cool. Filling can be made a day ahead and chilled in a covered container.
  • For sauce, in a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook the roux, whisking for 3 minutes and stir in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking constantly for 3 minutes.
  • Stir in mustard, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of Asiago cheese (a little bit at a time). Remove sauce from heat and let cool slightly. Sauce may be made one day ahead and chilled in the fridge. Sauce must have a layer of waxed paper on top to prevent a skin from forming, in a closed container. Sauce should be warmed to room temp before assembling lasagna.
  • To make lasagna, preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a 13"x9" baking dish.
  • To assemble, spread 1 1/4 cups of sauce in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, making sure they don't touch each other. Spread one third filling over pasta sheets in dish and top with 3 more pasta sheets, gently pressing down layers to remove air pockets. Top pasta sheets with 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Continue layering in the way with sauce, pasta, filling, and cheese, ending up with a layer of mozzarella on top. (Dish will be full to the brim.) Spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Asiago cheese.
  • Place 13"x9" dish on top of a foil-lined cookie sheet, to catch and spills or drips from the pan. Bake in the middle of a preheated 375 degree oven until bubbling and golden, about 45-55 minutes. Remove and let cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated easily. Enjoy!