3 Cheese Vegetarian Lasagna

This is a beautiful vegetarian lasagna that features 3 different types of cheese and maybe 4 if you count cottage cheese. This lasagna is easy to make but does require a bit of planning and preparation especially in preparing the sauce which requires a lot of time but is time you can watch tv.

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients below are to prepare the sauce

• 1 can of diced tomatoes (800 ml)
• 1 can of whole tomatoes (800 ml)
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• a few pinches of Italian seasoning
• 1 celery stick
• 1 green pepper
• 1 white onion
• 1 zucchini
• coriander, a small handful
• 2 cloves of garlic
• spinach
• 400 grams of cheddar cheese
• 250 grams of mozzarella cheese
• 100 grams of parmesan cheese
• 500 grams of cottage cheese
• lasagna noodles
• 100 ml cream

Cooking Preparations & Instructions

The sauce is the main base of the lasagna and this requires the most time while the end of the instructions involves assembling the lasagna in your tray. 

1. Empty both cans of tomatoes into a large sauce pot and put on low heat. 
2. Add the following ingredients to the pot: salt, pepper, two tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning
3. Simmer the pot for 2 hours to slowly cook the tomatoes and allow the other ingredients to change the taste of the sauce from a fresh raw tomato to a warm seasoned sauce
4. Add in the chopped celery, chopped coriander and spinach to the sauce
5. In a separate sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped green pepper, onion and zucchini on low heat and when cooked for 20 minutes, add it to the sauce. 
6. Add in the cream to the sauce and stir
7. Simmer for another 2 hours and stir the sauce every 10 to 15 minutes
8. In your lasagna baking trey take a spoon and scoop some of the sauce and spread it on the bottom of the trey. This helps to ensure the lasagna noodles at the bottom get moisture and cook instead of staying hard
9. Next is preparing the lasagna and there are 3 main levels of the noodles. So start with one layer of noodles at the bottom and avoid overlapping any of the noodles. Then with a straining spoon take some of the sauce and spread it on top of the noodles, use about 1/3 of the sauce. Then add in a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and follow it up with 1/3 of the cottage cheese.
10. Add another layer of noodles on top and repeat adding sauce, then mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese.
11. Then add another layer of noodles and add sauce, cheddar cheese and cottage cheese.
12. Finally add in the last layer of noodles
13. On top of the noodles you'll want to add a thin layer of sauce to make the noodles moist so they don't remain hard. Then add in the remaining cheddar cheese and also sprinkle your parmesan cheese on top. 
14. Put your oven on to 375oC, cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and place into the oven for around 45 minutes.
15. After 45 minutes take off the foil and leave in the oven for another 10 minutes to allow the top to cook a bit more and especially to let the top layer of cheese to melt
16. Turn the heat off and you can let sit in the over for another 5 minutes before taking it out. Of course use common sense to judge when your lasagna might be ready as it is about 1 hour cooking time.

That is your vegetarian lasagna. You can easily turn this into a meat lasagna or add other ingredients you like to go with your lasagna. 

This lasagna goes well with a small vegetable salad, a baguette and a bottle of red wine. That is a bottle of red wine for you and your guests. This lasagna should be enough for 4 to 6 people depending on the portion size. 

Bon Appetit!