Italian Pasta Recipes

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles 8 asparagus spears, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 10 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 3 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil 8 oz of low-fat ricotta cheese 1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper 4 oz of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

Directions:

In 6 quarts of salted boiling water cook the lasagna until almost al dente, around 15 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside. In a large skillet sauté the garlic, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and onions in the olive oil until tender. In a medium size bowl mix together the ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Place 3 noodles in the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish, cutting to fit. Top the noodles with a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture Top the ricotta with half of the vegetable mixture and half of the tomato sauce or red pepper sauce, whichever you choose. Sprinkle the top with some of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of lasagna and repeat the layering process finishing with a layer of noodles on top. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the lasagna for 39 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and the chopped tomatoes and bake for 8 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Red Pepper Sauce Ingredients:

5 red peppers, seeded and diced 4 garlic cloves, whole 2 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil 1 small can of tomato paste 2 Tbls of red wine vinegar 1/2 cup of water 1/2 tsp of dried oregano

Directions:

In a large skillet sauté the garlic and peppers until tender, about 15 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until almost smooth. Add the tomato paste, water, vinegar and oregano and blend. Pour the mixture back into the skillet and heat through.

Tags: vegetable lasagna recipe, italian pasta recipes, italian recipes, pasta recipes