Homemade Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

I knew going into making this
lasagna that I may have some haters from the get go.  First the mushrooms,
I knew these wouldn’t go over well.  Preston
doesn't hate very many things, but he hates mushrooms (he says they make him
gag, so sad that he hates mushrooms, not gags).  Noah is pickier and I was
pretty sure that when he looked at the lasagna that he wasn't going to like it
(I was right).  Stella said she didn't want to eat, but she doesn't count
because she's sick.  Todd was the big question mark.  He loves
mushrooms, but doesn't love zucchini and squash.  His favorite lasagna of
all time is full of meat and so I wasn't sure if this lasagna would win his
heart or stomach.  He loved it!  In fact he said that he liked it as
much as his favorite sausage lasagna (sweet!).  And for me...I wouldn't go
to the effort of making something that I wasn't pretty sure I would like and
this lasagna did not disappoint.  It was delicious and will make it again
and again (even though I am pretty sure my kids will either fall over dead in
their chairs or die of moaning if they see this lasagna sitting on
our dinner table again).

Vegetable Lasagna







9-ounce package oven ready
lasagna noodles (I used barilla and there will be leftovers)



1 tablespoon olive oil



1/2 medium onion, chopped



2 garlic cloves, minced



1 whole red bell pepper, seeded
and diced



12-ounces mushrooms, chopped



1 yellow squash, diced



1 zucchini, diced



1 (14-ounce) can petit diced
tomatoes



1/4 cup white wine or vegetable
broth



2 tablespoons fresh parsley,
chopped



1/4 teaspoon kosher salt



Freshly ground black pepper



1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes



15 ounces whole
milk ricotta cheese



1 egg



1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese



1/8 teaspoon kosher salt



8 ounces mozzarella cheese,
shredded







Preheat oven to 350
degrees. 







Heat olive oil in a large
skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook for a
minutes.  Add diced red peppers and sauté for another minute.  Add
mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini and cook for a few minutes.  Pour in
wine (or vegetable broth), 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. 
Stir.  Pour in diced tomatoes and stir to combine.  Let simmer for
20-30 minutes.  Stir in chopped parsley.  







In a medium sized bowl combine
ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt.







Butter an 8x8 baking dish. 
To assemble, spread a little of the vegetable sauce in the bottom of the baking
dish.  Lay 3 oven ready lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping, over the
sauce.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles.  Top with a
1/3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Spoon a little less than 1/3 of
the veggie sauce mixture over the mozzarella.







Repeat the layering two more
times, ending with the vegetable sauce and a good sprinkling of Parmesan.







Cover baking dish with foil and
bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. 
Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.  Garnish
with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.







*Because I was trying with all of
my heart to get my kids to like this lasagna, I made my own ricotta.  I
know they love it and I was hoping it would be a selling point for the
lasagna.  Sadly, my ricotta plan didn't work.  But, I will say that
even though it was an extra step, I would do it again.







This lasagna made great
leftovers (dinner and a couple of lunches).







Recipe adapted from Pioneer
Woman