ARTICHOKE AND CRUDITES LASAGNA

Artichoke and Crudites Lasagna image

Provided by Marian Burros

Categories dinner, casseroles, project, main course

Time 1h

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds leftover crudites: bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots
1 finely diced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts or 5 leftover cooked artichoke hearts, quartered
3 large cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound fresh or dried lasagna
12 ounces reduced-fat ricotta
1/2 cup tight-packed chopped basil
Bechamel sauce (recipe below)
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Steps:

Bring water to boil for lasagna.
Dice all vegetables but the carrots into 1/2-inch pieces; dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces. Saute carrots and the onion in hot oil in a nonstick pan for about five minutes; add the remaining vegetables, with the artichokes and garlic, and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir often. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the lasagna according to package directions; rinse under cold water, and drain.
Mix chopped basil with ricotta.
Make the bechamel sauce.
To assemble the lasagna: Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of bechamel sauce; top with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Sprinkle with half the vegetables and top them with dabs of half of the ricotta-basil mixture; sprinkle with a third of the Reggiano. Then add another layer of lasagna, half of the remaining bechamel sauce, the remaining vegetables, the remaining ricotta and half of the remaining Reggiano. Top with the last layer of lasagna, then the last of the bechamel and sprinkle with the last Reggiano. Cover and refrigerate or freeze for as long as a month. To serve, defrost, if frozen; remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking; preheat the oven to 375 degrees; bake the lasagna for about 45 minutes, or until it is brown and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 260, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 22 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 14 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 564 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams