This particular recipe is made with a white sauce, pesto and some vegetables. It is very simple and the Parmesan gives it crispy brown crust. Nothing could be better than crispy brown cheese, it looks good and tastes even better.
I adapted this recipe from here.
Mario Batali's Besciamella:
click here for recipe
Basil Pesto:
1 clove of garlic
2 cups fresh basil, be creative and try using parsley and sage, or any herbs you like
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, I love walnuts because I usually have them on hand
Salt and Pepper
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Add garlic, basil, 1/4 cup nuts and salt and pepper to food processor. Process until basil is minced. While machine is running, slowly add olive oil until desired consistency.
Lasagna:
Lasagna pasta sheets, or you can use the kind you have to boil and make according to package
Mozzarella
16 oz ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 C Parmesan, grated
Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, zucchini, squash or carrots, sliced very thinly
Besciamella
Basil Pesto
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Prep your vegetables, slicing them thinly and equally to ensure even cooking. Thinly slice the mozzarella and parmigiana reggiano. Spread a thin layer of besciamella sauce on the bottom of the glass baking pan. Layer the pasta sheets, then a layer of vegetables. Add the three cheeses, distributing them evenly on the vegetables. Drizzle with besciamella sauce and dollop the pesto throughout. Lay down another layer of pasta sheets, and repeat the process described above. After two layers of vegetables, add the top layer of pasta sheets and spread the besciamella sauce to cover them completely, add the remaining parmigiana reggiano. Cook for 20-45 minutes, or until the top layer is browning and bubbly.
I guess you can call this a recipe, but be creative, break the rules, make it your own. You will find it makes cooking so much less expensive and yet, just as delicious. Heck, maybe even more.
