Oh how I love this Vegetarian Red Pepper and Fresh Mozzarella Lasagna!
Especially now that the weather is cooling down. The leaves are falling from the trees. The days are getting shorter. Fall is coming. Quickly.
And, when the weather turns cooler, I crave different foods. One of the things I think is best in the fall and winter is lasagna. Hearty. Rich. Deep. Lasagna. I used to make a lighter version with all kinds of veggies and a light white sauce. It was good. But, alas, my husband didn’t feel it fit into the title of “lasagna”. To him, lasagna should be red and meaty. Only then can you really call it lasagna.
This really is my favorite lasagna. And, it’s nice and easy to get together. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool off so you can eat!
After many years together I’ve gotten him to drop the “meaty” requirement for lasagna.
This vegetarian version fulfills both of our needs for a lasagna. This is hearty without any meat. Cheesy without being greasy. Fresh without being too light. Easy and quick to put together.
This is simply my favorite lasagna. And, I’ve given the recipe to several of my friends who agree with me.
Here are all the ingredients for this lasagna. I think it would be lovely with some added zucchini to bump up the veggies as well.
This can be as homemade as you like; roast the red peppers, use homemade marinara tomato sauce, homemade ricotta & mozzarella
, and fresh pasta.
But, if you don’t have that kinda time, use jarred red peppers
, jarred spaghetti sauce
, and store-bought cheese
. Or, mix it up, try roasting the peppers yourself but use all pre-made of the others. I like the convenience of using pre-made items in this lasagna.
I thought this Parmesan was too pretty not to take a shot
I like using an oval baking dish
. I stagger the layering of the noodles. this way, each piece is a little different, with a little more sauce in one area, and a little more pasta in another.
here’s the lasagna all layered-up and ready to go in the oven. I left the mozzarella in pretty big chunks for the top.
This isn’t the lightest dish in my recipe book, but it sure is tasty. And, it certainly isn’t as calorie-laden as many lasagnas. Also, you may notice that the amount of servings is a pretty big range. That happens with lasagna when you go back for a second piece because it was so tasty.
So, if you want it to serve more people, serve it with a nice green salad and some garlic bread
. Otherwise, be prepared for it to disappear rapidly.
I like to make this lasagna in an oval baking dish. If you’d like more regular slices, use a square or rectangular dish.
Red Pepper and Fresh Mozzarella Lasagna Recipe
Red Pepper and Fresh Mozzarella Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups red pasta sauce
- 10 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 15-oz container ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella chopped 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups roasted red peppers drained and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta and 2/3 of the chopped mozzarella. Set aside.
- Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon ½ cup of the sauce in the dish. Top with 2 lasagna noodles. Spoon ¼ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with ¼ of the red peppers. Top with ¾ cup of sauce.
- Top with two more noodles, continuing to layer like this until all the cheese and red peppers are used. Add last 2 lasagna noodles, and remaining 1 cup sauce. Dot the top with remaining chopped mozzarella and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
- Cover with foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Let stand, covered, on a rack for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
This looks so good. My mouth is literally watering. I think I need to whip up a batch of lasagna next week! I like to be super healthy, so I use both red sauce AND alfredo sauce. 🙂
This looks so yummy! Love that it’s a meatless option too
Brooke, I have lots of meatless options. Try the vegetarian tag on the eight for more ideas. I’ve been veggie now for over 20 years so I’ve had to be creative. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
how would you add the zucchini if using? it looks SO good!
Lasagna is the besttt comfort food and this version looks so so so delicious! Cant wait to maybe try it out soooon 🙂
I think one small to medium zucchini would be a good size. Chop the zucchini into small chunks, lightly pan sear it, and toss it in a bowl with the red pepper. Mix together and then add in the same fashion, 1/4 of the veggie mixture at a time. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Thanks! Let me know if you like it!
This lasagna looks SO GOOD. I cannot wait to make it. Those noodles look different than any I’ve seen… what kind are they? Do you have to pre-cook them?
The noodles are a huge time saver. I’ve seen them at most grocery stores. Usually Barilla brand. http://www.amazon.com/Barilla-America-Inc-Lasagna-Pack/dp/B0029JTZ7Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317046440&sr=8-2 All you do is put them in the lasagna when they are raw, and they cook with the lasagna. I usually add a little more sauce to the lasagna because I’ve found that they soak up a bit more sauce than the already cooked ones. But, you can use them in any recipe that you have. And, I like the flat look that they have. Thanks for the comment!
Yum, I love the flavors in this lasagna and that it’s meatless, beautiful pictures.
Love the look of this lasagna! It looks really delicious and I definitely want to try it out soon! 🙂
I so like this, it is pure and what I think a good sauced lasagna should be… so many times, I use too much beef or pork in my lasagna, but seeing this, I think you just converted this country boy… I mean, nothing better that a good homemade sauce with lots of cheese… perfection, mean it!!! – thanks so much for your entry, good luck
Yum!! Was hoping that it was all red pepper (tomato free) because I can’t eat tomatos… but I’ll still be trying it, I’ll just have to figure out how to vary it on my own:) Can’t wait- it’s making me hungry…
Thanks! And, thanks for the comment. I’m going to go check out your blog as well. As for replacing the tomato sauce, I have a great idea… Take a roasted red pepper soup, cook it down a bit to thicken it, and voila! I have a perfect recipe. I’ll post it on Life Currents for you. I adore special requests and special diets. (having been veggie for 20+ years, I find them fascinating!
Thanks Debi- I usually toss some roasted red peppers in the food processor- it does the trick and works as a substitute in chili or green pepper soups, but I think I’m always left wanting when I put it on pasta. I tried making some tomato-free tomato sauce today (using beets, acorn squash, carrots, red peppers…) it’s ok, but doesn’t have the tang I’m looking for. I like your suggestion of using the red pepper soup and I look forward to seeing the recipe!
Debi-I wanted to let you know that I posted a link to this recipe in my “Learning From Others” post today.http://teachinggoodeaters.blogspot.com/2011/11/learning-from-others.html
I used the picture from your site. Please let me know if it’s a problem and I’ll remove it-
Oh this looks gorgeous, bet that sauce is deliciously rich!