Four-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

This lasagna from our November/December 1992 issue proves a welcome change from your standard meat-and-tomato-based dishes. The creamy white sauce in this meatless version complements the spinach and fresh broccoli. A lasagne isn't a lasagna unless it's both filling and flavorful--and this one is that and more.

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 12  uncooked lasagna noodles
• 2  teaspoons  vegetable oil
• Cooking spray
• 2  cups  chopped broccoli
• 1 1/2  cups  thinly sliced carrot
• 1  cup  sliced green onions
• 1/2  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
• 3  cups  1% low-fat milk
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2  cups  1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• Freshly ground pepper (optional)

Preparation

Cook lasagna noodles, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add broccoli and next 4 ingredients (broccoli through garlic), and sauté 7 minutes. Set aside.

Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture for top layer of casserole, and set aside.

Combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Swiss cheese; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture, half of broccoli mixture, and half of remaining spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread reserved 1/2 cup spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

341 (22% from fat)

Fat:

8.4g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

21.6g

Carbohydrate:

44.9g

Fiber:

3.7g

Cholesterol:

21mg

Iron:

3.2mg

Sodium:

457mg

Calcium:

394mg