Vegetable Lasagna

This is an easy beginner-level recipe for all those meat-free eaters out there. It should take about 30 minutes to prep for and about 1 hour to cook.

For this recipe, you will need:

- 2 15-ounce containers of ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 10-ounce package of frozen, chopped spinach
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of torn basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 diced yellow onion
- 3/4 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 diced yellow squash
- 1 diced zucchini
- 6 cups of marinara sauce
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (8 ounces)

First mix together the 2 containers of ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp of black pepper, and package of drained and dried spinach.

In a separate bowl, mix together the 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 ½ cups of shredded Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of torn basil leaves.

Using a large skillet, pour 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and add the 3 minced garlic cloves and diced yellow onion. Stir continuously for 1 minute.

Now add ¾ cup of shredded carrots, 1 diced yellow squash, and 1 diced zucchini. Cook and occasionally stir for about 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Once vegetables are tender, sprinkle more salt and pepper to taste and remove from skillet, draining any extra liquid.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and lay a layer of lasagna noodles over that. Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles and 1/3 of the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top. Repeat this to make 2 more layers.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before digging in to this decadent veggie dish!