Day 23: Red & Green Vegetarian Lasagna

This is a great make-ahead meal, and a fun diversion from the traditional lasagna.  I first made it when I was pregnant with Noah and wanted freezer meals to enjoy and take a little load off during the first few weeks of his life.  The roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes make a unique sauce.  I've adapted my recipe from Rachael Ray's.  It's pretty similar, only minor changes.

Red & Green Vegetarian Lasagna

8-10 sun dried tomatoes, oil-packed
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
8 roasted peppers from a jar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 28-oz can tomatoes (crushed, diced, sauce--whatever chunkiness sauce you like)
fresh basil, chopped
salt, pepper
pinch of sugar
2 lbs spinach
1 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional--tonight we opted out)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
32 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg, + 1 egg yolk
2 boxes no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Get the onion and 2 garlic gloves cooking in a saucepan over medium heat with some olive oil.  Meanwhile, place the peppers and tomatoes in a food processor and puree.  Add the 28 oz tomatoes to the onion and garlic and then add the pepper/tomato puree, the basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.  Simmer.  While the sauce simmers, wash out the food processor and put the spinach and remaining garlic in.  Pulse.  Add the pine nuts, if using.  Pour in the vegetable stock and pulse into a paste.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add the parmesan cheese and with the processor on, stream in some extra virgin olive oil (about 1/2 cup).  Transfer the pesto to a bowl and add the ricotta cheese and egg and egg yolk.  Mix.  Assemble the lasagna by starting with the red sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan.  Then layer the noodles, the green sauce, and continue alternating.  Top with the shredded cheese.  At this point you can freeze it, or you can bake at 400* covered with foil for 45 minutes.  Then remove the foil and continue baking another 15 minutes.

This is a meal I'm happy to give my kids!  Noah (8.5 months) ate the same size piece as the rest of us tonight!