Foodie Friday: Mediterranean Greek Vegetarian Lasagna

Ingredients: Lasagna noodles (you can use ready-to-cook, or you actually use regular dry noodles) Vegetable tomato sauce: 2 tablespoons of butter 1 large onion, or 2 small ones, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 3 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 teaspoon of dried herbs (herbs de Provence or a mix of basil, oregano and thyme) 2 (14oz) cans of crushed tomatoes 1 vegetable bullion cube 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar Salt and Pepper Mediterranean Mix: 1 can (13 oz or 390g) of artichokes hearts, chopped 1 can (5.7 oz or 163g) of green olives, chopped ¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped Spinach: 2 boxes (240 grams each) of defrosted, frozen chopped spinach fresh grated nutmeg Cheese: 12 oz of shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack) 1 pack of feta, (about ½ lb) crumbled Bechamel Sauce: 4 tablespoons of butter 4 tablespoons of flour 4 cups of milk 2 teaspoon of salt fresh grated nutmeg Method:

Vegetable tomato sauce:
Start sautéing the onion in the butter. After a few minutes add the carrots and the celery plus a pinch of salt. Sautee the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes until they start release their liquids. Now, add the chopped garlic and the tomato paste as well as the herbs. Cook for a minute or two and then add the crushed tomatoes and the bullion cube. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste, add the balsamic vinegar and apply a generous amount of pepper. Sometimes a tablespoon or two of sugar is also suitable.

Spinach:

Make sure the spinach is well thawed, season it with the nutmeg.

Bechamel Sauce:

The nutmeg really makes this tasty.

Melt the butter in a saucier/cassoulet and cook until nice and bubbly. Gradually whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two to remove any “flour” taste. Once you have a nice, light roux, start adding a cup of milk at the time, whisking as you go. Once all the milk is incorporated, continue to whisk and let the sauce come up to a simmer. If your sauce is too thick, you can always add some more milk. Season with salt and nutmeg.

Assemble:

Use a 9 x 13 pyrex dish.. Start with layering it with béchamel sauce. Next add a layer of lasagna noodles. On top of the pasta layer béchamel sauce, spinach, the Mediterranean mix, Feta Cheese, Monterey Jack and tomato sauce. Add another layer of pasta and do it over again (béchamel, spinach, Mediterranean mix, Feta, Monterey jack, tomato sauce). Top with the last layer of pasta and finish off with a generous amount of béchamel sauce and cheese.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes until nice and golden. Preferably let rest for about 30 minutes before cutting into. Or let it cool, place in the fridge and heat it up for later (it’s better the next day).