Lasagna is a favourite in our home. What is not to like, it is pasta, with lots of vegetables and cheese; perfect for parents who are trying to get their children eat veggies. I add veggies that suit my mood or my fridge; it is sometimes spinach, mushrooms, eggplants, zucchini. The usual lasagna recipe also has ricotta cheese. I being lactose intolerant, make a small pan for myself with no cheese(!) or sometimes add some goat cheese since I can tolerate that. Making lasagna is usually time consuming; making the filling, the sauce and then cooking the sheets, then layering them and the baking for atleast 50 minutes; then letting it sit for 15 minutes before you serve so it does not fall apart. I always misjudge the time (and sometimes the amount of filling required) and dinner always runs late when I am making lasagna.

I came across this recipe in another group posted by Phillip Nicholas. His was with meat and ricotta cheese and I adapted it to a vegetarian version with teh cheese I had at home that day. It was easy (no pre-boiling of pasta sheets, layering or baking), all in one skillet and delicious. This recipe is a keeper!

Ingredients

• 8-10 lasagna noodles (do not use the no-boil sheets)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or 1/2 tsp chilli powder)
• 1 large eggplant , 1 inch dice (add salt and let it sit for 15 minutes, rinse and place on paper towels to remove excess water)
• 1 green pepper (capsicum), 1 inch diced
• 8 oz (approx 250 g) white or bella mushrooms, finely chopped (I like to add mushrooms for the meaty texture. If you don’t like mushrooms, you can add veggie crumbles or other vegetables of your choice or just more eggplant)
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 cup water
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (can use fresh tomatoes, chopped to very fine)
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella (or 16 oz ricotta cheese) – cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• pepper and salt to taste
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves, sliced or torn

Directions

• In a large skillet (with a lid), heat olive oil
• Add chopped onions and cook till soft (about 4-5 minutes)
• Add garlic and red pepper flakes and mix
• Add chopped mushrooms and fry till almost dry (about 4-5 minutes)
• Add eggplant and fry till almost cooked. Add green peppers and cook for a minute. add 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning (Since I was making two pans (one lactose-free), I transferred some veggies to a smaller pan)
• Break lasagna sheets into 1-2 inches and spread over the vegetables
• Add water,crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and rest of the italian seasoning, salt and pepper
• Bring to boil, cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked, al dente. Taste for seasoning
• If using ricotta, mix all the cheeses together.
• When the pasta is cooked, drop dollops of cheese mixture (ricotta cheese mixture) or fresh mozzarella over the pasta and sprinkle the shredded cheese all over (For a lactose-free version, add goat cheese or vegan cheese)
• Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let it cook for a minute. Take off pan and let it sit covered till all the cheese melts
• Top with fresh basil and serve