Put this roasted veggie lasagna on your table

Try this veggie-packed twist on an Italian favourite. Enjoy the flavour of roasted and caramelized red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic, layered with tomato sauce, noodles, and cheese.

This dish takes 35 minutes to prepare, an hour to cook, and should be left to stand for 10 minutes before serving. It serves 12. Here's what you'll need: 

• 1 medium Italian eggplant (about 340 g/12 oz), peeled, trimmed, and cut lengthwise into slabs 1 cm (3/8-inch) thick
• 3 or 4 medium zucchini (about 340 g/12 oz), trimmed and cut lengthwise into slabs 1 cm (3/8 inch) thick
• 2 red peppers, flesh cut from top to bottom to make 4 slabs of flesh from each
• 8 whole garlic cloves with skins left on
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 3 ml g (3/4 tsp) salt, divided
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground black pepper, divided
• 225 g (8 oz) sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked (about 340 g/12 oz)
• 1 jar (680 g/24 oz) low-sodium tomato basil sauce
• 680 g (3 cups) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 225 g (2 cups) reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
• 50 g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 30 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F). Arrange the eggplant and zucchini slabs in a single layer on one large baking sheet and the pepper slabs and unpeeled garlic cloves on another. Sprinkle with the oil, two grams (1/2 teaspoon) of the salt, and one gram (1/4 teaspoon) of the black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and roast until the vegetables are browned, soft, and shrunken (15 to 20 minutes more). Remove from the oven and let cool. Cut each slab of eggplant, zucchini, and pepper in half lengthwise into strips.
2. Heat the sauce in a medium pot over low heat. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins into the sauce and stir until incorporated. Reduce the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 250 grams (one cup) of the mozzarella, 50 grams (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan, the egg, parsley, and remaining one gram (1/4 teaspoon) of salt and black pepper.
3. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 33 x 22 centimetre (13 x 9 inch) baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles in the pan over the sauce. Spread one-third of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Spoon one-fourth of the sauce over the cheese. Layer on one-third of the strips of roasted eggplant, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms. Top the final layer of noodles with the remaining sauce, 250 grams (1 cup) mozzarella and 50 grams (1/4 cup) Parmesan.
4. Bake until well browned on top (30 to 35 minutes). Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Freeze any leftovers for future meals.

Each serving contains the following:

• 355 Calories
• 14 g Fat (6 g saturated fat)
• 38 g Carbs (5 g fibre)
• 22 g Protein
• 49 mg Cholesterol
• 535 mg Sodium
• 538 mg Calcium

You don't need to load your lasagna with meat for it to be a massive hit at the dinner table. Give this cheesy, veggie-loaded version a try and discover what you've been missing.