Garden Veggie Lasagna

May 2020. Mid-month. I have been back at work for two weeks and the daycare feels different and the same at once. The children are adjusted to the new situation faster than the adults. Lily has made the masks part of her world. She draws pictures of people with rectangles over their faces because that is what people look like now.

I made ratatouille this week, the same recipe I made two summers ago, but it is different now because I am different. I roast the vegetables separately now before combining them, which concentrates the flavor of each one before it meets the others. The result is more complex than the original version. Small refinements accumulate over years. This is what practicing a dish means: each time you make it you know something you did not know before.

The research paper came back from the journal with revisions requested. Minor revisions, Dr. Ochoa says, which is good news. We revise and resubmit. This is how research works: iteratively, persistently, without expecting the first draft to be the last. I have made peace with this. It is like cooking. The first attempt is almost never the best one. You learn and try again and the third time it is good and the fifth time it is right and eventually you have a thing you can trust.

Edna has not been well this week. She did not come to the door for the Tuesday bread. I left it on the mat and it was taken, so she is home, but she did not open the door. I called through the door and she said: I am fine dear, just tired. I said: I am here if you need anything. She said: I know. Thank you for the bread.

The ratatouille I made this week reminded me why I keep returning to dishes built from garden vegetables and patience — there is always something left to refine. This Garden Veggie Lasagna follows the same logic: roast the vegetables first to concentrate their flavor, layer with care, and let the whole thing come together in the oven into something more complex than the sum of its parts. It is the kind of recipe that rewards you for showing up to it again.

Prep Time: 35 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

12 lasagna noodles
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small eggplant (about 12 oz), cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Instructions

Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, mushrooms, and eggplant on two rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme, and toss to coat. Roast 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until edges are caramelized and moisture has cooked off. Reduce oven to 375°F.
Cook the noodles. While vegetables roast, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.
Make the ricotta mixture. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, basil, half the Parmesan, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
Build the sauce layer. Warm remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Stir garlic into the marinara sauce.
Assemble the lasagna. Spread 1/2 cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer 3 noodles over the sauce. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture, followed by one-third of the roasted vegetables, one-third of the remaining marinara, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers twice more. Top with the final 3 noodles, remaining marinara, remaining mozzarella, and remaining Parmesan.
Bake covered. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
Bake uncovered. Remove foil and bake an additional 20–25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden at the edges.
Rest before serving. Let the lasagna rest 15 minutes before cutting. This allows the layers to set and makes for cleaner, more cohesive slices.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garden Veggie Lasagna — The Dish That Gets Better Every Time You Make It