This takes a bit of effort, but is worth it, especially for a nice long weekend treat.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (prep time, about two hours, but work can be done over two days)

2 C. sliced mushrooms

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 C. cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1 C. broccoli florets

1 C. baby carrots, sliced

5 green onions sliced in half

2 Tbl. Olive oil

2 Tbl. Balsamic vinegar

(any favorite vegetable can be used)

Sauce:

3 Tbl. Unsalted butter

3 Tbl. Flour

3 or 4 garlic cloves finely diced

3 C. milk

3 C.  grated smoked gouda cheese (I trimmed the brown outer layer before grating since it's a bit tough and doesn't melt well)

2 C. grated Parmesan cheese

2 C. ricotta cheese

3 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ tsp. grated nutmeg

1 Tbl. each oregano and basil flakes

½ tsp. mustard powder

9 lasagna noodles

1 C. bread crumbs

You can roast your selected vegetables a day in advance and set aside.  Pre-heat oven to 350.  Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Toss to evenly coat and season with salt and cracked black pepper.  Roast about an hour until the vegetables are soft and slightly carmelized.

Pre-heat oven to 375. For the rest of the dish, bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a boil and add in the lasagna noodles, cooking them until al dente.  While the water is coming up to heat, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the finely diced garlic and cook for a few minutes, being careful not to brown the butter or garlic.  Wisk in flour, stirring constantly until the rue is thickened and starts to turn a light brown. Add oregano, basil, mustard flour and nutmeg as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Wisk in the milk, still stirring constantly. You may want to turn the heat up a little until the milk is almost to a boil and coats a spoon.  Switch to a spoon and stir in thegouda. Once it’s melted into the sauce, stir in 1 cup Parmesan and remove from heat. Taste sauce to adjust the seasonings. Drain the pasta and allow to cool so it can be handled.  Spray a large cake pan with cooking spray. Ladle a small amount of sauce into the pan and spread evenly.  Place three noodles on top of the sauce. Ladle more sauce onto the noodles, spreading evenly across the noodles. Evenly scatter two or three varieties of vegetables then dollop spoonfuls of ricotta evenly over the vegetables, followed by about a cup of mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles, followed by sauce, remaining vegetables, ricotta, mozzarella and place the final noodles on top and spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.  Top with the bread crumbs and the last cup of Parmesan.  For additional color, you can sprinkle paprika on top as well.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 2 minutes until the dish is bubbling. Remove the foil, reduce the oven to 350 and place the lasagna back in the oven, on the top rack this time, to brown, about 10 minutes.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes to set before cutting.

Our ‘Ask the Experts’ wine and liquor experts at Parkway Wine and Liquor recommend a full-bodied Chardonnay with oak-tones to pair.  For more suggestions on a variety of topics, click on Ask the Experts.

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