Roasted Zucchini Lasagna with Pesto and Chèvre
A delicious lasagna with added veggies and a tonne of pesto!
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 25 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 pounds summer squash, sliced 1/4" thick ((about 12 medium zucchini))
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup basil pesto (recipe below)
- 16 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces fresh pasta sheets (preferably spinach) cut to fit in a single layer if necessary; enough for 4 layers of pasta)
- 4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 6 tablespoons pine nuts
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup (up to) olive oil
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450º. Divide the sliced squash between two oiled sheet pans. Toss with the olive oil and salt, then arrange in a single layer (the squash may overlap a bit, but will lose volume as it bakes). Roast the squash, rotating once halfway through, until tender and beginning to brown in places, about 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool until handle-able.
- 2
Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.
- 3
Meanwhile, place the goat cheese in a medium bowl, and gradually add in the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in the salt and pepper.
- 4
Lightly oil a 9x13" pyrex baking dish.
- 5
Lay a single layer of pasta sheets in the pan, cut to fit if necessary.
- 6
Spread the pasta with 1/4 cup of pesto.
- 7
Arrange 1/3 of the roasted squash over the pesto in a single layer.
- 8
Dollop 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture over the squash and spread evenly.
- 9
Lay 1/4 of the mozzarella over the goat cheese.
- 10
Arrange another layer of pasta sheets over the mozzarella, and make 2 more layers just like the first (pasta, pesto, squash, goat cheese, mozzarella), for a total of 3 layers.
- 11
Add a fourth layer of pasta sheets over the mozzarella, and spread with the remaining 1/4 cup of pesto. Reserve the remaining 1/4 of mozzarella.
- 12
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the lasagna at 350ºF until bubbling and the pasta is tender and browned around the edges, about 45 minutes.
- 13
Turn the oven to broil.
- 14
Remove the foil, lay the remaining mozzarella over the top, and place under the broiler (watch carefully!) for a minute or two to melt and brown the cheese.
- 15
Let the lasagna rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut and serve. The lasagna keeps well, refrigerated, for up to several days; reheat before serving.
- 16
Optionally blanch the basil in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into an ice bath. When cool, squeeze out all the water. (Or leave the basil fresh - see headnote.) Place the basil, blanched or not, in a food processor with the pine nuts and garlic, and puree until fairly smooth, adding some of the olive oil if you need to help the mixture blend. Add the cheese and enough of the olive oil to make a thick paste, then season to taste with the salt.
- 17
If storing the pesto, place it in a jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil (this will help prevent it from oxidizinand place in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to several months.