Hearty Beef and Vegetable Lasagna

This Hearty Beef and Vegetable Lasagna is delicious and will feed a whole crowd for large gatherings.

Hearty Beef and Vegetable Lasagna
 
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups chopped eggplant
  • 3½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 1½ cups chopped zucchini
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained well and chopped
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 2½ cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, toss together eggplant and 2 teaspoons salt. Transfer to a colander, and let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, and drain well.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. In a large deep skillet, cook beef, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and crumbly; drain well. Stir in eggplant, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, peppers, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are just soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and roasted peppers, and bring to a low boil. Cook until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in basil.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together together ricotta and eggs. Spread about 1 cup meat mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Layer half of cooked noodles on meat mixture. Spread half of ricotta mixture onto noodles; sprinkle with one-third each of mozzarella and Parmesan. Spread half of remaining meat mixture onto cheese. Repeat layers once. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Loosely cover with foil.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly and cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

 Get more great recipes by ordering your subscription to Cooking with Paula Deen today!