Grilled Vegetable Lasagna with Puttanesca Sauce and Pesto Oil

Prep Time:

1 hr 0 min

Inactive Prep Time:

0 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 25 min

Level:

0

Serves:

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ricotta
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pesto Oil, recipe follows
• Puttanesca Sauce, recipe follows
• 1 1/4 pounds lasagna noodles
• Grilled Vegetables, recipe follows
• 8 ounces mozzarella, coarsely grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese with salt and half a cup of Pesto Oil.

Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish, then spoon 1/2 cup of Puttanesca Sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the lasagna with a layer of ricotta, then a layer of eggplant, zucchini, onion and red pepper, a layer of grated mozzarella, and a layer of puttanesca sauce. Repeat layering the lasagna, ricotta, vegetables, mozzarella and sauce in this manner until all ingredients have been used, ending with mozzarella on top.

Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving, drizzled with some of the remaining pesto oil.

Puttanesca Sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice
• 1 cup tightly packed, pitted, chopped Kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons (about 8) minced anchovy fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste, cover and set aside.

Pesto Oil:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a food processor or blender place the garlic and basil and process on high while adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Continue to process until well blended, season with salt to taste and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna.

Grilled Vegetables: 4 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices 4 red or yellow bell peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled 2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch rounds 2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rounds 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Light the grill or pre-heat the broiler.

In a large shallow bowl, toss the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and onion with the oil and salt. If using the broiler, arrange the vegetables in a single layer on 2 lightly greased or non-stick baking sheets. Grill or broil in batches, turning the vegetables once, until they are tender, lightly browned, and have released most of their moisture, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.