I remember when I was about 10 years old and had vegetarian lasagna at my friend’s house. I had never heard of making lasagna with just vegetables, but I absolutely loved it.

Mrs. Laurain’s vegetarian lasagna
1 box lasagna noodles (approximately 10)
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. oil
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups cottage cheese
1 lb. sliced Monterey jack cheese
1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese

Over the years I’ve tried many lasagna recipes, but I always come back to that vegetarian one as my favorite. I’m making it for Thanksgiving dinner with my own flair and of course, I’m adding meat.

Start by preparing the green vegetables. Microwaving a 10-oz. pkg. of frozen chopped spinach is easiest, but I’ll clean, chop and cook Swiss chard instead. Microwave a 10-oz. pkg. of frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower – I will purchase a small head of cauliflower, steam it and chop it. Once those vegetables are prepared, set aside while draining off all excess water.

Chop a medium-sized onion, grate about 3 carrots, mince a garlic clove and slice a large pkg. of mushrooms. Cook a pound of ground Italian sausage and remove with a slotted spoon. Add a Tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and sauté the raw vegetables, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Add the Italian sausage back to the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, paste and 1 cup of red wine and bring to a simmer.

Add 2 bay leaves, a tsp. each of oregano, chopped rosemary and crushed fennel seeds. Cover the pot and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles. Grate mozzarella and Monterey jack cheese until you have about a pound total. Sometimes I use a combination of mozzarella and Swiss. I use small-curd cottage cheese, but ricotta is good too. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot and cover with cool water – they’ll be easier to handle.

Begin layering with a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Using a paper towel, gently dry half the noodles and overlap them to cover the dish. Spread half the cottage cheese over the noodles and then spread half the spinach and cauliflower. Ladle half of the sauce mixture over the vegetables and then add half of the shredded cheese. Repeat the process starting with layering noodles. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes, removing the cover for the last 10. The lasagna should be golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.