Eggplant & Zucchini Lasagna

I've been on a big lasagna kick lately. But it's hard to cut out the fat & calories. So instead of using any meat I've been trying different vegetables out and was excited when I realized I could give eggplant a try. I had two eggplants and three zucchinis. You don't need that many, but I put aside some of the leftover vegetables to eat as a snack. You might want to use less vegetables. Also, I keep the skins on the vegetables to save time, but you can feel free to peel the eggplant & zucchini and cut into smaller pieces.



To make this recipe healthier I use Light Ragu instead of another type of pasta/tomato sauce. I also use fat free cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I know my true Italian friends are gasping everywhere, but sometimes these sacrifices need to be made. This was a big dish and I was able to make 3 lasagna layers because I had so many veggies! I think this recipe could use some improvement so I'm open to any suggestions. It's easy to make it taste better by adding more cheese, but I'm trying to avoid that. For starters, I only used 1 jar of Light Ragu. I would recommend using maybe two. I also like making lasagna with diced tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes or diced tomatoes from a can. I would recommend doing that for this recipe even though I didn't. Also try using Parmesan cheese on the top layer.


When I had dinner with my in-laws this weekend I needed to have enough food to feed the 7 of us. I didn't think one lasagna was enough. So I brought this along with the taco lasagna. 

Ingredients:
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchinis, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups spaghetti sauce (I used light ragu)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup water
2 cups fat free cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to box directions.Chop eggplant, onions, & zucchini.
Heat oil in large saucepan and add vegetables. 
Saute until tender.
Stir in pasta sauce, water, and parsley.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain noodles, separate and place on parchment paper to avoid sticking together. 
Arrange 3 pasta pieces on bottom of greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish.
Spread 1/2 cottage cheese over noodles. 
Spread 1/3 sauce mixture over cheese.

Top with 3 more noodles.
Repeat.
Top with final 3 noodles. 
Spread mozzarella cheese & parmesan cheese on the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until hot and bubbly. 
Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.
 
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