Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 16 lasagna noodles
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese, drained
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 zucchini, grated
• 1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

PROCEDURE:

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Then put the noodles in cold water and set aside.
2. In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until the ingredients are mixed and set the bowl aside.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl combine the peppers, onion, garlic, and oil. Microwave the vegetables for 5 to 6 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir the carrot and zucchini into the cooled vegetables. Set the bowl aside.
4. Smash the tomatoes a little with a fork. Then stir in the tomato paste and the wine, until smooth. Substitute water or grape juice for the wine or any other liquid. Mix in the parsley, salt, sugar, basil, oregano, and bay leaves. Microwave the mixture on high for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves after.
5. Grease a 9x13 pan and fill it with 1 cup of tomato sauce. And start assembling the lasagna rolls.
6. Drain the noodles and pat them dry. Lay 2 noodles end to end and overlap about an inch. Spread with the ricotta mixture, then cover the ricotta with vegetables, sprinkle with cheese, spoon some tomato sauce over the cheese. Now you're ready to roll it up.
7. To form the rolls, start at one end and roll the noodle like a sleeping bag. When you get to the end, secure it with a wooden toothpick. Place the rolls in a ring around the outer edge of the dish. Do not place any rolls in the center of the dish.
8. Microwave the rolls for 5 minutes, then let them stand for 10 minutes to set before eating. If you think making the lasagna rolls seems like too much trouble, you can make a pan of lasagna with this same recipe. Cover the bottom of the dish with noodles and make layers of ricotta, vegetables, mozzarella, and sauce. End with a layer of mozzarella cheese on top.

Yields: 8 Servings
Preparation time: 53 minutes