Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

So my 14-year-old daughter Lisa has decided that eating anything that has a furry face is not for her. I'm actually thankful for this culinary challenge, as it's forced me to move beyond the comfortable realm of meat in search of nutritional meals that fit the bill. Following is my take on a Vegetarian Lasagna that combines my love of grilled food and gooey cheesy Italian -- and Lisa's desire for a non-meat main course. Preparation is a bit complicated, but well worth the effort. Lisa loved it...and like most lasagna, it's even better the second day.

The vegetable ingredients are suggestions only--go with what's available at the market/store and/or suits your own palette (conceding here that eggplant is not every one's favorite). I've offered ones that offer lots of color and variety, but it's what you and your dining partner(s) like that's most important.

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8

Prologue: You're going to cook a lot of separate components first, then assemble into one pan. I admit it's some work...but trust me, if you don't overcook the vegetables, and go heavy on cheeses, this is great.

Preheat oven to 375

Grease one lasagna pan/small roasting pan with olive oil and set aside.

Ingredients:

Noodles:

One box no-bake lasagna noodles (I know, homemade is best...and I've gone that route with great results. But thinking you may want to spend some time away from the kitchen, Barilla's noodles are great substitutes here.)

Sauce:

1/3 cup olive oil
2 large cans best-quality whole Italian plum tomatoes you can afford (San Marzano? Go for it...but I use Tuttorosso)
2-4 cloves garlic to taste
freshly ground salt and pepper

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, then add tomatoes, crushing between your fingers as you go. Add liquid from one can; reserve rest (use if sauce starts to evaporate too quickly as you cook it down). Bring to a quick boil, then turn heat down to low or under and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover after 30 minutes and let reduce for another 30 minutes over low heat (so low that sauce bubbles about once every 10 seconds or so.)

While sauce cooks, prepare and grill vegetables:

1/2 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (e.g. rosemary, basil, sage, parsley, oregano, thyme)
1 eggplant, sliced into rounds, then halved
2 large red onions, peeled and quartered length-wise, then in half. (Keep root end on to prevent onion from falling apart)
2 large peppers (red, yellow, green--your choice) cleaned and sliced into wide strips
2 zucchini, cut into inch-wide planks, then in half
1 summer (yellow) squash, cut inch-wide planks, then in half
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Toss with about 1/4 cup olive oil and a liberal dose of salt and pepper.

Grill over medium high heat until slightly charred, but not soft--crunch is key to this dish. (I use a grill frying pan and basically stir-fry on the grill for about 5-10 minutes depending on grill's heat)

Remove from heat and place in bowl.

Make cheese mixture:

12 ounces ricotta
2 eggs, beaten

1 lb mozzarella, shredded (put in freezer for about 30 minutes ahead of time; it will help in shredding)

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

Combine eggs and ricotta; fold in half of the mozzarella and half the Parmesan; reserve rest.

Assembly:

When sauce is finished, ladle about a cup into bottom of pan. Place a layer of noodles on top of sauce, breaking if necessary to accommodate/fill in gaping holes. On top of noodles, spread thin layer of mozzarella/ricotta/egg mixture, then a layer of grilled vegetables, then sprinkle a bit of Parmesan and shredded mozzarella. Repeat with layer of noodles, cheese mixture, and veggies. Finish with layer of noodles, sauce and last of mozzarella and Parmesan mixture. Dot with 4-6 pats of butter, cover with foil and cook for 45 minutes. Remove foil, rotate pan and cook for another 15-30 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbling (I've broiled for last 5 minutes as well to make even crispier.) Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes until plating.

Serve with grated cheese ... and "a good Chianti"