Treat Dad to a Homemade Very Veggie Lasagna

Satisfy the whole family with comfort food.

I don’t think there is anything more special than a homemade meal on Dad’s special day. Sure, you might want to take Dad to a fancy restaurant, but this lasagna is a favorite for the whole family—especially kids. After all, isn’t this about being a dad?

Perfect for the vegetarian members of the family, one serving provides a hefty dose of delicious protein (21 grams), 5 grams of satisfying fat, and about 30 grams of energy-producing carbs. Of course, you can make this gluten-free by opting for rice noodles instead of wheat.

The lasagna serves between 6-8, so there may be leftovers for lunch, dinner, or (in my case) even breakfast.

Father’s Day Very Veggie Lasagna
1 pound whole-grain lasagna noodles, partially cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fresh zucchini, sliced
1 cup yellow squash, sliced
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
Filling:
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 (25.5 ounce) jar natural or organic pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen
Organic Portobello Mushroom Pasta Sauce)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12×18-inch baking dish with olive oil.

2. In a large skillet, on medium setting, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms, and sauté until onions are softened—6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add zucchini and yellow squash to skillet and continue sautéing for 5 additional minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes. Set aside.

4. Make filling: In a food processor or blender, whip cottage cheese until smooth. Add ricotta cheese and egg; blend until smooth. Remove to a large bowl. Stir in spinach, remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.

5. In baking pan, layer 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 vegetable mixture, and 1/3 sauce. Repeat process 2 more times. (Don’t worry if layers aren’t even.)

6. Cover. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover; continue baking for 15 additional minutes.

7. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers (if you have any!) freeze well.

Personal thanks to Meal Planning Maven for helping to tweak this recipe!

Just for good measure, throw in a lot of love, hugs, and TLC like the Male Multiple because you want to protect Dad’s heart and vitality for many Father’s Days to come.