Grilled Vegetable Lasagna With Puttanesca Sauce And Pesto Oil

By á-170456

Ingredients

• PUTTANESCA SAUCE:
• 2 pounds ricotta
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pesto Oil (see below)
• Puttanesca Sauce (see below)
• 1 1/4 pounds lasagna noodles
• Grilled Vegetables (see below)
• 8 ounces mozzarella coarsely grated
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup finely-chopped onion
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cans Roma plum tomatoes - (28 oz ea) broken into pieces, with juice
• 1 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives - (tightly packed)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets - (abt 8)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste
• PESTO OIL:
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups basil leaves - (loosely packed)
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• GRILLED VEGETABLES:
• 4 medium zucchini cut lengthwise
• into 1/4" slices
• 4 red or yellow bell peppers roasted, seeded, and peeled
• 2 medium eggplants - (abt 1 1/2 lbs) cut 1/4" rounds
• 2 large yellow onions cut 1/4" rounds
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese with salt and half a cup of Pesto Oil.

Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish, then spoon 1/2 cup of Puttanesca Sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the lasagna with a layer of ricotta, then a layer of eggplant, zucchini, onion and red pepper, a layer of grated mozzarella, and a layer of puttanesca sauce. Repeat layering the lasagna, ricotta, vegetables, mozzarella and sauce in this manner until all ingredients have been used, ending with mozzarella on top.

Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving, drizzled with some of the remaining pesto oil.

For Puttanesca Sauce: In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste, cover and set aside.

For Pesto Oil: In the bowl of a food processor or blender place the garlic and basil and process on high while adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Continue to process until well blended, season with salt to taste and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna.

For Grilled Vegetables: Light the grill or pre-heat the broiler.

In a large shallow bowl, toss the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and onion with the oil and salt. If using the broiler, arrange the vegetables in a single layer on 2 lightly greased or non-stick baking sheets. Grill or broil in batches, turning the vegetables once, until they are tender, lightly browned, and have released most of their moisture, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.

This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.