When I say four cheese and vegetable lasagna – I mean there is Lots-O-Cheese and Lots-O-Veggies (and absolutely NO pasta) in these little cups of deliciousness. Yep, no pasta was harmed in the making of this lasagna. I figured with four cheeses going on and a robust homemade marinara that includes mushrooms, I could go ahead a substitute zucchini in for the noodles.

And truthfully, you can’t even tell the difference! I wish we could call these healthy (I mean I guess it’s healthier than using noodles), but there is a lot of dang cheese up in here.

I prepped this up yesterday for a little night in for me and my fiance. We’ve both been working like crazy and after drinks and dinner out Friday night, we really just wanted a quiet night at home. We did this four cheese and vegetable lasagna and rented a movie and, honestly, it was better than most nights spent out!

Now let’s get back to talking about this lasagna. My favorite thing about this recipe is that you can totally prep in early in the day (or even the day before if you’re thinking ahead). The marinara sauce is homemade, but has a few shortcuts so that you aren’t slaving over a stove all afternoon.

The ricotta is smooth and creamy and adds a nice binding element to the mixture. Mozzarella is super stringy and has my heart when it comes to Italian dishes. And let’s not forget the Asiago and Parmesan – these two cheese have such robust and distinct flavors, they give your dish that extra kick of flavor.

ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
3 zucchinis, sliced lengthwise about ¼” thick
¼ cup onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms (I used cremini)
2 small roma tomatoes, diced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
¾ cup Stella ricotta cheese
8 ounces Stella mozzarella cheese
½ cup Stella Parmesan cheese
½ cup Stella Asiago cheese
instructions
In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add the zucchini and cook until tender, flipping at least once. Zucchini should soft but still firm.
Remove the zucchini from the pan and add more olive oil if needed.
Saute onions until translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are tender. Drain any excess water.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil and water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Let this mixture simmer until water has evaporated and mixture is thickened. Add more water as needed, just be sure to let it reduce out.
Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine egg, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Mix together.
In a 1½ quart baking dish (or you could use 6-ounce individual ramekins – I did!) layer the marinara sauce, zucchini noodles and cheese mixture (in that order).
Repeat once, and then finish with a layer of marinara sauce and finish with the asiago cheese.
Cover your dish (or dishes) with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until your lasagna is bubbling.
Remove aluminum foil and cook 10 more minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and golden brown.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving and then enjoy!
