When it comes to all-time hits, lasagna must be one of the world’s most highly rated labors of love.  So many ingredients, so many layers, which goes where?  Every family seems to have their own preferred version. You rarely see a little pan of lasagna. With so much shopping and preparation, popular wisdom says make enough for the masses: “Since we’re at it, we might as well invite the neighbors!”

Well, that’s not necessarily the case in my mighty tiny kitchen. By necessity my lasagna would be smaller. I also had in mind a purely vegetable based lasagna; one made with a marinara sauce of grill-roasted tomatoes and a modest heap of perfectly grilled zucchini and other vegetables like yellow squash, peppers, and onion for layering.

Zucchini Lasagna

I was a little concerned about the final condition of the vegetables in the lasagna. I did not want bland or mushy—and overcooking could be a tall order. I believed this could be accomplished by searing the vegetables with only a brief sojourn on the grill: I’d spice it all up, give it a bit of smoke, sear it, and call it good.

Any marinara sauce will work, you will need at least 3 cups.  We are also going with super easy no boil noodles, which hold up very well for layering and later portioning.  Depending on the shape of your baking dish or pan, position the uncooked noodles to abutt one another. For a full layer of pasta, fit any remaining gaps with broken pieces of noodle.  In making the ricotta filling, combine a good quality ricotta, partial skim is fine, with an egg for binder, a little Parmesan cheese, a touch of garlic, salt and pepper.

A lot of these small tasks can be done over a couple of days if necessary, leaving assembly a simple task.  The final bake will take less than an hour.  Let it rest about 10 minutes before cutting.  If you’ve got it, serve a little more marinara sauce on the side and enjoy!

Grilled Zucchini Lasagna

3 cups marinara sauce
1 box Barilla No Boil Lasagna
3 grilled zucchini/squash, 1 onion, 2 poblano peppers
Ricotta filling
12 oz. ricotta
1 egg, beaten
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Spray an 8”x 8”, a 7”x 10” deep baking pan, or 2-1/2 qt. baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. For ricotta filling, combine ricotta through white pepper and set aside.
3. To slice grilled vegetables, slice zucchini chunks into 1/2″ thick slices with the green outer skin showing on both edges. Slice the onion and peppers in 1/2″ wide long strips.
4. Spread about 3/4 cup sauce across bottom of baking dish.
5. Place a layer of flat noodles,if necessary breaking some to cover any open surface. They will swell.
6. Evenly spread 1/2 of the ricotta over the noodles.
7. Layer 1/2 of the vegetables and spread lightly with another 3/4 cup sauce.
8. Repeat with another layer of noodles, ricotta, vegetables and sauce. Finish with a layer of pasta, the rest of the sauce, and top with mozzarella and then the Parmesan cheeses.
9. To bake, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer, until it is bubbly and begins to brown on top. Serves 4 or more.

Late summer heat in the Willamette Valley has brought on a glut of huge, sweet, juicy tomatoes along with the eternal question, “What do you do with so many tomatoes?”

Fresh salsa is my initial response, but this time my thoughts shifted to another favorite, marinara sauce. Such a bright, easy tomato sauce to make, it only requires a quick simmer to bring flavors together for pasta or a stellar pizza sauce.

With that in mind, I decided to begin with another challenge: grill-roasting tomatoes.  I like the idea of oven roasting tomatoes, but in the summer heat, taking the process outdoors makes far more sense.  Beyond the extra sweetness grilling imparts, I’m thinking the addition of a few apple wood chips would introduce a subtle smokiness.

I wasn’t quite sure how this idea would float but I proceeded, placing halved tomatoes lightly coated with olive oil cut side down on a moderately hot grill over a bed of hot coals laced with soaked wood chips.  These juicy beauties did not fall apart, instead the tomato’s sugar served to sear and caramelize their cut surface.  Once nicely browned, they were turned right side up, allowing the skin to ultimately crack and begin to separate.  When the centers were bubbly, they were removed to cool.

There were other unanticipated advantages worth noting. The sometimes tedious peeling of tomato skins was hassle-free; they literally curled off by themselves.  Just as simple, removing bitter seeds was only a matter of giving each half a light squeeze along with a quick turn of a teaspoon into obvious seed pockets.

I didn’t bother to mill or breakdown the tomatoes into a smooth sauce or puree, I liked the limited bits of soft chunkiness.  I was also surprised at the incredibly small return after tomato surgery.  From an initial 8 or 9 large tomatoes, I was rewarded with a mere 3-4 cups of pulp. There was also a fair amount of tomato liquid included which I opted to leave alone.

When it came time to whip up the marinara sauce I was in and out of the kitchen in under 30 minutes.  Since it’s only a matter of sautéing a bit of onion and garlic in olive oil, it’s the reduction of liquid that takes the most time, but it is loaded with flavor, and well worth it.

Marinara Sauce with Smoky Grilled Tomatoes

Ingredients
3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8-10 large ripe tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6-8 leaves fresh basil, torn

Directions

1. Brush halved tomatoes lightly with olive oil and set cut side down on medium hot grill. Grill for 5 -10 minutes, until seared, and turn.  Continue to cook until skins begin to crack and surface is bubbly; let cool.  Remove skins, cores, and seeds, squeezing with hand to breakdown.
2. Heat remaining olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, sauté 2-3 minutes, until it begins to soften; add the garlic and oregano and sauté 1-2 minutes, until aromatic.  Add the red pepper flakes and stir to soften.
3. Stir in the tomato pulp, tomato puree, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Partially cover and allow to reduce until thick, 15 to 20 minutes.  Adjust seasoning; remove from heat and add the fresh basil.  Let cool or serve.  Makes about 2 cups.