Garden Harvest Lasagna

1. Preheat oven

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

2. Prepare tomato sauce

In a bowl, whisk together the crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and red pepper flakes to create the tomato sauce. Set this aside.

3. Prepare cream sauce

For the cream sauce, combine the grated Parmesan cheese, whole milk cottage cheese, heavy cream, 2 minced garlic cloves, cornstarch, 0.5 teaspoon of kosher salt, and black pepper in another bowl. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

4. Prepare eggplant

Toss the eggplant cubes with 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Spread the eggplant on a large plate lined with coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil. Microwave the eggplant for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let the eggplant cool slightly before combining it with the zucchini and yellow squash in the large bowl.

5. Cook vegetables

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, and thyme. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the eggplant mixture along with 0.25 teaspoon of salt, 0.25 teaspoon of black pepper, and half of the garlic-thyme mixture. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are lightly browned. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining eggplant mixture and another 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

6. Cook spinach

In the same skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the baby spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Transfer the spinach to a paper towel-lined plate to drain for about 2 minutes, then stir it into the cooked vegetable mixture.

7. Assemble lasagna

Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread a layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish and shingle 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Layer half of the vegetable mixture over the noodles, followed by half of the kalamata olives, half of the cream sauce, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Repeat these layers, finishing with the remaining tomato sauce and the last cup of mozzarella on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, making sure to spray the underside of the foil with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

8. Bake lasagna

Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

9. Cool and serve

Once done, let it cool on a wire rack for about 25 minutes before cutting. Just before serving, sprinkle the lasagna with the chopped fresh basil for a fresh finish.