vegetable lasagna

Sorry, I found this in my inbox and do not have the credit for it. I certainly did not make this up. It's delicious. It takes awhile to make due to the large number of ingredients really, but it is not difficult.

Ingredients:

• 28-ounce (800g) can whole plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 large sweet yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried fennel seed
• Dried red pepper flakes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 bunch (about 1 pound) fresh spinach
• 1 small eggplant (white or purple)
• 1 zucchini
• 8 ounces white or brown mushrooms
• 1 green bell pepper
• 15-ounce tub ricotta cheese
• Nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
• 8 ounces mozarella cheese, fresh if available
• 2 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 pound lasagna pasta

Directions:

1. TOMATO SAUCE: In a large pot, add the plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/2 cup water. Add 1/2 chopped onion, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper, and fennel seeds. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, using a wand blender, crush up the tomatoes. Continue on low heat for another 15 minutes.
2. VEGETABLES: While the sauce is simmering, prepare the vegetables. Clean the spinach leaves well, steam them just until they wilt and then let it cool. Set aside for later assembly. Meanwhile, make a simple ratatouille: Cut the unpeeled eggplant and the zucchini into 1/2-inch cubes, wash the mushrooms and cut them into thick slices, and chop the green pepper. Put the rest of the olive oil in a saute pan with the rest of the onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and green pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables soften a little. Stir the cooked vegetables into the simmering tomato sauce and check seasoning.
3. PASTA: Cook the pasta according to package directions, usually about 10 minutes. (Just before the pasta is done, reserve about 1/4 c of the pasta water.)
4. CHEESES: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheeses for use. Grate or cut up the the mozzarella into one bowl. Grate the the Parmigiano into another. Put the ricotta in a bowl and season to taste with freshly grated nutmeg. When the pasta is done, add the reserved pasta water to the ricotta and stir.
5. ASSEMBLY: Preheat oven to 375. Prepare the lasagna in a shallow 9-by-12-inch baking pan / casserole dish. Put just enough tomato/vegetable sauce into the pan to cover the bottom, and lay in four lasagna noodles. This should be just enough to cover the bottom, with the edges overlapping slightly. Spread about one-fourth of the remaining ratatouille over the noodles, then cover with about one-fourth of the ricotta and one-fourth of the mozzarella. (Precision is not important here - just eyeball the proportions with the idea that you'll need to split the ingredients among four layers.) Continue in the same way with layers of pasta, ratatouille, ricotta and mozzarella. When you're done, spread the spinach over the top and scatter the grated Parmigiano.
6. BAKING: Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put in preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove foil, and let it cool and set up for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.