TRAVEL | FOOD
A Taste of Italy: Vegetarian Lasagna
Lost in Delicious Translation
The Challenged: Writing Prompt July 14: Julia A. Keirns — Who knew that July is Lasagna Awareness Month? Do you have a special recipe for lasagna to share? Maybe just a lasagna story or poem?
My morning had been a Roman whirlwind of ancient history and cobblestone streets, leaving my legs burning (hello, 20,000 steps!) and my stomach grumbling.
I needed to find a restaurant for lunch…now!
Tourist traps with English menus wouldn’t do. I craved a local gem, where broken Italian was my only hope. I felt like Goldilocks, testing each restaurant, searching for the one that was just right.
Just as hunger gnawed like a lost tourist, a charming trattoria emerged. White tablecloths adorned with delicate flowers graced the tables, animated chatter by a steady stream of local business people, and zero English menus — perfect!
With a smile that could melt Roman cobblestones, I ordered a vegetarian lasagna in my best Italian, “Vorrei la lasagna di melanzane per favore”.
The first bite? Pure heaven.
Rich sweet sauce, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant, gooey cheese — each mouthful a symphony of flavour.
As I savoured every bite on the quiet terrace, I realized: travel isn’t just about landmarks. It’s about getting lost (happily!), embracing the unexpected, and finding joy in simple things.
Here, in this hidden haven, with history all around me, I felt truly alive.
Recipe: Vegetarian Lasagna
Try making lasagna di melanzane at home! It’s surprisingly easy and perfect for a vegetarian crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds eggplant, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick
- ¾ pound zucchini, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 10 ounces lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta
- 8 ounces creamy garlic and herb goat cheese, at room temperature
- 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 4½ cups marinara sauce (if not homemade bottled, such as Rao’s)
- 1 pound lightly salted fresh mozzarella, very thinly sliced
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Arrange the eggplant and zucchini in single layers on 3 sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Brush them generously with the olive oil on both sides, using all of the oil. Sprinkle with the oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, sprinkle the garlic evenly on the vegetables, and roast for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles to al dente.
Combine the ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, basil, ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low speed.
Spread 1 cup of the marinara in a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a third of the vegetables on top, then a layer of the noodles, a third of the mozzarella, and a third of the ricotta mixture in large dollops between the mozzarella. Repeat twice, starting with the marinara. Spread the last 1½ cups of marinara on top and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the lasagna is browned and bubbly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Buon appetito!
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