Noodles Optional Vegetable Lasagna/Casserole

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Vegetable Lasagna Recipe.

Ingredients

No-Cook Tomato Sauce (Alternative: Trader Joe's Marinara works pretty well...)

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I also added small can Cento Diced in puree - I like sauce!)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , minced (or a combination with garlic powder if preferred)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes

No-Cook Cream Sauce

• 6 - 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups) We used Gran Padano, but I'd use Fulvi next time!)
• 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 cup heavy cream  1/2 cup half & half
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• (Adding ricotta, because mom used to and this needs more of the creamy cheese filling)

Vegetable Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
•   Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced and diced
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (or garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme 
• Added fresh chopped parsley, oregano, rosemary, and basil from garden this time - very good addition)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Optional: ½ - 1 tablespoon of Italian herb seasoning (if you don't have the fresh stuff above)
• 8 - 12 ounces diced mushrooms, sauteed in EVOO to dry
• 12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups) (Other greens, even kale if finely chopped, work too. Used beet greens including stems and it was great.)
• 12 -16 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups) (or provolone or mixture)

Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• 1. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.
• 2. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.
• 3. FOR THE FILLING: 
• Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl
• If adding fennel, toss it in with the eggplant
• Microwave eggplant (and fennel), uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, (longer if adding fennel) tossing once halfway through to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly. Drain excess water from bowl. Let cool slightly.
• Toss with zucchini and squash.
• Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl (optional).
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large enamel on cast iron dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Add dash of red pepper flakes to oil to taste and skip additional balck pepper from here on out if you like)
• Add half eggplant/fennel/zucchini/squash/herb mixture, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. (cook more rather than less to avoid excess moisture in the lasagna at the end. If you're adding the noodles, not so much!)
• OPTIONAL(Karen tells me to go easy on the garlic so I omit this step.) Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add half of garlic mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. 
• Repeat with remaining eggplant mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining garlic mixture.
• Add mushrooms to vegetable mixture.
• 5. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining teaspoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 6 minutes. Chop spinach. Stir into eggplant mixture.
• 6. TO ASSEMBLE: Remove vegetable mixture from Dutch oven and then use it to assemble;:
• Spread 1 cup (+) tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish;
• Layer of raw lasagna noodles (optional)
• Spread half of vegetable mixture over sauce then
• half of cream sauce, and 
• 1 cup of mozzarella.
• Layer of raw lasagna noodles (optional)
• Repeat layering 1 (+) cup tomato sauce,
•  remaining vegetables, 
• remaining cream sauce, and 
• 1 cup mozzarella.
• Layer of raw lasagna noodles (optional)
• Spread remaining 1 (+) cup tomato sauce over noodles and 
• sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

Cover this tightly with oiled parchment paper then aluminum foil then oven lid.

Bake until bubbling, about 60-70 minutes (or more).

Cool 25 minutes and serve.