LASAGNA MARINARA

1 ½ pounds of lasagna noodles
3 Lbs of Ricotta Cheese
16 oz of shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Eggs
1 Eggplant peeled and thinly sliced length wise
10oz. of fresh or frozen spinach - chopped
2 Large bunches of broccoli
1 Large Yellow Onion - sliced
1 Bulb of Garlic - pressed
1Fresh lemon
1 Stick of butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Plenty of your favorite Marinara Gravy

Start a large pot of water boiling. After all of the vegetables have been cleaned and sliced place in a large bowl and mix together. In one or two frying pans heat up some olive oil, fresh garlic and (optionally) butter. Fry the vegetable mix up just enough to soften them up a bit and the eggplant’s color slightly darkens. Place the vegetables in a strainer, mix in the juice from a fresh lemon and allow the vegetables to drain. Save the liquid and set aside.

While the vegetables are draining take three pounds of Ricotta and place in a large mixing bowl. Add two eggs, a cup of grated Italian Cheese and salt to taste. Mix together. Ricardo uses a mixer but that isn’t required.

Coat the bottom of a rectangular pan with some of the oily mixture that drained from the vegetables. Don’t discard the rest of the oil. Ricardo uses a 13in. by 9in. glass pan. Optionally the pan can be coated with the marinara sauce.

Hopefully the water will begin boiling and you can place the lasagna noodles in the pot. You may not be able to place all of the noodles in at once. Boil the noodles until they are a little less than eldente. Place a layer of the noodles length wise in the coated pan. Brush some more of the oil from the vegetables on the noodles. On top of the coated noodles place, in order, the ricotta cheese, mixed vegetables, marinara sauce, a sprinkling of grated cheese and a layer of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Build a second layer by laying lasagna noodles width wise across the first layer. Coat the noodles with the oil from the vegetables and build the second layer the same way as the first. Top that layer with lasagna noodles placed length wise. Top off with the marinara sauce and a sprinkling of the grated cheese. Bake for twenty minutes, in a preheated oven, at 450.

After twenty minutes the marinara sauce tends to dry up so remove from the oven, top with more marinara sauce and cover with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven for fifteen more minutes or until the cheese becomes melted or bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for twenty minutes before serving.