As we pay greater attention to where our food comes from, our health and the health of what we’re consuming, even the most carnivorous eaters are taking a break from meat – at least occasionally. Of course, it can be challenging to follow Meatless Monday, the international campaign to eat vegetarian on Mondays, without making it Carb-Lovers’ Monday. So we’ve turned to area chefs for a little inspiration. Today, Assaggi dishes up their Meatless Lasagna.

Meatless Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1lb. fresh spinach lasagna
• 1.5 lb. trimmed asparagus spears
• 1 cup sautéed sliced baby artichokes
• 2 cups chopped raw spinach
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• butter
• 1 cup pesto sauce (see below recipe)
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese
• ½ lb. buffalo mozzarella cheese
• 1.5 cups pecorino cheese
• 1.5 cups bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil.
3. Boil the asparagus for 1 min. Remove the asparagus from the water (reserve the asparagus water for later use), and immerge the asparagus in a bowl of iced water.
4. Remove the asparagus from the chilled water and cut each spear in half crosswise and set aside.
5. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan.
6. Add the artichokes and cook until light golden brown, until soft and set aside on a paper towel to drain the oil.
7. Cook the lasagna sheets in the asparagus water until al dente. Drain and separate the lasagna sheets.
8. Rub butter on a 13X9inch baking pan, covering all surfaces.
9. Layer 4 sheets of the lasagna on the bottom of the pan, generously spread the pesto sauce, top with the asparagus, baby artichokes and spinach and add the mixture of the 3 cheeses on top.
10. Repeat this layered pasta and veggies, pesto and cheese for 4 more layers until you finish all of the ingredients.
11. Top with remainder pesto sauce and cheese, sprinkle with the bread crumbs.
12. Place the baking pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly on top.

Pesto

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 cups fresh chopped basil
• 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 3 tbsp. freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

1. Chop the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Add the basil, pinenuts, basil and a pinch of the kosher salt -Keep pulsing until finely chopped.
3. Drizzle the olive oil with the motor running.
4. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.