Vegetarian Lasagna

Here at Food Fit For Kids we don't believe in hiding vegetables. That being said, if you are going to throw a ton of vegetables at a child, there is no better vehicle than the lasagna. It's something about the sheets of pasta, sauce and cheese that make everything taste like they were born to be together.

If your child has a hard time with veggies, chop them into smaller pieces and reduce the amount in the recipe. If they end up liking the recipe, the next time you make it add more veggies, slowly increasing the amount of veggies. By giving your child smaller, less threatening portions you take a bit of the pressure off. As frustrating as mealtimes can be, it's about the end game. Getting your child to really want to eat vegetables for life. Think big picture.

(Serves approximately four people)

1/2 a butternut squash peeled and cubed (can buy them cut and peeled, get 12 oz bag)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 jar organic pasta sauce
2 small zucchini squash (about 12 oz) grated                      
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste                                                    
3 carrots (about 6 ounces), grated          
6 lasagna sheets, 'no bake' noodles                                        
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. In a bowl, coat cubed squash a tablespoon of olive oil and dashes of salt and pepper. Spread squash evenly on cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.*

3. In a bowl combine the pasta sauce, zucchini, carrots, and tomato paste until smooth.

4. Remove the squash from the oven. Chane the oven temp to 350 F.

5. In the bottom of an 8x8 inch casserole dish, first layer the dish with a fourth of the sauce mixture, then a layer of noodles.

6. For the second layer, ladle another fourth of the sauce on top, then half of the squash, then a third of the cheese.

7. For the third layer, repeat the same steps as the second layer.

8. For the final layer, spoon the remaining sauce and top with the remaining cheese.

9. Cover with foil (tent the foil to prevent sticking to cheese or use parchment paper between lasagna and foil) and bake in the over for 30-40 minutes. Check lasagna after 30 min as ovens can different in temp.

10. Remove the foil and allow to bake for another 10 minutes or until brown on top.

11. Remove and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

*Chef's note: If pressed for time, the squash can be covered and cooked in the microwave with just a little bit of water and the salt and pepper (no oil needed) for about 6 minutes or until fork tender.

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