Vegetable Lasagna with Labneh

Labneh, a spreadable cheese made from strained yogurt, stands in for ricotta in this skillet lasagna. If you can't find labneh at your grocery store, use whipped cream cheese.

Vegetable Lasagna with Labneh
Photo: Carson Downing
Hands On Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
8 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 large yellow straightneck summer squash (8oz), halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons

  • 8 ounce cremini mushrooms, quartered

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion

  • 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped

  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 24 ounce cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 9 dried lasagna noodles, broken

  • 2 cup vegetable broth

  • 1 ½ cup labneh

  • 1 recipe zhoug (see recipe)

  • 4 ounce fresh or part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced

  • Cherry tomatoes, flat-leaf parsley, and/or cilantro (optional)

Directions

  1. For vegetables: In an extra-large straight-sided skillet heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high. Add squash in an even layer. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook 2 minutes or until browned, without stirring. Turn; cook 2 minutes more or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. In same pan, brown mushrooms. Transfer to bowl with squash.

  2. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil to skillet. Add onion; cook and stir until softened. Add kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until kale is wilted and tender. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute more. Transfer to bowl with squash and mushrooms.

  3. Add tomatoes to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 10 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and juices have thickened slightly. Transfer to bowl with vegetables and stir to combine. (Vegetable mixture can be kept refrigerated up to 3 days.)

  4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon about 1/3 cup vegetable mixture into the bottom of a large oven-safe skillet. Cover with three noodles. Top with one-third vegetable mixture. Repeat layers twice. Gently pour broth over noodles. Bring to boiling over medium-high; reduce to medium. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes or until noodles are tender and broth is mostly absorbed, keeping noodles submerged.

  5. Spread labneh and zhoug over top of lasagna, making sure to cover all the noodles. Arrange mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until juices are bubbling and top is golden. If desired, top with cherry tomatoes, parsley, and/or cilantro. Serves 6.

Zhoug

For a homemade zhoug: In a food processor combine 1/2 cup packed each fresh flat-leaf parsley and cilantro, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 seeded serrano pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. each ground coriander and ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom. Pulse until just combined. Season to taste. (Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.)

Homemade Labneh

Look for labneh at Middle Eastern markets or make it from scratch: Spoon 2 cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt into a large piece of 100% cotton cheesecloth; tie into a bundle. Tie bundle to the handle of a wooden spoon; suspend over a deep bowl or pitcher. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until most of the liquid has drained and mixture is the consistency of softened cream cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

494 Calories
29g Fat
45g Carbs
15g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 494
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 928mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin C 97.8mg 109%
Calcium 355mg 27%
Iron 3.6mg 20%
Potassium 951mg 20%
Folate, total 170.9mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.4mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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