Shelly's Recipe

OLIVE GARDENS LASAGNA

Category: Pasta - Baked

Lasagna strips

Alfredo Sauce
1/2 lb sweet or salted butter
12 oz heavy cream
Freshly-ground white pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
18 slices mozzarella cheese

Ricotta Mixture
1 pint ricotta cheese
2 oz grated Romano
3 oz shredded mozzarella
2 tbsp sliced green onions
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil and oregano
1 1/4 cups Alfredo Sauce, cooled

vegetable mixture
4 cups broccoli florets
2 cups coarsely-chopped carrots
4 cups mushrooms in 1/4" slices
2 cups diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups sliced zucchini

Lay out enough dry lasagna strips in a 9- by 13-inch pan to ensure you have enough to make 3 full layers, with very little overlap on each layer. Remove the dry strips and cook according to pkg instructions until barely "al dente" and drain. Alfredo Sauce: Heat water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Add butter, cream and pepper to the top pot and heat until butter is completely melted, then stir in Parmesan until melted and blended. Remove top pot and set aside to cool. Divide the sauce into 2 equal portions. Refrigerate 1 portion for use later.

Ricotta Cheese Mixture: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Set aside at room temperature.

Vegetables: Combine all vegetables and mix well.

Assembly: Coat the bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Lay out cooked lasagna strips (about 4) to cover entire bottom. Spread 1 1/4 cup of the Ricotta mix evenly over the strips. Top with 8 cups of vegetable mix and spread out evenly.

Lay out 9 of the mozzarella slices to cover the vegetable layer. Repeat this layering. Top the second layer of mozzarella slices with lasagna strips and spread them evenly with 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese mix to finish.

Cooking: Spray a sheet of foil with vegetable spray and cover the baking dish tightly with the foil, sprayed-side down. Bake at 375 for about an hour. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes, covered, before cutting and serving. Immediately prior to serving, heat the reserved portion of Alfredo Sauce and ladle the hot sauce over each slice of lasagna as it is served. Serves 8