Shelly's Recipe

FOUR CHEESE MOSTACCIOLI VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Category: Pasta - Baked

1 (16 oz) pkg frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot blend
6 tbsp butter
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 cups (16 oz) Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced, or 1 tsp dried basil leaves, crumbled
1-1/2 cups (6 oz) Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz) Provolone cheese, shredded
3 cups mostaccioli, cooked according to pkg directions and drained*

1 1/2 cups dry, uncooked mostaccioli

Preheat oven to 350. Thaw frozen vegetables and drain well. Chop coarsely. Set aside.

Make the white sauce on the top of the stove: Melt butter in medium sauce pan. Stir in red pepper, onion and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Blend flour, nutmeg and salt into the mixture and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring, over low to medium heat, until the mixture is thick and comes to the boiling point. Remove from heat.

In separate bowl, combine Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil. In an additional bowl, combine Mozzarella and Provolone cheese.

Arrange half the mostaccioli in a single layer in bottom of 8 x 12 baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the white sauce mixture, all of the Ricotta mixture, all of the vegetable mixture and 1/2 of the Mozzarella mixture; press down lightly. Top with remaining mostaccioli in single layer, remaining white sauce, and remaining Mozzarella cheese mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.