Ingredients:

4 Red bell peppers, large (ca. 2 lbs.)
5 Zucchini, sliced (1/2 inch) (5 cups)
6 Tomatoes, medium
1 Tsp olive oil
1 Cup chopped onion
3 Garlic cloves, minced
3/4 Cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 Tbps balsamic vinegar
1/4 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp red pepper
1/8 Tsp black pepper
9 Lasagna noodles
1/2 Cup fresh basil, divided

Directions:

Cut bell peppers lenghth-wise; discard seeds and membranes. Place peppers, skin sides up on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top heavy duty plastic bag and seal. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel peppers. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 4 minutes or until browned. Place the onion mixture, bell pepper, and black pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.

Arrange zucchini and tomato slices in a single layer on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of an 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, trimming the noodles as needed. Top with half of zucchini, half of tomatoes & 2/3 cup bell pepper mixture. Repeat layers, ending with the noodles. Spread remaining bell pepper mixture over noodles.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil springs, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Notes:

This fills a 9x13 dish and it will feed 6 hungry people. Do not skimp on the red bell peppers. Use 5 or 6 since they provide the substance for the sauce & it always seems to run out before the third layer. Use a pound of crumbly cheese (ricotta, feta, or queso fresco) dividing it equally among the three layers. If you run out of sauce at the top layer, cover it with a little prepared tomato/pizza sauce to maintain moisture while the lasagne cooks.

Make certain that the lasagna is moderately fresh. When old lasagne is cooked, it will break up into small pieces in the water. I am not certain how 'old' old lasagne is, but it will do that.

This dish is labor intensive, but it is worth the bother. Some people require meat in their lasagna, but this is a very good alternative. The red bell peppers (not cheap) make everything work.

Since this is a new addition to the recipes, and there are as yet no illustrations of it.

The recipe came from Cooking Light, September, 1995.