Tapenade Veggie Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large yellow onion
• ½ tsp. Solspring^® Real Salt^® Ancient Fine Sea Salt, divided
• 3 Tbsp. Cooking oil of your choice, or cooking fat of choice, divided
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tsp. Italian herb spice blend
• 7 oz. cremini mushrooms
• 1 ½ cups cooked lentils (about 1 can)
• 3.5 oz. baby spinach
• 1 jar Solspring^® Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
• 1 jar Solspring^® Tomato Paste
• 1 jar Solspring^® Kalamata Olive Tapenade
• 2 cups cottage cheese, divided
• ¼ tsp. Solspring^® Real Salt^® Ancient Fine Sea Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground Solspring^® Whole Black Peppercorns, to taste
• 9 chickpea lasagna noodles (sub with any no-cook lasagna noodles)
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 218°C.
2. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Place in a food processor with ¼ teaspoon of salt, then pulse a few times to finely dice.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 Tbsp. of cooking oil of your choice. Once warm, add your onions by spreading them out in the pan, and let cook for about 5 minutes. Once golden, stir and repeat for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. While the onions are cooking, roughly chop the zucchini and bell pepper, then pulse together in the food processor to be about the same size as the onions. Add these to the skillet, stir to combine and let cook for another 5 minutes. Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Without cleaning the food processor, pulse the mushrooms until minced.
6. In a separate skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms, remaining garlic, and a few pinches of salt, and cook for several minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the lentils, and fold to combine. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Add the jar of tapenade, fold to combine and set aside.
7. In a separate bowl, combine the tomato sauce with the tomato paste, salt to taste, and set aside.
8. Pulse the mixture about 10 times until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture (approx. 2 cups) into a bowl for later. Rinse out the food processor, and return it to the machine.
9. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor, and blend it until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, fold in the remaining cottage cheese, and add the cooked vegetable mixture. Fold to combine.
10. Spread about ½ cup of the tomato mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top. Spread half of the cottage cheese and vegetable mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with about 1/3 mushroom-lentil mixture, more tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top. Repeat all the layers two more times. Top with remaining cheese.
11. Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the pan.). Bake, covered, for 35 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan 180° and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, then broil for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is golden.
12. Remove from the oven, and let the lasagna cool for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.