Springtime Lasagne with Artichokes, Asparagus & Leeks

Here is my once a year lasagne post (you say lasagna, I say lasagne).

It's hard for me to write a recipe out, since I am a mad scientist when it comes to these types of dishes.

A little of this, a lot of that......just use what you have, and that is what I did.

Another note:  there is no red sauce involved here, instead, I used the juice from a can of yellow Italian datterino tomatoes (which can be difficult to find).  I saved the tomatoes from the can for another dish.

Yellow tomatoes are sweet and bright, and don't cause indigestion!   I love them!    You can order a jar or can here on amazon. 

I also used COTTAGE CHEESE instead of ricotta cheese, because I had and I love it.  Don't be scared.  Trust me.  

So many people asked for this recipe after I posted it on instagram, so here it is.

Springtime Lasagne: 

9 sheets of no bake lasagna noodles (fresh pasta sheets are even better!)

1 can of yellow tomatoes (click here if you can't find them at your Italian market)

15 oz. container of cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)

1 egg

1 heaping tbsp pesto

1 bunch of asparagus, sliced into pieces

1 jar or can of artichokes, drained

2 small leeks, cleaned and sliced

1/4 cup of defrosted peas

1/3 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated (Pecorino is good too!)

1/2 cup of grated mozzarella (cheddar, gouda, whatever you like!)

Mix the cottage cheese, egg, pesto and parm cheese in a bowl.

Saute the leeks, asparagus pieces, peas and artichokes in a large skillet with some butter and olive oil.

Season all with kosher salt & pepper.

Let's start layering.

Pour a little yellow tomato juice/sauce into an 8" x 10" rectangle pan.

I like to rinse my no bake noodles (I buy an Italian brand) under warm water for 30 seconds.  Then I lay 3 of them in a greased baking dish.

Start by putting in a big spoonful of cottage cheese mixture on a noodle, then top with some vegetable mixture. 

Sprinkle some shredded cheese and some heavy cream (you need the cream for richness and cheesy goodness).

Repeat with another 3 sheets of noodles, the cottage cheese, the asparagus mixture, cheese, tomato sauce and cream.

End with the last 3 noodles.   Pour the rest of the yellow tomato juice on the noodles and drizzle with cream.

I top the last layer with a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese and some fresh mozzarella blobs.  Any cheese combo will do.

Spray some foil with nonstick spray, and cover the lasagne.  You are ready to bake.  You can make it ahead at this point if you wish.

Bake at 375F, covered for 30 minutes.  Then uncover and bake for 15 minutes until crispy and bubbling.

I reserve some of the sauteed vegetables to serve on top of the lasagne.

This is so delicious, my friend Geraldine said it was "the best lasagne she has ever eaten".

That's a rave review!