Puttanesca Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-28 ounce cans Roma tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice
1 cup tightly packed, pitted, chopped Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets)
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onion and sauté until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes.

5. Adjust seasoning to taste, set aside and cool.

Grilled Vegetables

4 medium zucchini
4 red or yellow bell peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled
2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. In a large shallow bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil and salt.

2. If using the broiler, arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two lightly greased or non-stick baking sheets.

3. Grill or broil in batches, turning the vegetables once, until they are tender, lightly browned and have released the majority of their moisture (about 5-6 minutes per side).

Pesto Oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1. In the bowl of a food processor or a blender, place the garlic and basil and blend to a paste.

2. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the paste and season with the salt and pepper. Remove from the processor/blender and reserve.

Lasagna  
1 1/4 pounds lasagna noodles
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
Puttanesca sauce
Grilled vegetables
Pesto oil

Assembling the Lasagna:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese with 1/2 a cup of pesto oil.

3. Lightly grease a rectangular baking dish, then spoon 1/2 cup Puttanesca Sauce onto the bottom of the dish.

4. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles.

5. Top the lasagna with a layer of ricotta cheese, then a layer of eggplant, zucchini, onion, red pepper, a layer of grated mozzarella cheese, and a layer of Puttanesca Sauce.

6. Repeat layering the lasagna, ricotta, vegetables, mozzarella and sauce in this manner until all the ingredients have been used, ending with mozzarella cheese on top.

7. Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

8. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving, drizzled with the remaining pesto oil.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse