Free-Form Vegetarian Lasagna

I love it when food has attitude.

Like this. This lasagna is practically standing in a big open field with braids and flowers in its hair and a huge sign, “Whatever, I’m free-form. Wanna make something of it? And by the way, I just burned my bra.”

It’s lasagna without much willy nilly. There’s no turning on the oven. There’s only turning on the Led Zeppelin.

There’s no baking for a hundred million 81 years. There’s only a little simmering and sauteing and layering.

And obviously air drumming.

There’s no waiting around for 13 Tom and Jerry episodes so the lasagna will congeal properly so that when you cut it into it it’s a perfect little square. Oh no. There’s only flip flop dillipy dop, you don’t stop. Laya’ playa’ we gots the veggie va vaya’, come on now, slaya’ bo baya’.

Those are the lyrics to my new hit song. There is interpretive dance and everything! I just have to figure out what it means. And how to not get kicked out of humanity.

Just. Get. Out. Of. Town. Already.

Yeah, and those walnuts on top are going to blow this right out of the WATER. But not the oven because remember we didn’t even bake it, oooo snap!

Let’s start a new free-form everything revolution. Oh and we can invite Robert Plant!

Free-Form Vegetarian Lasagna:

What it took for 2:

* 6 no-boil flat lasagna sheets
* 2 cups cherry (or grape) tomatoes, yellow and red or whatever you have
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 1 Tbs. freshly chopped mixed herbs (I used thyme and oregano)
* 1 zucchini, cut into thin circles
* 1 squash, cut into thin circles
* 1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, for garnish
* fresh parmesan shavings and basil, for garnish

Place the lasagna sheets in a shallow dish filled with water. Soak for 30 minutes. (while you cook the meal)

Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add the garlic and bloom for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Pour the tomatoes into the saucepan, cover and simmer on low while you prepare the rest of the meal. Throw in a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet. Add the zucchini and squash and saute until browned and soft, 4 minutes. Add the swiss chard and continue to saute until it wilts, another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pat each lasagna sheet dry and place one on each serving plate. Arrange some vegetables over each sheet, followed by a dollop of the herbed ricotta. Layer with another sheet. More veggies. Then more ricotta. Then another sheet. Then more veggies, one more dollop of ricotta. Finally, spoon the tomato sauce over each pile. Go as crazy as you want here.

Garnish with toasted walnuts, parmesan shavings and a few fresh basil leaves. And probably another pinch of salt and pepper, ya know, for good measure.