Whole Wheat Lasagna with a Pesto Twist

So......I was at one of my favorite stores.....Moore's Mill.....where they grind their own flours and grains......I love that place. I bought lots of stuff, including whole wheat lasagna noodles!! I love the cheesey gooeyness of lasagna.  I especially love how lasagna tastes better the second day than it does the first day!!

I used my standard marinara sauce, then added ground beef, zucchini and mushrooms to the sauce. Oh......then I added pesto sauce to the ricotta cheese......and can I just tell you how lovely that little addition was. I wish I was eating this again. Its been a few weeks since I made this and am just getting around to posting it. But I want to eat it.

Have you ever had months go by in your life that seemed sooooooo busy while you were living them....but when you think back to what you did or accomplished......your not quite sure?? Yeah.....that's how my life has been......

Marinara Sauce
      3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion 

2 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup good red wine

1  (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth, wine and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

marinara sauce (with ground beef, sliced zucchini and sliced mushrooms)

1 lg tub ricotta

1/2 cup pesto sauce

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 lbs whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to pkg directions

Mix ricotta, pesto, egg and Parmesan in small bowl. Grease 13 x 9 baking dish and preheat oven to 350. Spoon enough sauce to barely cover bottom of baking dish. Layer noodles to cover bottom of dish, spoon 1/3 of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodles. Pour 1/3 of sauce over that and top with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Topping with remaining cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy and serve with garlic bread and salad.