I am a fan of Ina Garten’s recipes, especially her make-ahead meals. On Christmas Day, I offer a vegetarian lasagna for the non-meat eaters in our family. This year, I made Ina’s Make-ahead Vegetable Lasagna, and it was a huge success. The Lasagna was tender, tasty, and not watery, which is a complaint with many Lasagna dishes.

1½ pounds eggplant, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

¾ pound zucchini, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

⅔ cup good olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

10 ounces of lasagna noodles, such as De Cecco

16 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta

8 ounces creamy garlic and herb goat cheese, at room temperature

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

4½ cups good bottled marinara sauce, such as Rao’s (40 ounces)

1 pound lightly salted fresh mozzarella, very thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the eggplant and zucchini in single layers on 3 sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Brush them generously with the olive oil on both sides, using all the oil. Sprinkle with the oregano (I crush it in my hands), 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, then sprinkle the garlic evenly over the vegetables and roast for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, fill a very large bowl with the hottest tap water and add enough boiling water to bring the temperature to 140 degrees. One at a time, place the noodles in the water and soak them for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking together. Drain and slide the noodles around again.

Combine the ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, basil, ½ cup of the Parmesan, 1½ teaspoons of salt, and ¾ teaspoon of pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed.

Spread 1 cup of the marinara in a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a third of the vegetables on top, then a layer of the noodles (cut to fit), a third of the mozzarella, and a third of the ricotta mixture in large dollops between the mozzarella. Repeat twice, starting with the marinara. Spread the last 1½ cups of marinara on top and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan. Place the dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the lasagna is browned and bubbly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve hot.

RECIPE NOTES

Make-Ahead: Assemble the lasagna completely and refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost (if necessary) and bake before dinner.