Vegetarian lasagna

Ingredients

20 lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
8 cups packed fresh spinach
3 cups fresh ricotta cheese
2 cups finely grated Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups shredded mozzarella
3 1/2 cups Chunky Marinara Sauce, recipe follows
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut to 1/2-inch dice
1 stalk celery, cut to 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow onion, cut to 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Pinch chile flakes, optional
One 28-ounce can tomato sauce puree
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed or coarsely chopped, juice reserved
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the noodles and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and then set the noodles aside for later use. (If you are using no-boil noodles, skip this step.)