Red Quinoa Vegetable Lasagna

I have to tell you - I have been looking for a recipe like this for a long, long time! I finally created it myself! :) We love vegetable lasagnas but we don't usually write down the recipes and sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. Well this one was amazing, even if I do say so myself! :) The nice thing about it is that it's very versatile and you can use whatever veggies you have in season (it is perfect for this time of year with all the fresh veggies around). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)
Red Quinoa Vegetable Lasagna
2 C. spaghetti sauce
4 small tomatoes cut into eighths
1 C. chopped vegetables (squash, corn, turnips, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ tsp. dried
1 C. uncooked red quinoa, cooked
1 16-oz. carton cottage cheese
1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning, or to taste (penzy’s tuscan sunset is wonderful)
2 C. Shredded Jack or Mozzarella cheese
¼ C. Shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ -1/2 C. water, optional
14 lasagna noodles, cooked till they barely bend but are still very hard (do not overcook!)

In a medium saucepan, add spaghetti sauce, chopped tomatoes, vegetables, and thyme. Simmer on medium-high heat until vegetables are tender. In a bowl, mix cooked quinoa with Italian seasoning and cottage cheese. When sauce is done, combine the sauce with the quinoa mixture. If sauce is too thick, add ¼ C. to ½ C. water until you reach a runny consistency (not necessary if tomatoes are really juicy).

In a 9 x 13” pan, add a little sauce on the bottom. Layer four lasagna noodles, sauce, and jack or mozzarella cheese. Do two more similar layers using three lasagna noodles. Use the remaining four lasagna noodles for the top layer, adding the sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese on the very top. Cover with tin foil. Put in oven and turn on to 350 F (no need to preheat). Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove foil and broil until the cheese on top is bubbly and brown. Serve warm with corn on the cob and fresh bread.