In a saucepan, sauté onions in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; continue to sauté for 1 minute. Next, crush the tomatoes and add them with their juice. Add the basil, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

While sauce is simmering, preheat oven to 425°F. Mix all of your diced vegetables with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Spread into an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Roast vegetables for 25—30 minutes.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together ricotta, 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, 2 ounces parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. When the sauce is done, reserve 1½ cups in a separate dish. Add the roasted vegetables to the remaining tomato sauce.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In an 8- by 10-inch lasagna pan, spread ½ cup sauce on the bottom. Next, place lasagna sheets in pan (cutting them to fit if necessary); top sheets with vegetables. Add another layer of lasagna sheets topped with half of the cheese mixture.

Repeat layers so you have 3 vegetable layers and 2 cheese mixture layers. Place 1 more layer of lasagna sheets and cover with the reserved sauce. Top this layer with shredded mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 45—50 minutes. Remove foil and set oven to broil. Broil the lasagna until the cheese is golden brown (about 2 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing into it.