It's getting warm, the sun is shining, and we are ready for spring gardening! With spring around the corner, many of us are also thinking about getting into lighter meals and increasing our vegetable intake to kick-start a gentle detox. So as we move past the hibernation phase, why not try a different take on the classic lasagna?
This twist on a classic dish is a vegetarian-based meal, so invite your friends to indulge in this simple dish packed with protein!
Our feature cupboard item of the day is the bulky box of lasagna pasta! This oversized box is from my boyfriend's last apartment before we moved in. After this box gets used up, we will have space for more of our favorite quick meal- Annie's pasta boxes!
Vegetarian Green Lasagna
Time: 50 minutes Servings: 4 Cost per serving: $5.55*
Ingredients:
One zucchini, thinly sliced
100g container of shitake mushrooms, sliced
540ml can of white kidney beans, rinsed
2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of ricotta
160ml pesto
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
320g bag of shredded Italian cheese blend
1/2 box of lasagna pasta
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
On high heat in a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add the lasagna pasta sheets and cook until soft. Drain the water and leave the noodles in.
On medium heat in a large pan, warm up 1 tbsp of olive oil and cover the pan. Add the sliced zucchini and spices (cayenne, paprika, and pepper). Cook until the zucchini slices are transparent. Remove from the pan.
Using the same pan- add 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium to low heat and cover the pan. Add in the sliced shitake mushrooms and cook.
Add in the white kidney beans and mash till desired consistency.
Pour in the pesto sauce and ricotta. Blend into the kidney bean and mushroom mash.
In a 21 cm x 21 cm casserole dish, coat the bottom of the pan with the remaining oil (approx. 1/2 tablespoon).
For the first layer, put the lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan, and cut to size to cover. Line the zucchini on top of the noodles, then add a coating of the Italian cheese blend.
For the second layer, put the lasagna in the opposite direction of the first layer. Cut to size if necessary. Spread the bean and ricotta mixture evenly.
Follow steps 8 and 9 for the last two layers.
Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
From the Cupboard: Olive oil, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, ground black pepper, and dried lasagna noodles.
From the Fridge: Zucchini, Italian cheese blend, and pesto sauce.
From the Store: Shitake mushrooms, a can of white kidney beans, and ricotta.
What to do with leftover lasagna sheets?
Easy. Let the noodles cool, pop them in a freezer bag, and store them in the freezer until you're ready for another pasta dish!
And who knows, maybe I will make another dish with those lasagna noodles in the near future. I'll keep you posted!
What are your favorite pasta dishes? Do you have any go-to vegetarian recipes? Any sneaky tricks to get in more vegetables in your diet?
Until next time, stay well!
Chloe
*Price includes the cost of all ingredients if purchased from the grocery store. Prices may vary depending on where you shop.