Description
This spin on lasagna is easy, packed with veggies, and a great use for leftover pasta. The creamy ricotta filling is amped up with zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms, and the lentils in the tomato sauce are a great source of plant-based protein.
Ingredients
- ~3 cups cooked short pasta (fusilli, penne, macaroni, rotini, etc.)
- 1.5–2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese), depending how creamy you like it
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded & squeezed
- 2 cup spinach, finely chopped
- ~2.5 cups (186g) mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups* (24 oz, ~710mL) tomato/pasta sauce
- 1 540mL (19 fl oz, ~2 cups) can lentils
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese**
- fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray/grease a large casserole dish or 9×13″ pan.
- Prepare the pasta (if not already cooked). Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to boil. Add raw pasta and cook until andante (~6 mins), stirring periodically to prevent sticking. There are 3 layers of pasta (divide accordingly).
- Meanwhile, prepare the veggie & ricotta mixture. Shred the zucchini and squeeze out as much moisture as you can with your hands. Chop the spinach and mushrooms. In a medium bowl, mix together the zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and ricotta. There is one layer of the veggies & ricotta mixture.
- Prepare the lentil tomato sauce. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the lentils and tomato sauce. There are 3 layers of the lentil tomato sauce (divide accordingly).
- Begin layering in a prepared dish. Add the first layer of sauce, then one layer of pasta, then evenly spread on all of the veggie & ricotta mixture. Next, alternate layers of pasta and sauce, adding pasta, then sauce, then pasta, then sauce. Lastly, top with shredded mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese.
- Spray a large piece of tinfoil with cooking spray (to prevent the cheese from sticking) and use it to cover the lasagna. Bake with the tinfoil on for ~45 minutes, then cook for an additional 10-15 minutes with the tinfoil removed (in order for the cheese to brown).
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm!
Notes
*I find this amount of tomato sauce works for me, but feel free to add more or less.
**Keep in mind mozzarella tends to melt better than parmesan, but either work!
For Gluten Free: Use gluten free pasta
For Vegan: Make a pasta bake – remove cheese, mix veggies into tomato lentil sauce, and bake for ~45 mins. Add some finely chopped cashews for serving to add some crunch. Feel free to experiment with cheese substitutes (you will need the additional 10-15 additional mins for browning) – they may not melt the same as real cheese, but can add another dimension to your vegan dish!
Keywords: vegetarian lentil lasagna bake
