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Healthy Veggie Lasagne

This is a great Meatless Monday meal.  It's satisfying, delicious, nutritious, and if made on a Monday, may carry you over for lunches the rest of the week.  I added medicinal shiitake mushrooms for their super immunity-boosting benefits and also mushrooms are savory and a great meat alternative.  Kale and spinach are very nutrient-dense and full of fiber.  Tomatoes are full of lycopene a potent cancer-fighter.  This recipe includes dairy in the whole milk organic ricotta and mozzarella but you can make it dairy free by simply substituting cheese alternatives. To make it a quick weeknight meal I used no-bake lasagne sheets, but you can make it gluten-free by substituting gluten-free lasagne sheets.  I also try to use organic ingredients where possible to keep it clean. Served with a hearty arugula salad you'll be eating a delicious plate full of veggies! It will be a family favorite and one where they won't miss the meat!  Enjoy!  

Course Main Course

Ingredients

  • 2 10 oz. bags frozen shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 15 oz. bags frozen spinach
  • 1 15 oz. bag frozen kale
  • 2 15 oz. ricotta cheese I used "Natural by Nature" brand
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 boxes oven-ready lasagne sheets I used Barilla
  • 2 bags shredded mozzarella I used Horizon
  • 1 onion
  • 6-7 garlic cloves
  • 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • red pepper flakes
  • oregano

Instructions

For the sauce:

  1. Pour 2 cans of crushed tomatoes in saucepan.  Fill one of the empty cans 2/3 with water and pour into saucepan.

  2. Bring to a boil.  Then turn down heat, add 3-4 chopped garlic cloves, salt, red pepper flakes and oregano to taste.  Let simmer on low while you are preparing the vegetables, stirring occasionally.

  3. After 20 mins. it should have reduced and thickened up a bit.  When it's ready, turn off heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil.  Cover, set aside.

For veggies:

  1. Sautee 1 chopped onion in olive oil until soft. 

  2. Add the kale and spinach.  Let cook down until all liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.  Add  2 chopped garlic cloves, salt, red pepper flakes and oregano stirring occasionally until cooked well.  Turn off heat and set aside.

  3. In another pan, heat up the pan then add the 2 bags of shiitake mushrooms, nothing else.  Let them cook down until all liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

  4. After all water has evaporated add olive oil, salt and 1 chopped garlic clove.  Sauté for about 5 mins.  Turn off heat and set aside.

For ricotta cheese:

  1. In a bowl beat 1 egg.  Add the 2 containers of ricotta to bowl.  Stir in oregano and set aside.

Assemble:

  1. In a 10x14 pan. Drizzle a ladle-full of sauce on the bottom.

  2. Layer lasagne noodles to cover bottom of pan completely.

  3. Spread out a thick layer of the kale-spinach mixture.  You will use about 2/3 of it.

  4. Layer lasagne noodles again.

  5. Layer the entire ricotta mixture.

  6. Layer lasagne noodles again.

  7. Spread out the remaining kale-spinach mixture and top with all of the shiitake mushroom mixture.

  8. Layer lasagne noodles again.

  9. Pour all of the remaining sauce over the entire lasagne.

  10. Top with both bags of shredded mozzarella.

  11. Cover with foil.  Bake at 375 for 50 mins. to 1 hour.