Lasagna — a comforting favorite! This vegetarian one will become one of your favorites, too. It can be made ahead and rewarmed. This recipe is for two and is made in a loaf pan.
It takes only a few minutes to prepare the lasagna, and the remaining time is in the oven.
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
½ cup low-sodium, no-sugar-added pasta sauce
½ cup water
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup defrosted, chopped frozen spinach, well drained
½ cup nonfat ricotta cheese
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ pound sliced mushrooms (about 1½ cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 egg white
¼ pound lasagna noodles (about 5 10-inch sheets)
Olive oil spray
½ cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces
1 cup shredded, reduced-fat, sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix pasta sauce, water, garlic and olive oil together. Place defrosted spinach in a sieve or colander and press with a large spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add spinach to a bowl with the ricotta cheese and mix well. Add the nutmeg and mix again. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the egg and egg white.
Spray the bottom and sides of the loaf pan with olive oil spray and spoon ¼ of the pasta sauce into the pan. Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce, breaking them to fit in one layer. Spoon half the spinach mixture over the noodles. Place another layer of noodles over the spinach. Spoon the remaining spinach mixture over that layer of noodles. Place a final layer of lasagna noodles over the spinach. Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the noodles. Arrange the basil leaves over the sauce and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place on a baking tray. Bake 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the lasagna. Cut the lasagna in half horizontally and remove one half at a time with a large spatula. Place each half on a dinner plate and serve.
Per serving: 485 calories, 124 calories from fat, 13.7 g fat, 3.3 g saturated fat, 6.8 g monounsaturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 30 g protein, 59.1 g carbohydrates, 5.9 g dietary fiber, 9.2 g sugars, 458 mg sodium, 964 mg potassium, 519 mg phosphorus
Exchanges: 3 starch, 3 vegetable, 3 lean protein, 1 fat
