Vegetarian Lasagna Meat Eaters Will Love

For christmas I made a vegetarian lasagna that impressed my meat eating family members. We had that, some modified grands biscuits, and several ready to bake chocolate chip cookies. The lasagna was pretty traditional. Tomato, ricotta, mozzarella. With a few interesting addtions. The biscuits made a nice accompaniment when laced with fresh basil and some garlic.

The cookies. They go with everything.

First, the vegetarian lasagna recipes. Biscuit augmentation follows.

Ingredients

One box no boil lasagna noodles
1 1/2 jars tomato sauce
1/2 cup frozen spinach
5 cloves garlic chopped
Small ricotta cheese container
1 cup shredded mozzarella (shredded fresh tastes better)
1 large can black beans
1 small jar oil marinated artichoke hearts (minced small)
1/2 cup yellow corn niblets
several teaspoons olive oil
bunch fresh basil
salt and pepper

Begin by sauteing your frozen spinach in a little bit of olive oil. after it has cooked for about five minutes add about 3 cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste and saute 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool in a mixing bowl big enough to later combine the spinach with the ricotta.

While still warm carefully clean out the same fry pan using cool water and a thick paper towel. Return to medium low heat. Add about 1 tsp more olive oil and when hot add corn, beans and 2 more cloves minced garlic. As well as some more salt and pepper. Saute for about five minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add 1 tsp fresh basil and remove from heat. set aside.

When spinach has cooled combine with all ricotta and 1/4 cup mozzarella. set aside.

In your lasagna pan spread tomato sauce across the entirety of the bottom and then add three noodle on top crosswise (long length of noodle covers short width of the pan). Carefully layer your ricotta mixture on top. The cover generously with artichoke hearts, leaving about half remaining. Cover this with 1/4 cup more of your shredded mozzarella.

Add three more noodles and cover them entirely with tomato sauce. add your corn/bean mix and then the rest of your artichoke hearts. Add a little more sauce and then 1/4 cup again of mozzarella.

If all your bean and corn mix won't fix that's fine. we'll add it to the top.

Add the last of your noodles and cover again with sauce. Add any remaing beans, corn or artichokes.

Cover with lid or aluminum foil. Put into a 350 degree F preheated oven. Bake for time indicated on package. Add the rest of your mozzarella and basil to the top of your lasagna and finish the last 8 minutes of baking time without a lid.

Depending on your pan and your oven baking time can vary from 40-60 minutes. Check at 40 minutes and determine noodle doneness and if it's hot enough.

You can also assemble this lasagna the day before and store in the fridge until ready to bake for dinner. It gives the ingredients a nice chance to mingle and enhances the flavor in my opinion.

When satisfied it's done and hot enough, let lasagna sit covered for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.


Garlicky Biscuits

1 can grands biscuits
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsps minced fresh basil
some shredded mozzarella if you like

Split raw biscuits evenly in half and open. Add garlic and basil and optional mozzarealla if desired. Close. Bake as directed.

Just a little cheese if you're adding cheese. too much will ooze out. Just a tiny pile in the center of the biscuit.

To serve lasagna and biscuits together while both are nice and warm, when lasagna has finished cooking return lid or foil cover and let sit on cook top while biscuit bake in the already hot oven. they both bake at the same temp. So you can add the biscuits as soon as your lasagna is done. The biscuits take about 15 minutes. Begin serving lasagna when there are about 3 minutes left to cook the biscuits. They should be ready by the time you've dished it out.

Enjoy a meatless meal that the meat eaters in your life will also love.

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