Lasagna is a classic when it comes to American recipes. There are millions of variations and adaptations, so which do you choose? Well, you might choose the one that best suits your needs or expectations. But the selection that should be made is obviously the healthiest one. As a vegetarian, lasagna that has ground beef in it doesn’t exactly work for me, so this is the recipe that my family and I have been making for a while. Of course recipe credit goes to my mom, to whom which I thank very much for creating this amazing recipe that is vegetarian-friendly and absolutely scrumptious.
Time after time, I’ve come across recipe for vegetarian lasagna that are true to being vegetarian, but they are still in no way healthy. Where are the vegetables? Why so much dairy?
I’ve tried this recipe using whole wheat lasagna noodles, but it was in no way the same, so I like to use organic lasagna made from unbleached flour to make the lasagna healthier at all costs. You can find organic lasagna made from unbleached flour at Whole Foods, Earthfare, and plenty of other health food stores.
My kale plants are still thriving (I cover them on nights when the temperature goes below freezing), so I still have an abundant supply of homegrown, organic kale. Speaking of temperatures going below freezing, the weather here in South Carolina is so up and down, it’s driving me crazy. One day it’ll be 40° outside all day and all night long and the next it’ll be 56° and raining (humid, yucky). Life will be better soon.
Anyways, I truly recommend using this recipe for your lasagna night because it is delicious and I want you to eat foods that are not only good for you, but also good for your family. I like to pair this lasagna with homemade buttery, garlic bread sticks. I’m still looking for a whole wheat version so if you have a recipe for whole wheat garlic bread sticks or know someone who does, please leave a comment below with the URL.
Here’s the recipe:
- 1 (9 oz.) box uncooked lasagna noodles
- 2 eggs
- 1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb. fresh kale, de-stemmed
- 2 cans tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or a silicone baking mat. Remove 16 lasagna noodles from box. In medium bow, beat eggs. Stir in ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Layer lasagna, slightly overlapping sheets. Lasagna will expand to edges during cooking. Spread fillings to edges to seal in and cook lasagna during baking.
- In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, basil, and oregano.
- Spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of baking pan. Layer 4 uncooked noodles, ⅓ ricotta mixture, half of the kale, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup sauce.
- Layer 4 uncooked noodles, ⅓ ricotta mixture and 1-1/2 cups sauce. Layer 4 uncooked noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, kale, and 1 cup sauce.
- Layer 4 uncooked noodles, and remaining sauce. Bake, covered with foil until bubbly, 50-60 minutes. Uncover. Add remaining 1 cup mozzarella and continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
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