The Kitchen Diva’s De’liteful Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
Serves 12 to 14 people
1 lb soy-based meat alternative, preferably sausage-flavored
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large Portabella mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and caps finely minced (Mincing the mushrooms gives them a texture similar to ground meat.)
1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt, divided
2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
2 tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 (32 oz) jar low-sodium pasta sauce
1 (16 oz) jar mild salsa
½ tsp sugar substitute
14 to 16 lasagna noodles, oven ready, no boil, whole wheat or regular
16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
3/4 lb low-fat mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
Directions
In a large, microwave safe bowl, combine the soy-based meat alternative, olive oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper,1 tbsp Italian seasoning, nutmeg and the cayenne pepper. Mix with a fork to combine. Micro-cook in the microwave on medium-high power for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a fork after 3 minutes.
Combine the pasta sauce and the salsa with the faux-meat mixture. Stir in the sugar substitute and ½ tbsp of the Italian seasoning. Simmer, covered with a plate or with microwave-safe plastic wrap for about 10 minutes on med-low to low heat, stirring after 5 minutes. If you don’t know how to adjust the temperature on your microwave oven, use the defrost setting and cook the sauce for 10 minutes.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with the egg and the remaining ½ tbsp of the Italian seasoning. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 4 oven-ready, no boil noodles lengthwise over the sauce and break one noodle to fit sideways across the ends of the noodles along with any remaining pieces of the noodle.
Spread the noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of the fresh spinach and the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1/2 cup of the meat sauce over the mozzarella. Repeat all the layers topping off the last layer with the rest of the sauce, and reserving in any of the remaining cheese for later use.
Cover the pan with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil, and top with any remaining mozzarella and the parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the lasagna is tender when pierced with a fork, and the sauce bubbles around the edges. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
The Kitchen Diva’s Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese
This makes a large quantity of spaghetti, but it can be divided into serving portions and frozen for later use.
Ingredients
1 lb soy-based meat alternative, preferably sausage-flavored
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large Portabella mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and caps finely minced (Finely mincing the mushrooms gives them an appearance and texture similar to ground meat.)
1 large zucchini, washed, ends removed, and diced
1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt, divided
2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
2 tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 (32 oz) jar low-sodium pasta sauce
1 (16 oz) jar mild salsa
½ tsp sugar substitute
16 oz whole wheat spaghetti
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large, microwave safe bowl, combine the soy-based meat alternative, olive oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, the salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Mix with a fork to combine. Micro-cook in the microwave on med-high power for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a fork after 3 minutes.
Combine the low-sodium pasta sauce and the salsa with the meat mixture. Stir in the sugar substitute and ½ tablespoon of the remaining Italian seasoning. Simmer, covered with a plate or with microwave-safe plastic wrap for about 10 minutes on med-low to low heat, stirring after 5 minutes. If you don’t know how to adjust the temperature on your microwave oven, use the defrost setting and cook the sauce for 10 minutes.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Combine the spaghetti with the low-sodium pasta sauce. Add the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, to thin out the sauce as needed. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
ANGELA SHELF MEDEARIS RECIPE BOOKS,
THE KITCHEN DIVA!
