Light & Easy Lasagna
Submitted by pokz
Light vegetarian lasagna with a from-scratch tomato herb sauce simmered two hours, layered with part-skim ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. No meat, no oil in the sauce, still deeply satisfying.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsA meatless lasagna that gets all its richness from a slow-simmered tomato sauce and three Italian cheeses. No ground beef, no sausage, and no oil in the sauce itself. The two-hour simmer concentrates the Roma tomatoes, tomato paste, and four dried herbs into something as deep and complex as any meat sauce.
The sauce cooks the onions and garlic covered with just a little water. No oil sauteing means fewer calories without sacrificing flavor. Once the tomatoes, paste, parsley, oregano, thyme, and marjoram go in, the low simmer does the rest.
Part-skim ricotta and mozzarella keep this lighter than full-fat versions. Layer the sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan three times, then bake until bubbly. Let it rest 10 minutes before cutting or the layers slide apart.
Kitchen Tips
- Simmer the sauce the full 2 hours. Shorter cooking leaves it thin and acidic. The long simmer develops sweetness and body.
- Cook noodles al dente. They continue cooking in the oven. Overcooked noodles turn to mush in the baked lasagna.
- Rinse noodles in cold water after boiling. This stops the cooking and prevents them from sticking together.
- Rest before cutting. Those 10 minutes let the cheese set so slices hold their shape.
Variations
- Spinach layer: Add a layer of wilted spinach between the ricotta and mozzarella for extra nutrition and color.
- Mushroom addition: Saute sliced mushrooms and fold them into the ricotta for an earthy, meaty texture without meat.
- No-boil noodles: Use oven-ready lasagna sheets and add ½ cup water to the sauce. They soften during the bake.
Ingredients
Directions
- Put onions and garlic in large saucepan. Cook, covered, over low heat until tender, adding a little water if necessary to prevent scorching.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, thyme, marjoram and pepper.
Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
- Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water until al dente, about 12 minutes.
Drain in colander; rinse with cold water.
Drain well.
- Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Cover bottom of lightly oiled 13 by 9-inch baking dish with ¼ of the sauce.
Add layer of lasagna noodles.
Top with ⅓ of the ricotta cheese, then ⅓ of the mozzarella.
Sprinkle with ¼ of the Parmesan cheese.
Cover with ¼ of the sauce.
Repeat procedure 2 more times. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. 4. Bake until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
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