Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

9 dried lasagna noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and very well drained

1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta

1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 24-ounce jar your favorite meatless pasta sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, boil lasagna noodles in salted water until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and mushrooms until soft. Add garlic and saute an additional 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant. Add roasted red peppers and heat through. Kill heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Squeeze spinach of excess water and pat with paper towels. Add to a mixing bowl, along with ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg whites, basil, oregano, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add mushroom mixture. Stir to combine.

Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles placed side-by-side lengthwise. Spread 1/2 ricotta mixture evenly on noodles. Layer with a little less than 1 cup pasta sauce. Layer again with 3 more noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, a little less than 1 cup pasta sauce, and last 3 noodles. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes, to firm up. Serve.

Enjoy your meal!