Lasagna

Last Sunday, I made kalamata basil tapenade and used half of the recipe in a vegan lasagna. I made a 9×13″ pan of lasagna and Eric and I ate it for dinner three nights in a row. We tend to like doing this (if the food is good) because it makes the dreaded decision of what to have for dinner so easy! If you want a ricotta-type addition to this, try adding a layer or two of this vegan tofu ricotta recipe (minus the stuffed shells part). I made it as a layer for lasagna a few months ago and I really liked it, but Eric was not a fan, so I left it out of this recipe. Another note is that you can certainly add a vegan cheese subsitute to this, if you like them (like Daiya or another brand), but I am not usually a fan of the vegan cheeses, so we make it without. Use brown rice noodles to make it gluten-free.

The Recipe

Serves 6 (makes one 9×13 pan)

1 package of lasagna noodles

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

4 large shallots or 2 large onions

4 cups mushrooms, sliced

6-8 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup kalamata basil tapenade

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can/ jar tomato sauce (of your choice)

salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles to al dente. Thaw spinach and squeeze out all excess water. Saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add wine and let cook (simmering) until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and saute for an additional 5-7 minutes. Add salt, pepper, red pepper, oregano, and thyme. Turn off the heat. Assemble the lasagna in the following order or in whatever order you prefer:

1. drizzle of olive oil and a splash of tomato sauce in bottom of 9×13 baking dish

2. layer of noodles

3. layer half of the onions/mushroom mixture

4. layer of noodles

5. chopped tomatoes and some sauce

6. layer of noodles

7. layer of spinach

8. rest of onion/mushroom mixture

9. layer of noodles

10. tapenade

11. layer of noodles

12. top with sauce, making sure to get sauce down into the corners to keep the lasagna moist

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.