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the goods 1-2 boxes of no-boil lasagne noodles 24oz / 700g skim-ricotta 8oz / 225g skim / low fat mozzarella enough broccoli to yield 2 cups when cooked and chopped 33 oz / 1 litre of Passata (seived or strained tomatoes) 4 tblspns pesto 4 oz grated parmesan 2 red peppers / capsicums 2 yellow peppers / capsciums 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms reconstituted in 1 cup hot water 8 ripe roma tomatoes pinch fresh grated nutmeg pinch chili flakes salt and pepper olive oil 2 eggs, lightly beaten
*and an unconfessed to fistful of grated cheddar cheese
for a better topping you will need:
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Spa-sagna; the meatless, low fat Hollywood lasagna alternative This was the lasagna (understandably) preferred by anyone at the Lasagnarama who was likely to appear on camera in the following 48 hrs. Layers of low fat ricotta mixed with broccoli and pesto, oven roasted peppers and tomatoes, porcini mushrooms and light tomato sauce...just enough sin left in to make it feel indulgent but it was light, tasty and the fastest to put together: Heat the oven to 400f / 200c Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil, drizzle a little olive oil over them and bake them for about 45 mins; until blistered and blackened. Remove and place into a bowl whilst still hot. Cover with cling film and allow to cool. Meanwhile cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them in a shallow dish, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place in the oven with the peppers and bake about 45-60 mins. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Steam or
microwave the broccoli until just tender. Chop the
florets and stalks quite finely.
Drain
any water off the ricotta and place it in a mixing
bowl. Add the chopped broccoli, 2 oz grated parmesan, 2 tblspns pesto, 4 oz grated mozzarella, 2 eggs, a pinch (each) of grated nutmeg, chili flakes and salt and pepper. Mix by hand until everything is well combined.
Pour the
passata into a bowl. Add 2 tblspns pesto and any juice
from the roasted tomatoes and peppers. Stir to
combine. Putting it together:
Spread 1 cup of
the passata over the bottom of a large baking dish. Cover with a layer of pasta sheets. Break some in half if you need to so that the pasta completely covers the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the ricotta mix over this and cover with another layer of pasta sheets. Peel the skin from the peppers, remove the tops and seeds and slice the peppers into 1 inch / 2cm strips. Drain the mushrooms. Arrange the peppers over the pasta, scatter the porcini mushrooms over the peppers and evenly place the roasted tomato halves on top. Cover with another layer of pasta sheets. Repeat with the remaining ricotta mix, top with a final layer of pasta. Pour the remaining passata over the top layer of pasta and spread it to the sides so that some of it runs down to the bottom layers. Sprinkle 4 oz / 110g grated mozzarella, 2 oz / 55g grated parmesan and, if you dare, some grated cheddar. Bake at 350f / 180c for about 1 hour, until pasta is tender and cheese has melted into a crust.
Serve with
lashings of guilt reducing salad. |
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