Healthy lasagna??? Are you kidding me? How could that be possible? Isn’t lasagna supposed to be layered with cheese and topped with extra grated cheese???
Aren’t these the questions that popped into your mind when you read the title, healthy lasagna? I warn you, don’t underestimate lasagna; it does have a different face that only few people might know, a healthy humble one. Most of us haven’t had the chance to meet with this healthy version. We always come across the extra cheesy, extra unhealthy version and these obviously make it extra delicious. Do you know the reason why you haven’t met with the healthy version? It’s simple; you haven’t yet made the effort to meet that one. If you did, you wouldn’t be still hanging out with the unhealthy version.
I’ve had lasagna in restaurants – just a couple of times though! Both the times, one thing I’ve done while eating lasagna is removing most of the cheese from the lasagna and trying to cut down fat. When I am done, a heap of cheese was found on my plate. Now, you may ask: “Did you really do that?” and my answer: “Yes, I had to do that”.
When I was almost successful in removing most of the cheese from the lasagna, there came the waiter and asked me politely: ‘Madam, would you like some grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on your lasagna?’ I wasn’t surprised a bit to hear this, as my dear hubby sitting on the other side of the table enjoying his lasagna without any guilt.
I know, those of you reading this, especially lasagna lovers may have started throwing tomatoes on me or may have left this page by saying: ‘screw you and your healthy lasagna’: P Thanks for the tomatoes, I would be making tomato soup tomorrow, lol.
No offense meant to lasagna and lasagna lovers. I had been trying to figure out why I give so much disrespect to lasagna. Am I ignorant on eating lasagna by not enjoying all the cheese? May be! Honestly it’s just that I can’t handle that much cheese. If I force myself to eat all the cheese, I get dizzy and there would be a fair chance that I would act insane after that. So lasagna lovers, please pardon me for not enjoying the lasagna in its proper way, pretty please? 🙂
I’ve always thought that lasagna can only be made with layers of cheese on it and in the unhealthiest way. Hence, I never cared to go through the trouble of getting different kinds of cheese and making it in my kitchen.
It was on January 19th, 7.35 PM I realized all these years I had misinterpreted lasagna. When I finally met with the healthy version of lasagna, I literally froze. It tasted extremely delicious and guess what? This time I didn’t worry about removing the cheese. I enjoyed it like everyone else.
How did I come up with the idea of healthy lasagna?
Jan 19th, Time: 5.30 PM:
While flipping through the TV channels, I landed on a channel that discussed about lasagna. After watching that program, my mind was full of lasagna. I felt that, being a food enthusiast if I don’t make lasagna in my kitchen at least once, it’s a big shame and an embarrassment. I made up my mind and I started whipping up lasagna my way. When it was ready, it turned out to be a healthy, nutritious and delicious lasagna with the goodness of spinach, kale and tofu in every bite. Not much cheese to worry about.
Now that I’ve met with the healthy version lasagna, there is no going back to the greasy version.
Healthy Lasagna with Spinach, Kale and Tofu
Ingredients:
For making the sauce:
- Onion, minced- 1
- Garlic, minced- 2 tsp
- Tomato sauce, no salt added, 8 oz can- 3
- Oregano, dried- 2tsp
- Basil leaves- 3
- Olive oil- 1 tbsp
Instruction:
- Heat a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, add onions and cook it for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Add garlic, oregano, basil leaves and saute them for 1 minute.
- Now, add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
- When it starts to boil, remove from the flame and keep aside.
For layering:
- Tofu, firm, drained- 8 oz
- Spinach, fresh or frozen- 1/2 packet
- Kale, fresh or frozen chopped- 2 fresh leaves or 1/2 packet frozen
- Uncooked lasagna noodles- 6
- Parmesan cheese, grated- 1/4 cup + to sprinkle at the end, 2 -3tbsp
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Drain the water from the tofu and crumble it in a large bowl.
- Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese until well combined.
- In a wide pan, cook spinach and kale by adding little water to it until they are tender. Cool and squeeze out excess water and set aside.
How to assemble:
- To assemble lasagna, cover bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish with half of the prepared tomato sauce.
- Arrange 2 sheets of noodles on the sauce.
- Layer pasta with half the cooked spinach and kale.
- With the back of a spoon, gently spread half of the tofu-parmesan mixture on the spinach-kale.
- Top with 2 layers of lasagna noodles, remaining spinach-kale and tofu-parmesan mixture.
- Layer remaining 2 sheets on top.
- Spread remaining tomato sauce on top.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350F for 1 hour.
- Uncover and evenly sprinkle 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
- Here is the healthy, nutritious, easy on cheese lasagna. When you have a bite of this you will realize that this tastes almost like the estaurant style.
Tips:
You could make as many layers as you want, increase the amount of the ingredients accordingly.
- Onion, minced- 1
- Garlic, minced- 2 tsp
- Tomato sauce, no salt added, 8 oz can- 3
- Oregano, dried- 2tsp
- Basil leaves- 3
- Olive oil- 1 tbsp
- Tofu, firm, drained- 8 oz
- Spinach, fresh or frozen- ½ packet
- Kale, fresh or frozen chopped- 2 fresh leaves or ½ packet frozen
- Uncooked lasagna noodles- 6
- Parmesan cheese, grated- ¼ cup + to sprinkle at the end, 2 -3tbsp
- Heat a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, add onions and cook it for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Add garlic, oregano, basil leaves and saute them for 1 minute.
- Now, add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
- When it starts to boil, remove from the flame and keep aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Drain the water from the tofu and crumble it in a large bowl.
- Stir in ¼ cup parmesan cheese until well combined.
- In a wide pan, cook spinach and kale by adding little water to it until they are tender. Cool and squeeze out excess water and set aside.
- To assemble lasagna, cover bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish with half of the prepared tomato sauce.
- Arrange 2 sheets of noodles on the sauce.
- Layer pasta with half the cooked spinach and kale.
- With the back of a spoon, gently spread half of the tofu-parmesan mixture on the spinach-kale.
- Top with 2 layers of lasagna noodles, remaining spinach-kale and tofu-parmesan mixture.
- Layer remaining 2 sheets on top.
- Spread remaining tomato sauce on top.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350F for 1 hour.
- Uncover and evenly sprinkle 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
- Here is the healthy, nutritious, easy on cheese lasagna. When you have a bite of this you will realize that this tastes almost like the estaurant style.
