Easy Marinara Sauce
This quick sauce is simple and flavorful. Use high-quality canned tomatoes for best results.
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt, more to taste
(pepper graphic?) Pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Place tomatoes with juice in a food processor or blender and process just until smooth. Transfer tomato puree to a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Stir basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper into warm tomato puree. Bring mixture to a slow simmer and cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tomato sauce resembles a thin oatmeal. Do not overcook. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. In a small pan, heat oil and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is light brown or just beginning to color. Add oil and garlic to tomato sauce, stirring to combine.
Pasta
1 package gluten-free lasagna noodles
Prepare lasagna noodles al dente according to package instructions.
Vegetable Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 pound crimini mushroom, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon sea salt
(pepper graphic indent) Pepper, to taste
To make vegetable filling, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add pepper slices and saute, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchini, parsley, sea salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms are golden brown and veggies are al dente.
Cheese Filling
8 ounces fresh mozzarella or dairy-free alternative
1 cup ricotta cheese or dairy-free alternative
3 tablespoons milk of choice
2 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or dairy-free alternative, divided
(pepper graphic indent) Salt and pepper, to taste
(pepper graphic indent) Pinch of ground nutmeg
To make cheese filling, cut mozzarella into ¼-inch slices and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, milk, parsley, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix together until creamy. Set aside.
Assembling the lasagna
1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, add ½ cup marinara sauce to baking dish. Place pasta end to end, covering the bottom of the pan. Layer ½ cup sauce over the pasta, 1/3 of the vegetable filling over the sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella slices and cheese filling over the vegetable filling. Sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over the cheese filling. Place more pasta over the Parmesan cheese and repeat the layering process. Top with more pasta, remaining ½ cup sauce, remaining mozzarella slices and cheese filling and remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover baking dish with lightly oiled foil.
3. Place lasagna in preheated oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until lasagna is thoroughly heated.
4. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Makes 8 to 10 savings. Each serving with Easy Marina Sauce contains 396 calories, 23g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 87mg cholesterol, 969mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 8g sugars, 17g protein, 17 Est GL.
[FOOTNOTE: Noodle-Licious! For gluten-free or allergy-friendly lasagna pasta, check out these products: DeBoles Rice Lasagna , Jovial Brown Rice Lasagna, , Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagna. Not every product sold by every company listed is gluten-free or allergy-friendly. Read labels. Ingredients can change. When it doubt, confirm ingredients directly with the manufacturer. This recipe is by Mary Capone]
