Rigatoni with Eggplant, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Rigatoni with Eggplant, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese -

Delicious and hearty rigatoni, eggplant, mushrooms and goat cheese, all mixed together and served hot.

Ingredients:

 1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
 3 tablespoons olive oil
 1 large onion, chopped
 2 cloves garlic, sliced
 1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
 1/2 cup chicken broth
 15 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
 1 teaspoon dried thyme
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
 8 ounces goat cheese, cut into large chunks

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Stir in mushrooms, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggplant, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth and olives. Season with thyme, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. Toss with pasta and goat cheese.

Spinach Cheese Manicotti

Spinach Cheese Manicotti -

It can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator overnight. Very filling and great served with a salad and garlic bread.

Ingredients:

 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
 1/2 cup minced onion
 1 egg
 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
 1/2 teaspoon pepper
 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
 1 1/2 cups water
 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.
Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

Notes:
If refrigerating overnight, do so after step 3. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Lasagna -

This lasagna is a take on the traditional. Instead of noodles, it uses sliced eggplant. Instead of ricotta, it uses goat cheese. It is delicious!!!

Ingredients:

 cooking spray
 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
 1 (28 ounce) jar garden vegetable pasta sauce
 1 (11 ounce) log goat cheese, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Arrange one fourth of eggplant slices in a layer in the bottom of the dish.
Pour one fourth of pasta sauce on top of eggplant layer.
Dot pasta sauce layer with one fourth of goat cheese slices.
Repeat layers three more times with remaining ingredients, ending with a top layer of goat cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until pasta sauce is bubbling and goat cheese is melted, 45 to 60 minutes.

Simple Spinach Lasagna

Simple Spinach Lasagna -

So yummy! You can also substitute ground turkey or another veggie for the spinach.

Ingredients:

 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
 1/2 onion, chopped
 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
 2 cloves garlic, crushed
 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
 1 1/2 cups water
 2 cups non-fat cottage cheese
 1 (8 ounce) package part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
 1 teaspoon salt
 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
 1 egg
 8 ounces lasagna noodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large pot over medium heat saute spinach, onion, oregano, basil and garlic in the olive oil. Pour in spaghetti sauce and water; simmer 20 minutes. In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and egg.
Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan. Place 4 uncooked noodles on top of sauce and top with layer of sauce. Add 4 more noodles and layer with 1/2 sauce and 1/2 cheese mixture, noodles and repeat until all is layered, finishing with sauce.
Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 55 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Black Bean Lasagna

Black Bean Lasagna -

A delicious vegetarian lasagna using corn tortillas instead of lasagna noodles, layered with salsa, black beans, cheese, and guacamole.

Ingredients:

 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 2 onions, chopped
 4 cloves garlic, chopped
 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
 1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
 1 cup salsa
 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
 salt and black pepper to taste
 2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, quartered
 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, 3 cloves of chopped garlic, and green and red bell peppers. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in tomatoes with juice, salsa, and black beans. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and cook about 3 minutes.
In a bowl, mash the avocados with 1 clove chopped garlic and lemon juice.
Place a layer of tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the tomato and bean mixture on top. Spread 1/2 of guacamole on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese. Lay out another layer of tortillas. Top with half of the remaining tomato and bean mixture. Then spread remaining guacamole on top. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

Vegetarian Four Cheese Lasagna

Vegetarian Four Cheese Lasagna -

This is a mouth tingling recipe with ricotta, feta, eggplant, tomato, pesto, pumpkin, Parmesan and mozzarella.

Ingredients:

 2 cups peeled and diced pumpkin
 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
 5 tomatoes
 1 pint ricotta cheese
 9 ounces crumbled feta cheese
 2/3 cup pesto
 2 eggs, beaten
 salt and pepper to taste
 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
 fresh pasta sheets
 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast in oven until browned and tender, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grill eggplant on a charcoal grill or fry in a skillet, turning once, until charred and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Halve tomatoes and place on baking sheet in oven for last 15 minutes of pumpkin time; cook until tender and wrinkly.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, feta, pesto, eggs, salt and pepper until well mixed. Fold roasted pumpkin into ricotta mixture.
Spoon half of the tomato sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Lay two pasta sheets over the sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices over pasta and top with half the ricotta mixture. Cover with two more pasta sheets. Arrange the roasted tomatoes evenly over the sheets and spoon the remaining half the ricotta mixture over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Top with remaining two sheets of pasta. Pour remaining tomato sauce over all and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Sauceless Garden Lasagna

Sauceless Garden Lasagna -

This is a tasty lasagna that has been developed to help use up the abundance of tomatoes and zucchini from the garden. I didn't have any pasta sauce on hand, so I just added the herbs to the vegetable mixture.

Ingredients:

 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
 1/3 cup chopped red onion
 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
 4 cups fresh baby spinach
 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 3 tablespoons olive oil
 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
 1 teaspoon sugar
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1 (8 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles
 9 roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, red onion, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and stir in basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture until evenly blended.
Place a layer of lasagna noodles into the bottom of the prepared pan. Make a layer of tomato slices over the noodles. Spread a generous amount of the spinach mixture over the tomatoes. Don't worry, it shrinks a lot while cooking. Lay slices of tomatoes over the spinach mixture, then another layer of noodles. Start with another layer of tomatoes on top of the noodles, and repeat layering until the dish is heaped with lasagna, ending with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until noodles, and vegetables are tender. Let stand for a few minutes to set, then slice and serve.

Tofu Lasagna

Tofu Lasagna -

Good for people who aren't reluctant to try tofu. After this lasagna you and your guests will love it!

Ingredients:

 1/2 (12 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu, crumbled
 2 eggs
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 2 tablespoons milk
 1 cup spaghetti sauce
 1 tablespoon dried parsley
 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a medium bowl combine tofu, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, milk, spaghetti sauce, parsley and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Spread a layer in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Layer lasagna noodles with the sauce mixture, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes.