Inside-Out Lasagna

I wanted to cook something healthy. While flipping through Eating Well Magazine, I saw the recipe of Inside-Out Lasagna.  The pasta dish was very simple to make with everyday healthy ingredients.


Inside-Out Lasagna

Here we take basic lasagna ingredients—ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes—and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette.


Ingredients:

* 8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or fusilli (I used fusilli)
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 onion, chopped (Forgot to buy onion when I went grocery shopping. So there's no onion in my pasta. >_<)
* 3 cloves cloves garlic, sliced
* 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 3 1/2 cups)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (I used regular diced tomatoes with no extra seasoning)
* 8 cups baby spinach
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
* 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.

4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.

Dr. P said he liked the pasta a lot.  He actually liked it better without the ricotta cheese.  I... thought the pasta was just alright.  It wasn't bad, but it was just not satisfying enough for my taste for some reason.  On well, at least it was healthy.

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