NOODLE-LESS VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Just out of the oven.

From time to time, I look at frozen lasagna at the grocery store. My body doesn't like eating heavy tomato laden dishes and some dishes can create heartburn. Since the DH and I try to watch our carb intake and make better choices, I decided to make a noodle-less vegetarian lasagna. I like to use a variety of vegetables and ricotta cheese gives it a bit of richness. 

There are many ways to create a noodle-less pasta dish. Some recipes use zucchini or eggplant strips as the base. I decided to use Savoy cabbage as the base for this lasagna. Savoy cabbage is a softer cabbage, better for use in cooking than eating raw and works well if you want to use it for rolling food, layering in casseroles, in soups or in sautéed vegetables.  

You need to first blanch the cabbage leaves in order to soften them and make them pliable. They did the trick in providing the base layers and I made three layers for this lasagna. For the cheese, I decided to use a grated cheese blend of several different cheeses that is packaged as an Italian blend. Any of your favourite grated cheeses will work. For tomato sauce, I buy jars of strained tomatoes and use that as a sauce. Because pasta is not used in this dish, the juices from the tomatoes and ricotta cheese don't get absorbed the same way as it would if you used pasta. I spooned some of the excess juice out of the baking dish after I took out the first slice and it amounted to about a third of a cup. I drank it and it tasted pretty good.   

Both the DH and I enjoyed the lasagna and it met the desire for lasagna.

Savoy cabbage draining in a colander.

I used these strained tomatoes for the sauce. 

Vegetables sautéing in the pot.

Constructing the layers for the lasagna.

Ready to go into the oven.

INGREDIENTS:

10 large leaves from a savoy cabbage 
2 tbsp olive, avocado or other favourite oil
2 leeks, with trimmed ends, chopped
6-8 mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 big handfuls spinach
1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Italian seasoning, optional

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, filled halfway with salted water, heat to boiling and add the cabbage leaves. Reduce heat to medium and blanch the leaves for seven to eight minutes. Remove the leaves and place them in a colander to drain.

Using the same cooking pot with the water drained or a larger size frying pan, heat the two tablespoons of oil on medium high heat and add the leeks, mushrooms and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium low and sauté for five to seven minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for another few minutes. While the vegetables are sautéing, pat dry the cabbage leaves with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Be careful to not tear them apart.

Oil a 10 to 12 inch baking dish (I used an 11 inch oval baking dish). Since you will be making three layers, you have to use one third of the cabbage leaves, sautéed vegetables, tomato sauce, ricotta and grated cheese for each layer. Place three cabbage leaves on the bottom of the dish. I cut a fourth cabbage leaf and used half of it on the bottom layer with the three other leaves. To make each cabbage leaf spread easier, I made a small cut in the rib of each leaf before placing it in the baking dish. Add the one third of the sautéed vegetables, followed by the tomato sauce, ricotta and grated cheese. Repeat the layering two more times. After the second layer, I sprinkled some Italian seasoning over the cheese before I added the final layer of cabbage leaves, vegetables, tomato sauce and cheeses. You can add salt and pepper to any one of the layers if you want.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is browned. Serves two to four depending on appetites and if this is the main entree or a side dish.