Recipe for Life: GF, Vegetarian Lasagna

I made vegetarian lasagna for dinner last night, and both Chicago Man and I loved it! I have made vegetarian lasagna before, but never gluten-free and never with this recipe, which is adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine's March 2010 issue. (www.tasteofhome.com/healthy-cooking-magazine).

Taste of Home Healthy Cooking is one of my favorite cooking magazines, by the way. Most of the recipes originate from readers, not test kitchens, and it features pared-down versions of many of our old favorites such as country fried steak, meatloaf, and the like.

This vegetarian lasagna recipe came from reader Colleen Cassaday of Lancaster, NH.

It was not originally gluten-free, but I "made it so" by a simple substitution of rice pasta for wheat pasta. The rice pasta (see photo) has a nice, light texture to it. Otherwise, you would never know the difference. We decided we like it even better than wheat pasta because it is not so heavy and "gluey".

I made this dish yesterday morning as I was rushing around, preparing to take my mother to the doctor. I had already pre-cut the vegetables the day before, so I think if you did that it could easily be made before work and then heated, or re-heated when you get home.

Here's my version of Colleen's "Scrumptious Vegetable Lasagna"

9 lasagna noodles (whole wheat or GF, and I only used six noodles to make two layers instead of three)
2 med yellow squash cut into 1/4 inch slices ( sprinkled garlic powder on all the veggies before cooking)
2 med zucchini cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 lg green pepper, chopped (I used red that I got on sale a few weeks ago and froze)
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1 large sweet onion, chopped (I omitted this since CM and I have an intolerance for onion)
I TBsp olive oil
1 25 oz jar of marinara sauce (I love Donatelli's which I get at Big Lot's for $1.20 a jar; it tastes like real Italian "red gravy" to me)
1 carton fat free ricotta cheese
9 slices reduced fat provolone cheese (I omitted this)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions (If you want to omit this step, you can include them dry and they will still cook perfectly!)

In large nonstick skillet coated w/ cooking spray, saute the vegetables in oil till tender.

Drain noodles and rinse in cold water, then drain again.

Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce in a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top w/ three noodles, a scant 1 cup marinara sauce, 2 cups veggies, 1/2 cup ricotta, 2/3 halved slices of provolone, 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Repeat layers twice.

Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

1 piece equals 269 calories (that's using 9 noodles and the provolone), 9 g fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 441 mg sodium 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 19 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 starch, 1 fat.

Enjoy!