I love lasagne, but after changing to a whole-foods lifestyle, I don’t eat it much anymore. I guess I think it doesn’t really qualify as whole. I also don’t eat much from the dairy category, so this isn’t something I normally make now.
But it’s winter in Michigan and I crave comfort food! So I modified my lasagne recipe to fit my lifestyle. It still doesn’t qualify as a whole food (I don’t think) but it’s delicious and nourishing as a soul food. (Did you see my newsletter about soul food? This does qualify for that category.)
I used the organic chicken I had in my freezer from my farmer’s market last fall along with the tomatoes I roasted and froze for just such an occasion.
It does look a little dry, but it’s not bad when it’s fresh out of the oven. And the roma tomatoes are so sweet! Admittedly, it is a little on the dry side as leftovers, but still not too bad. (I’d venture a guess it may not be as dry if made with a commercial pasta sauce.)
I think I would also substitute 8 ounces of bow tie pasta for actual lasagne noodles next time, just for the convenience factor. Then I would mix it a la casserole style instead of taking time with the layers.
I’d like to add some sautéed veggies next time: onion, carrot, peppers and mushroom.
While making this the other night, I also thought that some spinach would be good to add. I would chop fresh spinach, but a 10 ounce box of frozen (and thawed/drained) would be great too!
Chicken Lasagne
9 lasagne noodles (I cook 10 in case something bad happens) (or 8 oz bow tie pasta)
1 pound organic chicken breast, baked with oregano, basil and garlic (instructions here), chopped into bite-size pieces
32 oz oven roasted tomatoes (my recipe here) or your favorite pasta sauce (no high-fructose corn syrup)
16 oz ricotta or cottage cheese
12 oz plus mozzarella cheese
½ cup plus Parmesan cheese
In 9” x 13”, Layer:
1/3 sauce
3 lasagne noodles
½ ricotta or cottage cheese
½ mozzarella
½ parmesan
½ chicken
Repeat, ending with a layer of lasagne and remaining sauce.
Bake covered at 400 for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly.
(c) 2011, Kathy Fannon
I added a little extra mozzarella and parmesan to the top and baked another 5 to 10 minutes. It looked like this:
(c) 2011, Kathy Fannon
It’s not pretty on the plate, but it sure tasted good!
(c) 2011, Kathy Fannon
This is not gluten-free, dairy-free or vegetarian, but it IS delicious!
Don't forget to serve it with a salad to get some veggies! Dark leafy greens are so good for you!
Arrivederci!
Are you hungry now? What is your favorite comfort-food?
