I pulled from so many different recipes that this took four times as long as it needed to, definitely worth the time to write down my version for quick dinner next time. I also made a low carb option for adults using eggplant instead of pasta, details on that at the bottom.
Making your own marinara sauce is a game changer in flavour, and very easy to do - click here for the recipe - it can simmer while you prepare the other ingredients. And if you know me, I like minimal mess so this can all be prepare in ONE cast iron round pot (French oven) or large heavy saucepan.
Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 box Large Lasagne Pasta Sheets
- 2 large eggplants
- 2 zucchini
- 3 Capsicum/Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow, or Orange)
- 1 Red Onion
- 6-8 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp dried oregano or italian herbs
- Salt
- 1 1/2 cups quality ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups approx of Marinara sauce (or jarred pasta sauce)
- 500g chicken mince (or beef/pork if preferred)
- 1 can lentils (drained)
- 1 egg
Method
- Prepare marinara sauce and let simmer while you cook
- Preheat oven to 200c / 400f
- Chop all vegetables: capsicum (dice), garlic (finely chop), zucchini (quarter & slice), and onion (dice)
- (Prepare eggplant 'pasta' if doing lower carb version below.)
- Combine ricotta, parmesan, and egg, mixing until evenly combined (option to add frozen drained spinach to this mixture too)
- Once marinara is looking glossy, remove from heat, cool and pour into a large heat proof bowl.
- Put pot back on high heat, add 1-2tbsp olive oil, chicken mince, salt & pepper, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Once cooked and slightly browned, add lentils, remove from heat. Once slightly cooled, place in a heat proof container.
- Pot back on the heat, 1-2tbsp olive oil, add garlic first to flavour the oil following by all remaining vegetables (including chopped up onion from marinara sauce if you like). Add oregano or italian spices and saute until vegetables are cooked and soft, 7 min or so.
- Remove pot from heat, assemble ingredient bowls and two baking dishes for lasagne
- Let the layering begin:
- Marinara sauce
- Pasta layer (noodle or eggplant)
- Vegetables
- Chicken Mince
- Ricotta/cheese mixture (just dollop on chunky, no need to spread nicely)
- REPEAT (as high as your pans allow)
- Sprinkle generously with mozarrella and parmesan. Cover both dishes tightly with tin foil.
- Bake covered for 30-35 minutes at 200c
- Remove tin foil, reduce oven to 150c and bake for further 5-10 minutes until cheese is golden
- Remove from oven, let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving
- Garnish with fresh basil/parsley and if you're an adult a generous sprinkle of dried red chili flakes if you like spice.
Bon Appetito!
Eggplant 'Pasta'
- Preheat oven to 200c/400f
- Prepare eggplant by thinly slicing, laying flat on towel or paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and let moisture draw out for 10 minutes or so on each side.
- Use a clean paper towel to pat the eggplant dry and shake off any excess salt.
- Place eggplant on an oiled or parchement lined baking tray, drizzle or spray eggplant lightly with olive oil, baking in oven for 25 or so until golden, flip and rotate halfway through.
- Remove from oven and let rest until ready to use. If they look too dry or taste too salty THAT'S OKAY, they'll plump up in the lasagne and season the dish (notice not a lot of salt added in the rest of the recipe)
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