1 package RPs Pasta Company or other fresh lasagna sheets
2-3 lb. ground meat, browned and drained (I cook and freeze cooked ground meat when it’s on sale)
2 onions, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 c. chopped sweet peppers
1 jar marinara
2 Tbsp. pesto
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
4 c. leftover cooked quinoa
1 container ricotta cheese (2 lb)
1 packet Knorr pesto sauce mix – or Italian seasoning and Parmesian cheese
1 egg
1 package (8 oz) shredded Italian 6 cheese
I bought some fresh gluten free lasagna noodles. It didn’t say how many sheets are in the package, so I worried that I couldn’t make enough layers, so I decided to try something new, inspired by pastitsio. By the way, the package has 12 sheets, enough for three layers!
I cook the sauce overnight in the crock pot. This step isn’t necessary, but it certainly adds another layer of flavor that can’t be replicated any other way.
Day 1: The Sauce:
2-3 lb. ground meat, browned and drained (I cook and freeze cooked ground meat when it’s on sale)
2 onions, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 c. chopped sweet peppers
1 jar marinara
2 Tbsp. pesto
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
Combine ingredients in crock put. Cook overnight 8-10 hours on low. The house will smell amazing.
Day 2: The Lasagna –
4 c. leftover cooked quinoa
2 c. cooked sauce
Combine quinoa and sauce. Add a little more sauce if it looks too dry.
1 container ricotta cheese (2 lb)
1 packet Knorr pesto sauce mix – or Italian seasoning and Parmesian cheese
1 egg
Combine cheese, pesto sauce mix and egg.
Spray DEEP lasagna dish, and spread quinoa mixture into bottom. Top with layer of half of the ricotta.
Place layer of noodles on top of ricotta.
Top with sauce in a thin layer.
Top with layer of noodles.
Top with remaining ricotta.
Layer the last of the noodles.
Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.
We really loved this. My daughter suggested stuffing peppers with a quinoa mixture like I used for the first layer and I can’t wait to try it.
I made garlic toast using Texas toast multigrain bread and premade garlic spread.
Yummy!
