Monday, March 21, 2011

E: Squash & Spinach Noodle-less Lasagna

The rest of our weekend turned out to be different than expected. Frank started having some issues in the middle of Saturday night/Sunday morning. We ended up taking him to the emergency vet and he has an ulcer resulting from the medicine he was taking for his knee. He is now on new anti-inflammatory/pain medication and two additional medications for the ulcer. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he gets better…quick.

Onto the food! I always feel like my Friday night dinners are the laziest of the week (Heather and I have emailed about this very subject!). This past Friday, I decided to kick it up a notch and try my hand at a noodle-less lasagna recipe. I originally saw this recipe on My Bizzy Kitchen, and made a few adjustments.

Ingredients:

Ricotta Filling:

  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
  • 1 cup (1.5 ounces) fresh spinach

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Additional Ingredients:

  • 3/4 pound squash, sliced thin
  • 1 1/4 cup tomato or marinara sauce
  • 3 tablespoons part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven for 350 degrees F.

Mix together all ricotta filling ingredients. Using a loaf pan, layer sauce, squash, and ricotta mixture (should make approximately 3 layers with sauce left over to top). Spread mozzarella on top of the “lasagna”.

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Bake for ~50 minutes. Enjoy!

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Not gorgeous, but good!

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Note: My sauce got a little soupy…probably could have done with the recommended 1 cup!

This is a tasty and healthy dish!! 1/2 the pan (1 large bowl full) is only 284 calories and 12.5 grams of fat(using the brands I used, exact stats can vary based on the brands you use). I really love the kick of the crush red pepper. Josh was a huge fan too!

Hope you have a nice Monday!!

45 comments:

Lauren said...

Praying that Frank recovers soon! Poor guy! :(

I LOVE noodless lasagnas. I actually always leave the noodles and just eat out the sauce and veggies in lasagna's so this recipe is perfect for me.

Have a great Monday!!

Averie said...

the lasagna looks awesome! and i love red peppers too :)

enjoy your week, hon!

Anonymous said...

That lasagna looks amazing!!!!!!
Great recipe! :D

Heather said...

Oh no - give Frank a huge hug for me!!!!
And what a great idea for dinner. I'll have to try it (and I love Biz!!). :)

The Blonde Duck said...

I hope Frank feels better!

Oh my God, this is perfect. I can load it up with meat for me and Ben can stick to his diet. I like this one so much better than the one from SL.

Kitchen Belleicious said...

Hey I think it looks extremely good and beautiful. I am loving the combo of spinach and squash! Perfect for kids and even better for adults. So creative girl! Love it and hope frank gets better. I have ulcers so I know how painful they can be!
XO
Jessica

Holly said...

Oh, no....I hope Frank is doing okay today. Saying a prayer for him - poor guy!

I made a butternut squash lasagna last year and LOVED it. Didn't even miss the noodles! As long as there is cheese and sauce, I'm a happy girl. :-)

Heather (Where's the Beach) said...

Poor Frank. Hope he feels better soon. And dinner looks fantastic!!! Now THAT is a Friday meal ;-)

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh, Frank is such a delicate little bun :/ I will keep him in my thoughts Erica xo

jenna said...

mmm....all my favorite parts of lasagna!! what a great idea! Happy monday!

Renee Paj said...

oh poor Frank! wishing for a speedy recovery!

I have to make this lasagna. I saw it on Biz's blog too...I usually put zucchini in my lasagna, but I use noodles too...but omitting the noodles sure does make it diet friendly without sacrificing taste!

CaSaundraLeigh said...

I've always wanted to try the noodle-less lasagna. I always feel like the noodles are just TOO much. I'll have to remember this next time a lasagna craving strikes! :-)

Jenna said...

Poor Frank. :( Sending Frank and your whole family well wishes for the little guy. He'll be back to it in no time!

That lasagna looks delicious!

The Purple Carrot said...

Poor Frank!! I'm praying for him! It's horrible seeing your pup hurting and not knowing exactly what's wrong and exactly what they're feeling.

Lisa said...

This looks amazing and I'm sure it tastes awesome too! Thanks for sharing it---I'm definitely trying this soon :)

Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg said...

Awww, I hope Frank is on his way to recovery!!!

This looks perfect for a lazy dinner!!

Sarah said...

bookmarked! yum!

Beth @ DiningAndDishing said...

Friday is a hard night to cook - so worn out from the week! So good for you, giving something new a try. Looks like the results were well worth the effort!

Hope Frank feel better soon. xo

Naomi(Onefitfoodie) said...

omg thats just what I want these days! sauce, cheese...gooeyness YUM! that looks delicious, Erica!

Anonymous said...

Aww poor Frank! Hope he gets better!

Allison @ PickyEatingRD said...

Sending positive vibes to Frank! Also your lasagna looks amazing. I need to take a vacation to your house for dinner,

Unknown said...

thinking of frank!! i've been meaning to try that lasagna... looks fabulous :)

Laural (bhealthier) said...

oh no! poor frank! how terrible, medicine to help his knee caused another issue! ick. hope he gets better super fast!

love the noodle-less dish-! you have a nice monday too- a restful- stress free one!

Michelle @ Find Your Balance said...

Poor pup! That sucks when one medical issue leads to another. Boo! Hope he's better quickly :-)

We Are Not Martha said...

Aww poor Frank! I hope he's feeling better! I love the idea of noodle-less lasagna, especially with squash. This looks great!

Sues

fittingbackin said...

Yum! This looks great - love that it doesn't have noodles - crazy!!

Poor Frank. :( I hope he feels better soon!

Anonymous said...

I'm okay with spoons! Soup or lasagna, this looks delicious!

Corey @ the runners cookie said...

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about Frank - I'm sending positive thoughts your way.
The lasagna looks incredible - I love squash with pasta sauce and cheese so I'm sure this is delicious. And extra sauce is no problem for me, I would just use bread to soak it up :)

Biz said...

Aw - poor Frank! Hope he recovers soon.
Thanks for the shout out too - glad you both liked it - and I almost always add extra crushed red pepper to my dish :D

Katie said...

Aww poor Frank! Hope he's feeling better today :-(

That dish looks so good! I've been loving casseroles lately, and it would be great for us because Ari really doesn't like very cheesy/creamy dishes and this doesn't look like that at all. Yum!

Jenn @ Peas and Crayons said...

Hoping that frank feels better super soon!!!!!

Your lasagna-less lasagna looks goood! I love dishes like this!

xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

Simply Life said...

Great idea for a new take on lasagna!

Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) said...

Aw poor Frank! :( I'm keeping him in my thoughts.

I love Biz's recipes. They are always delicious!

Annie said...

that looks soo good! my mouth is watering!

Julie said...

BOOM. recipe bookmarked. i've been on such an italian food crave lately! maybe i'm pregnant? haha

ugh fraaaaaaaaaank!!! give him a big hug and kiss for me!! he better get better asap. its bad for mama-to-be's to stress so i'm not good with this. let me know if you need anything girl :) lots of love your way!!

Megan D said...

I am crossing my fingers for Frank too!! I'm sure he will get better asap.
Your dinner looks fabulous as always!

BroccoliHut said...

This looks fantastic! I can't wait to try it!

Candice said...

Yum! I'm going to try this.. cause Im not a noodle fan and my hubs loves lasagna!! this may be our happy medium;)
Thanks for all your support on my blog! I really appreciate it! your a doll!
hope frank is ok!

Nutmeg Nanny said...

I hope Frank gets better soon!

I love the idea of a noodle-less lasagna. It's not something I would have ever thought of!

Stephanie @cookinfanatic said...

I hope that Frank gets better soon, I'll be thinking about him!!! What a great take on lasagna, looks delicious :)

MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College said...

I hope Frank starts feeling better soon!

This lasagna looks so perfect, I always seems to have lost my cooking motivation by Friday night too. It's too bad because it is one of the days I have the most time to prep and cook!

Definitely marking this recipe as a keeper!

Hannah said...

This looks amazing! Pumpkin FTW!

Kerr said...

I hope Frank is feeling better!

Aggie said...

awww...Frank. sounds like a rough couple of weeks, hope he's feeling much better!

um and seriously, that noodle-less lasagna looks like perfect comfort food to me!! love it.

Krista said...

Oh no! Poor Frank! Boo!