Tofu and spinach is hidden in between savory layers of meat, cheese and tomato sauce. The result is a healthier version of lasagna without sacrificing its quintessential rich and comforting taste.
Lasagna is one of those ultimate comfort foods the whole family can enjoy. The classic version is usually with a rich béchamel sauce aka lots of butter! A lot of recipes skip out on the béchamel which is already healthier.
In this recipe, we take healthier up a notch by hiding tofu and spinach in between savory layers of meat, cheese and tomato sauce. Tofu is an excellent source of protein and contains iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc. The tofu is the “ricotta” layer that you find in a lot of recipes. Here, we mash it with parmesan cheese so you won’t even notice you’re eating tofu.
There’s also a layer of spinach in this recipe because what not? If you can get some extra superfood in your diet and not even notice it, it’s definitely a win-win kind of situation for those of us who might not love greens.
As for the mushrooms, they give the dish an added earthy, umami flavor since the recipe is using less meat. The result is a healthier version of lasagna without sacrificing its quintessential rich and comforting taste.
Best part is, no one will notice they ate tofu or spinach!
Lasagna with Tofu and Spinach
Lily
Tofu and spinach is hidden in between savory layers of meat, cheese and tomato sauce. The result is a healthier version of lasagna without sacrificing its quintessential rich and comforting taste.
400gramsfrozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
300gramsmixed shredded cheese (In my local grocery store they sell a pack of Italian shredded cheese which is a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, asiago, monterey jack, provolone, parmesan and romano. Use any cheese blend that you have on hand.)
500gramslasagna noodles
Instructions
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and sauté onions for 2-3minutes. Add ground beef and cook until brown.
1 white onion diced, 1/4 pound lean ground beef
Add mushrooms and cook 2-3mins. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
8 cremini mushrooms diced, 5 cloves garlic minced
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, fresh basil, oregano and sugar. Cover and simmer for 30mins. Stir occasionally and add 1 cup water whenever you notice the sauce is too dry. Note: The sauce doesn't need to be condensed because we are going to use uncooked lasagna noodles. The sauce should be more watery than what you would serve on top of a pasta dish. The lasagna noodles will soak up the water as they cook in the oven.
2 cans (450ml each) crushed tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoons sugar plus more to taste
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Also add sugar one teaspoon at a time if you feel the sauce is too acidic and needs to be a bit sweeter.
In a medium sized bowl, add drained tofu and parmesan. Mash the tofu with a fork and mix with parmesan.
1 pack (350g) firm tofu, 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
In a small bowl, rinse frozen chopped spinach to defrost. Squeeze out excess water.
400 grams frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
Preheat the oven to 375°F
To assemble the layers: a. Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan. b. Layer uncooked lasagna sheets on top. I prefer to not precook the sheets to save a step and a pot in the kitchen. Instead, I make sure the sauce is more watery and I cook the lasagna longer in the oven. c. Then layer sauce, tofu mixture, lasagna sheets, sauce, spinach, shredded cheese, lasagna sheets, sauce and shredded cheese.
500 grams lasagna noodles, 300 grams mixed shredded cheese (In my local grocery store they sell a pack of Italian shredded cheese which is a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, asiago, monterey jack, provolone, parmesan and romano. Use any cheese blend that you have on hand.)
Cover in foil and bake in the oven for 35 mins. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15mins to allow the cheese to brown.
