In the interest of being a bit more health-conscious and possibly losing those last 5lbs before a vacation to the beach, I’ve been substituting whole wheat in most of my pasta dishes. I’ve actually decided that in some cases I really like whole wheat pasta better. It’s chewier, has a more earthy flavor, and holds up to almost all sauces.
During the week we barely have time to eat, let alone take artistic and appealing photos, but I wanted to share my whole wheat successes from this week even if I don’t have a picture.
Nearly Sinless Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
1 (8-ounce) package uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (8-ounce) packages mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-ounce) containers light ricotta cheese
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained very well)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon pepper
3 large egg whites
1 -2 jars of marinara sauce (depends how saucy you like it)
Cooking spray
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
– Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
– Head oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
– Add mushrooms to skillet and sauté 3 minutes.
– Add nutmeg and garlic to skillet and cook 5 more minutes.
– Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (ricotta through egg whites) and set aside.
– Preheat oven to 375°.
– Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
– Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce.
– Top noodles with half of ricotta cheese mixture, half of mushroom mixture, 1 1/2 cups sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
– Repeat layers, ending with noodles.
– Spread 1/2 cup sauce over noodles.
– Cover and bake at 375° for 40 minutes.
– Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
– Bake 10 minutes and let stand another 10 minutes before serving.
Delusions of Chefery 