Give your favorite Italian dish a healthy makeover. Chef Nancy Waldeck’s cheesy kale lasagna is a one-dish meal full of superfoods (noted with an *). Click here to learn more about superfoods and why they’re so good for you.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil*
- 1 large red onion* chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato* paste
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Perfectly Easy Tomato* Sauce (recipe below)
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans of white beans
- 16 ounces of wild mushrooms*, chopped and sautéed in two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 cups quinoa*, prepared
- 2 large bunches of kale*, shredded
- 8 ounces skim mozzarella, shredded
- 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Step One
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the onion in two tablespoons of olive oil until soft. Add the garlic, then cook and stir until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, parsley and a half cup of tomato sauce. Mix to incorporate and remove from the heat.
Step Two
Combine the white beans and cooked mushrooms in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, cooked quinoa and sautéed onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Step Three
Spoon one-third of the remaining tomato sauce into a 9 x 12” casserole dish. Top with half the shredded kale, half the bean mixture, then sprinkle on one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat and end with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Get creative! You can turn this lasagna into involtini (rolls). Follow the recipe through step two, then using a kale or Swiss chard leaf, roll up the stuffing and place in a pool of tomato sauce. Bake until hot and bubbly.
Bonus recipe: Perfectly Easy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil*
- 1 medium red onion*, sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cans of fire-roasted tomatoes*
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons each of chopped parsley and oregano
Step One
Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the onion over medium heat until soft. Add the wine and simmer for five minutes.
Step Two
Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Stir in herbs.
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