Test Kitchen: Last Minute Red Lasagna

Easy, healthy recipes tested for you weekly at the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen

Caila Yates, Graduate Dietetics Student, SAR ’20

About the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen: We’re all about making healthy taste delicious here at Sargent Choice.  That’s why we’ve teamed up with faculty-in-residence Dr. Karen Jacobs to offer students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to trial and taste-test new Sargent Choice healthy recipes each week at the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen.  Dr. Karen Jacobs invites students of all majors (not just nutrition) into her home on Boston University’s campus to cook up a recipe developed by Sargent Choice Registered Dietitian, Jennifer Culbert.  Feedback from the weekly Test Kitchen gets incorporated into future Sargent Choice recipes and helps shape the face of healthy dining at BU.

This recipe is sure to make your tummy AND your wallet very happy!  Plus, it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, so it is easy to fit into your busy schedule. We made this recipe on a cold, snowy night and found that with its dynamic flavors and melty, gooey cheese, it was the perfect dish for a winter night in!

What we liked:

  • We have to admit – we were skeptical about the lemon zest. But it was amazing! It contrasted the Italian seasonings perfectly and added an unexpected “zing.”
  • The red pepper flakes added some heat that we really liked.
  • It only required chopping one thing – the garlic. It was an incredibly easy dish to put together

What we would change:

  • The beans in the lasagna weren’t a huge hit and people didn’t love the texture of them. We would recommend using red lentils instead for a better texture.
  • You could add thin slices of zucchini or eggplant to each layer of the dish to get some extra veggies and more flavor

Nutrients in this recipe:

Protein from the beans/lentils and cheese
Calcium and Vitamin D from the cheese
Vitamin C from the tomato sauce and the lemon zest
Manganese, B12, and cholesterol lowering effects from garlic
Healthy fats from olive oil and olives

Get the most out of your garlic:

Try to use whole cloves of garlic instead of the pre-chopped jarred garlic from the store. Sure, it’s easier to buy the jar, but you are missing out on a lot of the nutrients that garlic has to offer when you buy it this way.  When the garlic is soaked in water or olive oil in the jar, it loses its manganese, vitamin B6, and its ability to lower cholesterol.  Try taking the extra step and chop it yourself!

Sargent Choice Last Minute Lasagna

Ingredients:

28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
lemon zest from one lemon
9 ounces dried whole wheat no-boil lasagna sheets
1 cup cooked red lentils or cannellini beans
1/4 cup chopped olives (optional)
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. To assemble the lasagna combine the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and give a good stir.
  2. Spoon 3/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 8 x 12-inch (or larger) oven-proof baking dish. Sprinkle generously with lemon zest, and cover with a layer of pasta (please see note below for using no-boil noodles*).
  3. Spoon another thin layer of tomato sauce, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of the lentils, the olives (if using), and cover with another layer of pasta. Repeat with more layers ending with a generous amount of tomato sauce on top. Finish with the mozzarella cheese on top.
  4. Cover the dish and bake for thirty minutes.  Then, remove the cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden.

*No boil noodles do not need to be boiled or cooked beforehand.  Simply layer the dry noodles into the dish, and they will cook while the lasagna is baking.