Spicy Kale Lasagna

I found this recipe a little over a year ago and it immediately became my favorite lasagna recipe.  And it's vegetarian!  It has lots of kale (over time I've increased how much I put in it!), a spicy tomato sauce for tons of flavor, and crispy cheese on the top.  The cheese in this lasagna is cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.  The amount of cheese isn't over the top, so this is really relatively healthy.  Also, if you are not typically a fan of cottage cheese don't worry, it blends in with everything else and you can hardly tell.

Before making this lasagna I had made lasagna with spinach, but I never really liked the texture of the spinach.  It always felt slimy to me, but I just sort of endured it for the nutrients.  I feel the complete opposite about kale!  It holds up well when cooked and doesn't have a weird texture, plus it is SO good for you.  I suppose that's why I eat kale almost every single night.

This makes 4 large servings of lasagna.  Serve with a salad or another vegetable of choice to fill up your plate.  I hope you enjoy this lasagna as much as we have!

Spicy Kale Lasagna

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 12-16 ounces kale, roughly chopped (a bag of kale makes this easy, and it's fine to leave the stems in)
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (reserve 3/4 cup for another use- freeze if you will not use soon)
• 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cups 1% low fat cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles

DIRECTIONS:

1) Prepare kale: bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add kale and cook for 3 minutes.  Drain in a colander and press down with a kitchen towel to remove excess liquid.  Chop into small pieces (no need to be exact) and set aside.

2)  Prepare the spicy tomato sauce:  While waiting for the water to boil, combine oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium-high heat.  Once it starts to sizzle, add crushed tomatoes [note that you shouldn't use the whole can- save about 3/4 cup for another use], salt, and oregano.  Stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Set aside.

3)  Prepare cheese filling:  Put the cottage cheese in a fine mesh strainer and press down with the back of a spatula to remove some of the liquid.  You will get a bit out, but the cottage cheese will still look wet and that's fine.  Transfer the cottage cheese to a bowl.  Combine with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, and black pepper.  Set aside.

4)  Preheat oven to 375F.  To assemble the lasagna, add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.  Cover with 2 noodles, then 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the kale mixture, then 1/3 of the tomato sauce.  Cover with 2 more noodles, then next 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then next 1/3 of the kale mixture, then next 1/3 of the tomato sauce.  Cover with 2 more noodles, then last 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then last 1/3 of the kale mixture.  Cover with last 2 noodles, then remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  

5)  Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until brown and bubbly.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

(recipe adapted from Annie's Eats)