Friday, June 12, 2009

Slow Cooker Lasagna

From Real Simple Magazine



Ingredients
2  28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
3  cloves garlic, finely chopped<
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
kosher salt and pepper
16 ounces fresh ricotta
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
12 ounces dry lasagna noodles
1  bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and torn into large pieces (I used brocolli or spinach)
12 ounces mozzarella, grated

1. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Spoon 1/3 cup of the tomato mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker. Top with a single layer of noodles, breaking them to fit as necessary. Add half the Swiss chard. Dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture and a third of the remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella.
3. Add another layer of noodles and repeat with the other ingredients. Finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining ricotta mixture, tomato mixture, and mozzarella.<
4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook, covered, until the noodles are tender, 2 hours.

If You Don't Have a Slow Cooker: Heat oven to 375° F. Follow the recipe above using no-boil lasagna noodles in place of the dried ones and layer the ingredients in a Dutch oven or large casserole. Cover and bake until the noodles are tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. 

I broke my slow cooker into a hundred little pieces a few months back and I cooked it in the oven per the instructions above and it turned out better than the slow cooker method since it looked like a traditional lasagna. To make things go faster, I also used Trader Joe's Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce which is a favorite in our household. I also added some sliced TJ's turkey meatballs for added protein.

This recipe is so easy to make.

Posted by Maria @ 5:52 PM