Eggplant & Pesto Panini
With talk of upcoming meat shortages, try this awesome vegetarian panini , and you won’t miss the meat at all!
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With talk of upcoming meat shortages, try this awesome vegetarian panini , and you won’t miss the meat at all!
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you absolutely nothing, but may provide me with a commission.
Being half Sicilian, I grew up eating a lot of pasta. A LOT of pasta. Spaghetti, penne with Italian sausage, lasagna, all with red sauce, at least once a week.
As an adult, I rebelled against red sauce, until I started making my own (but that’s a whole ‘nother post).
I became a much bigger fan of garlic and olive oil (preferably over penne with broccoli), Alfredo, primavera, vodka sauce–anything except marinara.
So when I found a recipe that loosely resembled this one, I jumped on it. Of course, I have to tweak, and change, and do things my way, so after some trial and error, I came up with this creamy lasagna that my family LOVES.
Now, I know the package says no-boil lasagna noodles. I know this. I also know that if I parboil them, they still maintain their integrity, so they’re easier to set in layers, but it also cuts the baking time in half.
It’s entirely up to you whether or not you want to boil them, parboil them, or just lay them in the pan straight out of the box. Just adjust your baking time accordingly.
Start by pouring enough Alfredo sauce into the bottom of a 13×9 to just cover it, then lay down your first layer of noodles and cover with another thin layer of sauce.
Saute a small onion and a package of sliced mushrooms in a little olive oil until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, then spread over the noodles and sauce. Lay down another layer of noodles and sauce.
Squeeze as much water as you can out of a 20 oz bag of spinach and combine it with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Spread this mixture over the noodles and sauce, then top with two cups of shredded mozzarella, pepperjack, or a combination of whatever cheeses that you like.
Build the final layer with another layer of noodles and sauce, and the last two cups of shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the noodles are tender.
Serve with a simple green salad and garlic bread for a hearty comfort-food dinner.
What You’ll Need:
One package of lasagna noodles–you’ll use about 12 noodles
Two jars of Alfredo sauce
20 oz package of frozen spinach
small package of mushrooms, sliced
one medium onion
salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
4 cups of shredded mozzarella, or other cheese
Olive oil to saute vegetables
What’s your favorite pasta and sauce combination? Let us know in the comment section below!
PrintCreamy, cheesy veggie lasagna that even your kids will like!
1 box lasagna noodles–you’ll use about 12
2 jars Alfredo Sauce
20 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed
1 package slice mushrooms
1 medium onion
salt, pepper, and garlic salt, to taste
4 cups shredded mozzarella or pepperjack cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Parboil the lasagna noodles for 8-10 minutes, then drain.
Start by pouring a layer of Alfredo sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 pan, then lay a layer of noodles atop the sauce.
Slice the onion and saute in olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute until cooked.
Season with salt and pepper, and spread over the first layer of noodles.
Lay down another layer of noodles and top with more sauce.
Squeeze the liquid out of the spinach and season with garlic salt and pepper. Spread over the noodles and sauce in the pan.
Top with 2 cups shredded cheese.
Build the final layer with another layer of noodles, sauce, and the last two cups of shredded cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the noodles are tender.
Serve with a simple green salad and garlic bread
Keywords: creamy spinach and mushroom lasagna, vegetable lasagna
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you absolutely nothing, but may provide me with a commission. Since Stephan and I just moved into a new house and I had to pack, move, unpack, and re-shelve all of our pantry items, I decided to …
Believe me–I know. It looks like nothing special, but oh boy. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked.
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you absolutely nothing, but may provide me with a commission.
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know that I was a vegetarian for over four years due to an allergy to meat. While I am now able to eat poultry and seafood, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat red meat again. This recipe is a go-to for me when I want a big pot of comforting soup, and it’s super versatile! Want to use ground beef, ground turkey, or Trader Joe’s Beefless Beef? Go ahead! Want to use a different type of pasta? I’ve used shells, elbows, bowties, and others. Want to add more vegetables? I’ve added sauteed bell peppers, and mushrooms, but you can add whatever you want.
Start by chopping one medium onion and sauteeing it in a large pot in a few tablespoons of olive oil. When the onion is soft and translucent, add two 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, one 15.5 ounce can of cannellini beans, 32 ounces of vegetable stock, one tablespoon of Italian Seasoning, eight cups of water, salt and pepper to taste, and one cup of TVP (textured vegetable protein). Seriously–just dump it all in the pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes.
I usually buy my TVP from Bob’s Red Mill, but I found a great deal on it at The Cheese Shop in Stuart’s Draft, VA. It’s a soy protein and soy flour product that works as a meat substitute in any recipe where you would use ground beef. It has a similar texture, but almost no flavor, so you’ll want to season it before using in other kinds of recipes. In the soup though, you don’t need to season it separately.
After 20 minutes, add 2-3 cups of dry pasta (I used elbow noodles this time). Simmer another 20ish minutes until the pasta is cooked.
Serve with rolls, garlic bread, or saltines. This recipe makes a HUGE pot of soup, so you’ll have leftovers for days. After the first night, the pasta soaks up a lot of the broth, so you can either add more broth, or enjoy the leftovers as they are.
What’s your favorite go-to winter warmer?
PrintThis vegetarian pasta e fagioli delivers the same great taste as the traditional ground beef version, but is perfect for vegetarians or those who prefer to eat less red meat.
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
15.5 oz can of cannellini beans
32 oz vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
8 cups water
1 cup Textured Vegetable Protein
3 cups dried pasta–whatever shape you like
Salt and pepper to taste
Dice the onion and saute in the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot.
When the onion is soft and translucent, stir in the tomatoes, beans, seasonings, TVP, and broth.
Seriously–just dump it all in the pot.
Let simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and simmer another 20 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
Serve with rolls, garlic bread, or saltines. The pasta soaks up a lot of the broth as it sits in the fridge, so you can add more broth to the leftovers, or enjoy it as it is.
Keywords: vegetarian pasta e fagioli, Italian food
This post may contain affiliate links which cost you absolutely nothing, but may provide me with a commission. Back in early November, Stephan and I took a quick, one-night trip down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to read, walk on the beach, eat, …