Tagged: casserole

 

This recipe tastes just like lasagna but with half of the work in the layering process. You may wonder why I made an Italian Lasagna with Greek Salad?

Well I  promise it goes very well together. The cool Tahini dressing is a perfect match to cool down the spice in the Lasagna. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef or turkey

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning mix

1 teaspoon pimenta moida  or (1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

 

Pasta

1 pound of large sized curly pasta such as cavatappi, or ziti

1 15 oz container of low fat ricotta cheese

1 – 8 oz package of shredded cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

 

Salad

4 cups green leaf lettuce (chopped)

2 cups baby spinach

shredded carrots

1 cucumber (chopped)

1/2 small red onion (finely sliced)

1 cup Feta Cheese (crumbled)

Greek Olives (optional)

Croutons (any)

 

Tahini Dressing

1 cup light sour cream

1/2  of a cucumber (chopped)

pinch of dill

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

 

Garlic Bread (optional)

l large french bread or italian loaf

1/2 stick of soft butter or margarine

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of paprika

 

Meat Sauce Cooking Instructions:

Prepare the grown the ground meat by cooking it on medium  heat in a large saute pan and remove any excess fat.

Add the chopped onion, olive oil and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion and garlic is translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for at least 15-20 minutes to incorporate all of the flavors and the sauce has reduced slightly. Set aside until the pasta is prepared.

Pasta preparation:

Cook pasta in a large pot of water with the salt. Drain but do not rinse and set aside in a big bowl to slightly cool.

Mix the ricotta, 1/2 of the shredded cheese, egg, salt, pepper and oregano in a small bowl. When the pasta has cooled pour the cheese mixture into the pasta bowl and mix very well.

Prepare a large deep lasagna dish or casserole by adding a small amount of the meat sauce on the bottom.

Layer 1/2 of the pasta on the bottom of dish, then add 1/2 of the meat sauce. Top with 1/4 of the shredded cheese.

Continue layering. You’ll end up with the remaining remaining sauce on top. Add the rest of the shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 30 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

Salad Preparation:

Mix all of the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients in a blender or processor until very creamy.

Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.

 

Garlic Bread Preparation:

Slice the bread in half and spread on the butter mixture.

Bake butter side down along with the lasagna until the bread is golden and crispy on the buttered side.