Lasagna

Here in Ottawa we’ve had quite the roller coaster of weather – super hot temperatures, frigid temperatures, snow, buckets of rain, humidex warnings, and finally some warm ‘spring-like’ weather. With the cold weather returning last week I felt like something warm and I had a few boxes of gluten-free lasagna noodles in the cupboard that a friend had given me. She had gone Paleo and no longer needed nor wanted them. I thought they were worth a shot and fell into company of the other box I purchased but never got around to using.

Now, I didn’t follow a recipe per se; however, I have made quite a few over the years and eaten even more so I felt the need to just wing it. I also don’t cook my noodles. It seems like such a fiddly step and more drama than it’s worth so instead I use extra sauce and let it cook a bit longer. This was a vegetarian lasagna and to make it even easier, I bought some frozen roasted vegetables (thawed and drained). Chopped frozen spinach would make a great spinach lasagna. I even used jarred tomato sauce – yes a faux pas I’m sure, but it did the job.

Whenever I make something ‘square’ or ‘rectagular’ I curse my semi-oval baking dishes. The corners are rounded just enough that they won’t fit a lasagna noodle and I can’t be bothered cutting them with a pair of scissors. If I have patience that day, I’ll break small pieces off until they fit. If I don’t, then I break a big chunk off and break the smaller piece again and fit it in to fill the spaces.

With this lasagna I poured some tomato sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish; enough to coat the bottom. Then a layer of lasagna noodles, then a layer of mozzarella cheese, then another layer of noodles and another layer of sauce. The vegetables were next and I used the whole bag. I find with vegetables that it looks like enough, but when it comes time to eat they get lost in the cheese and sauce so I always add more. Next was a layer of noodles, sauce, noodles and cheese. It was getting a little too high so I gave it a little push down. I covered the dish with some foil and tented it so the melted cheese wouldn’t stick. I also put it on a baking sheet just in case the sauce bubbled over. It was baked at 350° for 45mins. You know the noodles/lasagna is done when a knife is inserted and cuts through the noodles easily.

Lasagnas don’t have to be tricky or difficult (I’ve heard of people doing them in a slow cooker!) and you can put in whatever you like and in whatever order you like. Sure, there is probably ‘a way to make lasagna’, but seriously, life is too short. Whatever you like, you like. If someone doesn’t like it, well they can go home for dinner.

(I've used both Rizopia  and Pastariso organic noodles and am pleased with both of them.)