The vegetarians in your life will thank you for this festive, red and green yuletide lasagna. It freezes well, so you can assemble it ahead and bake it when needed.
LASAGNA:
9 lasagna noodles
1 tsp olive oil
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into rings
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced into rings
2 c nonfat ricotta cheese
1/4 c egg substitute
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried basil
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1 c canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
Recipe
To make the red-pepper sauce: In a large no-stick frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the red peppers; cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and garlic; cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Add the vinegar and black pepper; process until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of the sauce and set it aside to serve with the lasagna.
To make the lasagna: In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain and toss with the oil.
Meanwhile, coat a large no-stick frying pan with no-stick spray. Warm over medium-high heat. Add the green peppers and red peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, basil and nutmeg. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To assemble the lasagna, spread one-quarter of the red-pepper sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Lay 3 noodles side by side in the dish. Spread with half of the ricotta mixture, half of the sauteed peppers, half of the beans and one-third of the remaining red-pepper sauce. Repeat to make another layer. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, the remaining red-pepper sauce and the mozzarella.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Reheat the reserved red-pepper sauce and serve it with the lasagna.
Per serving: Cal. 218, fat 3.3 g, 13% of calories, fiber 3.8 g, cholesterol 2 mg, sodium 252 mg