I love LOVE pasta of all types. Italian is probably my favorite food type.Ever. I could eat pizza, pasta and bread everyday.Seriously. Me in Italy would probably be like a kid in a candy store. The problem downside less-than-perfect-issue with Italian food is that it’s so heavy. There’s always a ton of heavy sauces (that are yummy), juicy meats (that are tasty) and carbs that could will make you go into a carb coma.
Naturally, I love lasagna. I love meat lasagna, veggie lasagna and now I love pesto lasagna! This recipe comes from Bethenny Frankel with a few tweaks of my own. Click here for her recipe. 🙂
The thing I like most about this recipe is that there is NO MEAT SAUCE! After a long week of not working out, I wanted to make a yummy complete meal that wasn’t super heavy. And voila… pesto lasagna with pine nuts!
Mix 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup basil and 1/4 cup parsley in a medium bowl.
Cook 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles according to the package. In a 9×13 dish, spread two spoonfuls of pesto spread on the bottom. Place 3 cooked noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with a small layer of mozzarella cheese.
Layer with 3 more noodles. Spread 2 spoonfuls of pesto on the noodles and remaining ricotta mixture. Top with 3 more noodles, pesto spread and 1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
I must be honest. This is better served for a girls’ night dish. I’ve tested this on 3 guys in the family and they seem to think meat, sauce and thick cheese when it comes to lasagna. I appreciate the lighter, flavorful options!!
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know how it goes! Do you have any healthy Italian dishes?
Bon Appetite!
