Fall is in the air and this Mushroom Lasagne is the perfect dish for this cozy time of year! It’s hearty but not heavy with a hit of spinach in the middle for good measure.
The boys are back in school, the first leaves of the season are falling, and I’m getting inspired by all the autumn recipes. While summer is my favourite season (sorry fall), there’s something special and so comforting about this transition of seasons. The colder weather, the warm sweaters, and how gorgeous everything looks as it changes color! We start to spend more time indoors and start to cook a little bit more comfort food. No complaining here.
Now, comfort food doesn’t have to be unhealthy; take this lasagna for example. Yes it has pasta noodles (you can use whole wheat ones), but it’s also packed with veggies! We LOVE a good pasta dish in our house. There is such a range, from the quick and easy pastas like this Seafood Linguine to the pastas that are a labor of love like Charles’ Chicken Paprikash that he just made last weekend (so good).
How to Simplify Making Lasagne
Lasagne is one of those dishes that has earned a bit of a bad reputation for how time consuming it is. And while that’s a true story, there are a couple small things you can do to make it way less daunting!
First, might I mention that it can be made ahead (mom win right there)! This means you can make it the night before or even make extras and pop it in the freezer for those nights when you’re in a pinch. You can also break it up and make the filling one day and assemble your lasagne the next. And finally, you can cut corners by using the easy-bake lasagne noodles.
Make this Lasagne Vegan or Gluten Free
This lasagna is naturally vegetarian. You can make it gluten free by using gluten-free lasagne noodles. I haven’t tried it before but I would suspect you can also use a dairy-free ricotta (or make your own) and mozzarella to make this dish vegan. Add extra veggies by sneaking in sautéed kale into the mushroom mixture to give an added boost of greens!
Mushroom Lasagne
Mushroom Lasagne
This vegetarian lasagne is so cozy and perfect for fall! You can add cooked ground chicken or sliced cooked chicken breast to the mushroom mixture if you wish! Skip the last layer of lasagne noodles to lighten it up a bit. This makes 12-15 servings depending on how big you cut them. Serve this with a side salad.
Ingredients
Spinach Cheese Layer
- 750 mL 2% cottage cheese (drained)
- 300 g package frozen spinach* (thawed & drained)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- salt and pepper to taste
Lasagne Layer
- 12 lasagne noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Mushroom Layer
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg mushrooms, sliced (about 12 cups sliced)
- 2 cups diced yellow onion (1 large or 2 small)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon pesto (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Spinach Cheese Layer
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Drain the cottage cheese in a fine seive in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight (covered). Thaw the spinach and squeeze the water out (well) of it once the cottage cheese has drained.
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In a medium bowl, add the drained cottage cheese and stir in the drained spinach, mozzarella, beaten eggs, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Set aside and bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Make the Mushroom Layer
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Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly oil a 9x13" baking dish.
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Add the lasagne noodles to the large pot of boiling water and cook until al-dente. Drain in a colander and cook the mushroom layer while the water is boiling and the noodles cook.
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In a large frying pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and transparent. Add the sliced mushrooms and the garlic and cook, stirring occassionally, until the mushrooms have softened and the liquid has cooked out, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the pesto if using and set aside.
Assemble the Lasagne
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In a medium bowl combine the shredded mozzarella cheese and the parmesan together.
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Layer 3 lasagne noodles length-ways in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the mushroom mixture evenly on this layer, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese, and top with another layer of 3 lasagne noodles.
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Spread all of the spinach cottage cheese mixture evenly on top of this layer of lasagne noodles (use the back of a spooon or a rubber spatula to smooth out), top with another layer of 3 lasagne noodles followed by the remainder of the mushroom mixture and another 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
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Top with the last 3 lasagne noodles and the rest of the cheese and bake for around 45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool slightly before cutting and serving.
Recipe Notes
*you can substitute spinach for 4 cups of packed shredded kale - simply make sure that you cook down the kale in a frying pan with a bit of oil to remove all liquid before adding to the mixture.
The flavour of this dish is good, but the texture just isn’t worth the time it takes to prepare. I think with some sort of sauce (tomato, or cream-based), the texture may improve.
Hi Melina, thank you for your feedback I appreciate it! It would be easy to add a béchamel sauce to one or two of the layers! Take care, Tori
Another great veggie recipe. This was a big hit with my family. Next time I will have to remember to squeeze the spinach out in a towel. Delicious.