Zucchini, Mushroom Lasagna

This is my version of traditional lasagna.  I used mushrooms for their meaty texture along with a few capers for an extra twist.  Instead of the cheese used in traditional lasagna, I used a bean spread with sun dried tomatoes and oregano.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the sauce:
1- 28 oz. can tomato puree
1- 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 onion finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ t. basil
½ t. salt
¼ cup unsweetened original almond milk
1/3 t. black pepper

Ingredients for filling:
3- 8 oz. containers sliced mushrooms
1 small jar capers, drained
¼ cup red wine
¼ t. black pepper
2 zucchini, sliced thinly
2 cans cannellini beans, drain ½ the liquid
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, julienne sliced
½ t. oregano
1 clove garlic
½ t. salt
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small flat rectangular baking dish, place the lasagna noodles one on top of another.  Boil water in a tea kettle and pour over lasagna noodles.  Let set for approximately 15 minutes and pour off most of the water.

Prepare the sauce first so the flavors can blend together.  In a large sauce pan add the onion with about ½ cup of water and sauté for approximately 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes.  Pour in the tomato puree and the fire roasted crushed tomatoes and stir well.  Next add the basil, salt, almond milk and black pepper.  Note: If you prefer a bit of a sweeter sauce you can add one teaspoon of sugar or honey.
Cook over medium high heat until the sauce starts to boil and turn to low.

In a large skillet add the mushrooms with 2/3 cup of water cover and cook over medium high heat.  Cook for approximately 4 minutes or so until the mushrooms have reduced in size.  Remove the lid and continue cooking until most of the water has evaporated.  At this point, add the red wine and the black pepper.  Stir well, reduce heat to low and continue cooking until all of the wine has evaporated.  Set mushrooms

aside.

In a food processor, slice the zucchini very thinly.  Set aside.

Now add the cannellini beans, 1 clove garlic, sun dried tomatoes, oregano and salt in the food processor.  Process until a smooth mixture is achieved, like a hummus consistency.

Now it is time to assemble the lasagna.  In a 9” X 13” pan, spray lightly with cooking spray and then wipe out excess oil.  Take 1/3 cup of sauce and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan.  Place 3 lasagna noodles and lay flat across the pan.  Spread evenly a thin layer of the bean mixture on top each lasagna noodle.  Now take the zucchini and in an overlapping pattern layer in a row on top of the bean mixture. 

Now using the 1/3 cup measurer, pour the sauce liberally on top of each noodle.  Spread all of the mushrooms evenly on top of this layer of sauce.  Sprinkle the capers evenly on top of the mushrooms and then cover this layer with another row of lasagna noodles.

Repeat the first step with another layer of bean mixture and zucchini.  Once again, top this layer with another row of lasagna noodles followed by the sauce.

On the top layer once all of the sauce has covered the noodles, spoon small amounts of the bean mixture on top of the sauce on the lasagna row.  Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs on

top.

Bake for 1 hour in the oven.  Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes and serve with fresh salad and bread.