K’s Kitchen: Vegetarian lasagna good enough for meat lovers

By Kathryn Reed

There was a time when I did not like lasagna. I would push it around my plate. Maybe I’d take some bread and dab at the sauce to make it look like I was eating it.

Oh my, how things have changed. Now it’s rare I don’t have seconds.

I think what got me is as a kid I saw my mom make it and it was this gooey mess of stuff. I’m guessing it was the ricotta cheese. It’s amazing still to me how the end product can be so much different than the individual ingredients of a recipe.

Luckily, my childhood experience with lasagna did not negatively impact me forever. In time I learned lasagna comes in many different forms. Yes, I actually make them with ricotta cheese. Another favorite is from my friend Patty called Tex-Mex Lasagna.

However, the one I tend to make over and over is a different vegetarian lasagna. I think it’s the artichoke hearts and feta cheese that make this one stand out. It also helps that it is pretty easy to make. It’s also hearty enough to satisfy the meat eaters in the crowd.

I found the recipe years ago on Allrecipes.com.

I serve it with a green salad, bread and red wine.

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

Cooking spray

Olive oil

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth

1 T chopped fresh rosemary

1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10) ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce

3 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minute or until al dente; drain.

Coat large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

Spread ¼ of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle ¾ C mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending wit artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

Bake, covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.