Italian Vegetable Pie

This is a recipe that I tried long ago, loved, and then completely forgot to ever make again until now. Ridiculous, I know. The genius of this recipe is that it's like lasagna, but way quicker, healthier, and more versatile. It also reminds me of the way I first tried tofu--in my friend Emily's mom's thick, delicious marinara sauce. It was love at first bite. And so is this.



Italian Vegetable Pie (from Cooking Light)
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-1 cup chopped green bell pepper
-1 cup chopped onion
-1 cup chopped mushrooms
-1 (12.3-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and crumbled
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-3 tablespoons tomato paste
-1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
-1 teaspoon fennel seeds
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-1 (25.5-ounce) jar fat-free marinara sauce
-6 cooked lasagna noodles, cut in half crosswise
-Cooking spray
-1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, chopped onion, mushrooms, tofu, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, and marinara sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

3. Arrange the noodles spokelike in the bottom of an 8-inch round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 3 cups tomato mixture over noodles. Fold ends of noodles over tomato mixture, and top with the remaining tomato mixture and cheeses. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

-Serves: 8
-Calories: 307, Fat: 10.4g, Protein: 19.7g, Carbs: 33.8g