spinach and black bean lasagna...

i know i'm on a fairly prolific blogging kick, but i am trying to productively use my alone nights with adam working to put some things on here that a)may be useful to others and b)i want to be able to quickly find later or remember. don't worry, i will neglect it for weeks at a time soon i'm sure. so i'm trying to post some recipes that we use frequently. this one is not nearly as pretty in this picture as it is in my tummy, but it is one of our absolute favorites. my sweet friend katie made this for us after miles was born and we have adopted it as a family favorite. everyone cheerfully eats it and it is chock-full of spinach and black beans, which are two of the healthiest foods for you, in my humble nutrition-conscious opinion. it is a lighter spin on lasagna and lends itself well to substitutions based on what you have on hand...for example, you can leave the cilantro out, use whatever cheese you have on hand, or use lentils or pintos with or instead of black beans.



Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna by the Dinner Doctor (Anne Byrn)
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained
1 jar (26oz) tomato based pasta sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained)-i usually just defrost in microwave (or cook down some fresh as i often do)
1 or 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional, but i think it adds a lot!)
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 package (8oz/2cups) preshredded Monterey Jack cheese w/ jalapeno peppers (i often use mexican or mozzarella)

1. place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375.
2. place the beans in a medium size bowl and mash them with a potato masher until smooth. stir in the pasta sauce and cumin and set aside. place the ricotta, spinach, eggs, and cilantro in another bowl and stir until just combined.
3. spoon 1/3 of the bean mixture evenly over the bottom of a 13x9 (3qrt) glass or ceramic baking dish. arrange 3 of the noodles side by side the long way on top of the bean mixture. spoon 1/2 of the spinach mixture on top of the noodles and spread it out evenly. scatter 1 cup of the cheese evenly over the spinach mixture. spread remaining spinach mixture over the cheese, then arrange 3 of the lasagna noodles side by side the long way on top. spread 1/2 of the remaining bean mixture on top of the noodles. arrange the remaining 3 lasagna noodles side by side the long way on top of the bean mixture, then top of the remaining bean mixture. cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
4. bake until bubbling, 40-45 minutes. remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully remove the foil and set it aside. scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheese evenly over the lasagna and cover the dish again with the foil. let the lasagna rest until the cheese melts, 10 minutes, then serve.