An Italian craving can come at any point of time – the cheeses, breads, decadent tiramisu… where on earth can we satisfy our Italian pasta cravings and not worry about the calories?
Here, I’ve concocted a ‘skinny’ version of the Italian lasagne – with whole-wheat rotis, and little ricotta mixed with milk for the ooziness, and wholesome vegetables to fill in that quota.
The other key ingredient is the tomato sauce. The secret to a really good tomato sauce is slow cooking on low heat, allowing each ingredient to cook and infuse really well with each other. The tomato sauce quantity I have given you is just enough for a 10”×10” bake dish with three layers.
Although it takes quite some time, it is really worth it. This sauce is similar to that of a good pasta arrabiata sauce, but with a lot less chilli. I add just one packet of Dominos chilli flakes (I love them – they are far more spicier a teaspoon of bottled chilli flakes. I have a ziplock bag filled with them… shhh…).
The veggie filling may feel like a huge amount; while cooking, the veggies will shrink, and to make two layers, you need this much at least. I added in a big spoon of ricotta and some milk for some added creaminess. You can substitute with some milk here too (about ½ cup and let cook).
For the top most layer, I mixed together ricotta cheese, milk and herbs followed by a layer of mozzarella cheese.
Even skinnier tip: Substitute ricotta cheese with thick yogurt (hung curd)
This dish is a lengthy one, but the three parts can be done separately at various times.
Boil hard vegetables beforehand to save cooking time (such as carrots).
Make sure not to overlap the chapattis at each layer.
Be generous with the amount of tomato sauce you cover the layers with.
The Recipe
Serves Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 60 mins | Cook Time: 90 mins
Ingredients
- Tomato Sauce:
- 10 tomatoes, crushed
- 2 onion, finely chopped
- 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 2 tbsp basil
- 1 Dominos Chilli packet
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt + Pepper to taste
- Veggie Filling:
- 1 ½ cup spinach, chopped
- 2 peppers, finely chopped
- 1 red jalapeno, chopped
- 150g baby corn, finely chopped
- 2 big carrot, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 2 tbsp basil
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup milk
- 1 heaping spoon of ricotta cheese
- Lasagne:
- 9 whole wheat chapattis
- 100g ricotta cheese
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tsp dried basil
- Few spoons of Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Tomato Sauce:
- In the olive oil, sauté the garlic and onions with the basil and oregano.
- Add in the salt after the onions are translucent.
- Once the aroma hits (approx. 15 mins later), pour in the crushed tomatoes.
- Add a pinch of sugar and pepper.
- Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat for another 20-30 mins, stirring frequently.
- Veggie Filling:
- Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil.
- Once fragrant, add in the baby corn, carrot and celery.
- Once almost cooked, add in the jalapeno, peppers and spinach with all the seasonings.
- Allow to cook for another 10-15 mins or until well cooked.
- Remove from the heat, and mix in a spoon of the ricotta and the milk.
- Top Sauce:
- Mix the ricotta cheese with milk, Parmesan cheese and herbs.
- To Serve:
- In a bake dish, place 2-3 chapattis at the bottom.
- Spread a layer of the veggie filling, followed by a layer of tomato sauce.
- Place another layer of chapattis.
- Spread another layer of the veggies and then tomato sauce.
- Cover with a layer of chapattis, avoiding overlaps.
- Spread a final layer of tomato sauce.
- Follow this by the ricotta spread.
- Cover the top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven of 200°C for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted well and the ricotta layer is bubbling.
