Broccoli & Pepper Strata

Posted on by cultured

~ Shopping List ~

  • 9 Lasagna noodles
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1.5 cups defatted chicken stock
  • 15 oz part-skim or nonfat ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 jar (15 ounces) roasted red peppers, well drained
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley (2 tablespoons fresh)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons herbs de province
  • 10 ounces cooked spinach (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cups steamed chopped broccoli
  • 203 tablespoons grate Parmesan cheese
  • Tomato sauce of your choice (*optional)

~ What to do ~

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles until tender (about 12 minutes).  Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of stock until the cornstarch dissolves.  Stir in remaining stock.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, egg and spinach.  Set aside.
  5. Pat the peppers dry (and slice into strips if not already in strips)
  6. Warm oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until the release their moisture, about 5 minutes.  Add the parsley, garlic & herb de province.  Stir until the mushrooms have shrunk and are thoroughly dry, about 5 minutes more.
  7. Give he cornstarch mixture a stir and then add the frying pan.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid turns clear and thickens.  Remove from the heat and stir in ricotta mixture.
  8. Coat a 9″ x 13″ baking dish (with oil or no-stick spray or juice from drained peppers).  Place 3 noodles in a single layer in the dish.  Spread with 1/3 of this mushroom sauce.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the peppers and 1/2 of the broccoli.
  9. Repeat with another layer of noodles (1/3 mushroom sauce, remaining peppers, remaining broccoli).  Finish with remaining noodles and mushroom sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan.
  10. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
  11. Top with tomato sauce (*optional)

~ Like the mushroom sauce but don’t want to bake?  Try this alternative… ~

Replace lasagna noodles with fettucini (omitting the egg) and toss with pasta.  Top with the peppers.  Use the broccoli as your side dish.