This homemade kale lasagna uses no-cook pasta to cut prep time and cottage cheese for a twist on the classic ricotta filling.
Lasagna is one of those rare dishes that packs a punch. It’s calming but elegant at the same time. It’s substantial, but also quite frugal. It can include meat or simply stand without. Basically the perfect all-purpose appetizer to serve to guests or to enjoy on a cozy evening (thanks Italy!). It seems that many families have their own favorite recipe for this dish. For some reason it wasn’t a staple in my house, so Alex and I had to forge a path into new territory with this one. Three pans and lots of research later, we’ve finally come up with a recipe that we love. This Spicy Kale Lasagna takes just over an hour to make, but it’s definitely worth it.
Other favorites? Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, Vegan Lasagna and Vegetarian Lasagna.
What Makes This the Best Kale Lasagna?
If you’re hesitant to add kale to your lasagna, we invite you to try this recipe! The kale is first boiled and then soaked in cold water to stop it from cooking further. Since kale is a pretty tough leafy green, cooking it first will ensure no chewy bits end up in your lasagna. Make sure to squeeze out all of the water after the kale has cooked so your lasagna doesn’t get too wet.
The earthy flavor of kale is complemented by spicy red pepper flakes, creamy cottage cheese and gooey mozzarella, making this dish hard to resist. You will also make your own tomato sauce using crushed tomatoes, garlic and herbs. If all of that still hasn’t convinced you to make this Spicy Kale Lasagna, you can use spinach or another leafy green instead!
Important: Do not use cooked pasta!
To reduce prep time for this kale lasagna, use uncooked pasta instead of regular pasta. They’re a bit strange to use at first, but once you taste the last dish, you’ll be amazed that you’ve never tried uncooked pasta before! The pasta is specially formulated to rehydrate as it cooks in the tomato sauce. Because of this: Don’t use standard lasagna pasta for this recipe! YesYou may end up with a watery pan.
How to serve Kale Lasagna
You can throw a few more veggies in this Spicy Kale Lasagna, but I really don’t think more is needed here. The cheese, kale, and tomato combo is simple but satisfying, and the layers of pasta are sure to fill you up.
What is the best accompaniment to lasagna? We think it’s the simplest old standard: a green salad! And don’t forget to pour yourself a glass of wine! Here are some easy salads we recommend:
This Spicy Kale Lasagna Recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free pasta, use gluten-free pasta.
The description
This homemade kale lasagna uses no-cook pasta to cut prep time and cottage cheese for a twist on the classic ricotta filling.
- 1 1/4 pound kale (approx. 3 clusters)
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, shared
- 28– 1 ounce mashed tomatoes (with herbs if possible)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 cups cottage cheese
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 No-cook whole wheat lasagna pasta (or pasta cooked according to package directions)
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the kale: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Roughly chop the kale. Cook the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold running water until cool enough to handle. Using a towel, squeeze as much water out of the kale as possible. Chop and season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Prepare the tomato sauce: In the meantime, finely chop the garlic. In a cold saucepan, combine garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes (or less depending on spice tolerance), and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to medium heat and stir while mixture warms. Fry for about 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Prepare the filling: sift all the liquid from the cottage cheese (push it through a sieve). Add ½ cup parmesan cheese, 1 ½ cup mozzarella, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground pepper.
- Prepare the lasagna: Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of pasta, then half the cheese mixture, half the kale, and half the remaining sauce. Add another layer of pasta, remaining cheese and remaining kale. Top with the remaining pasta, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan.
- Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Remarks
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
- Category: main course
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Italian
Keywords: Kale Lasagna, Vegetarian, Easy, No Cooking
Looking for more vegetarian Italian recipes?
Aside from that Spicy Kale Lasagna, here are some of our favorite Italian recipes:
