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Inside-Out Lasagna
Inside-Out Lasagna
52 Reviews
From: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2010
Here we take basic lasagna ingredients—ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes—and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette.
- By: EatingWell Test Kitchen
Ingredients 4 servings
for serving adjustment
Serving size has been adjusted!
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Nutrition per serving may change if servings are adjusted.
- 8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or fusilli
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves cloves garlic, sliced
- 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 3½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
- 8 cups baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- ¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Preparation
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Active
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Ready In
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
- Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.
- Serving size: about 1½ cups
- Per serving: 338 calories; 9 g fat(3 g sat); 8 g fiber; 53 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 142 mcg folate; 14 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 4,572 IU vitamin A; 27 mg vitamin C; 231 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 493 mg sodium; 815 mg potassium
- Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (91% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Folate (36% dv), Calcium (23% dv), Iron (22% dv)
- Carbohydrate Servings: 3½
- Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 vegetables, 1 lean meat, 1 fat
Reviews 52
May 23, 2017
By: katie lagana
Looking at the recipie and the reviews I did tweek it a bit. But it ended up being perfect!!! Even toddler approved. I did have to double it for a large family so I used 1 pound of spinach. I drained the tomatoes, added turkey sausage, seasoned with onion powder and garlic powder while cooking the mushrooms. I made sure not to Over Cook the vegetables so they were soft but still flavorful!
September 25, 2015
By: EatingWell User
Bland!
This needs seasoning, not just salt and pepper. I would load it up with Italian seasoning and Oregano. Too many recipe sites are just too scared to season it seems.
Pros: Not many Pros
Cons: Too Bland and high in carbs. Not very healthy at all.
November 30, 2014
By: EatingWell User
I added a bit of ground turkey and shredded mozzarella after reading the reviews since we enjoy flavorful meals. It was a hit! We will definitely have it again!
Pros: Quick Recipe
March 23, 2014
By: EatingWell User
After looking at the other reviews, I was worried the dish may turn out bland, but it wasn't at all! The herbed diced tomatoes added nice flavor and three cloves of garlic really added a kick. I added tofu instead of the ricotta cheese--otherwise I didn't alter the dish at all. And I have plenty of leftovers for lunch throughout the week!
November 09, 2013
By: EatingWell User
Delicious Vegetarian Meal!
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! I get tired of making the same things all the time, and since I don't have a working oven to make lasagna I thought this sounded perfect. I tweaked the recipe just a little; I used the entire box of fusilli, used two cans of tomatoes, used canned mushrooms instead of fresh (my own personal preference), and opted for a little shredded mozzarella on top instead of ricotta. I was worried that it would be bland, as others stated, but I did not find it bland at all. It was a little watery at first, but as we ate our first helping the extra liquid absorbed and it was perfectly fine. This is something I will be making from now on!
Pros: Easy, Cheap, Quick, Tasty
October 27, 2013
By: EatingWell User
A quick, delish and healthy tasting dish!
I followed this recipe exactly as written with the addition of 1 1/2 tsp of Better than Bouillon chicken, to add a little more flavor. I also added ground turkey sausage. Like another reviewer, I added the ricotta to the dish while it was still in the pan (several dollops, not stirred). I served up the fusilli in bowls and topped each of them with the meat mixture. Very yummy.
Pros: quick and easy
April 15, 2013
By: EatingWell User
Good but needed just a little tweaking to make it great.
I make things more than once before I review. On this it was good, although I did tweak it. My tweaking consist of draining the tomatoes really well before adding to reduce liquid. Being a spice and flavor girl I added Italian spices according to taste, and used a whole garlic bulb. I also added turkey sausage to appease my husband which added additional flavor. I used gluten free noodles as well b/c of my wheat intolerance. To make it a little bit more healthy took out the cheese. The first time I made it, it wasn't runny. The second time it was. I think the difference is in how I made it and how I was judging the heat of the skillet. If it does become sort of runny, get a perforated or slotted serving spoon that drains. Problem solved.
Pros: Has a chili bite to it and it's a good alternative to spaghetti
Cons: Runny
April 08, 2013
By: EatingWell User
Husband made a face and said Must be really healthy
I should have read these other reviews... I just saw the 4 stars and thought it must be good. Those people who rated it high obviously did not make it. I followed the directions to a tee, it was so very tasteless and like another reviewer said, it made too much now I'm stuck with all the leftovers. My husband usually compliments my cooking, even if it's not the best, but this time he made a face and said this must be really healthy.
February 24, 2013
By: EatingWell User
Easy to prepare but very bland
This recipe was very easy to prepare however i found it very bland. I even spiced it up a bit. I would suggest you add some fresh herbs and add some fat free chicken broth because i found that the pasta absorbed all the liquid which is why i think it was dry and lacked flavor. I guess this recipe was just not for me but i must say there are some very good recipes on this site.
Pros: Easy to prepare
Cons: Too dry and not enough flavor
