Lasagna Bowls

I make lasagnas often for Lasagna Love so this idea came to me as the easiest way for those flavors – and in a customized way without a lot of servings OR to use any leftovers! There’s no one way to make a lasagna so treat this bowl the same that you can use what you have or what you love. My fam does not love mushrooms so these would be my addition!

Lasagna Bowls
Ingredients: (for 2-3 servings)

~4 lasagna noodles OR ~3/4 cup orzo
2 tablespoons Parmesan
1 zucchini
1 pint mushrooms
1 cup tomato sauce OR meat sauce 
~3 meatballs (optional)
1/2 cup ricotta (or blended cottage cheese, or skip all together)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 

Directions: 
Boil salted water for the lasagna noodles or orzo and cook accordingly. 
Chop the zucchini and mushrooms. In a large skillet, sautee the zucchini until getting soft through the center (~4 minutes) and add in the mushrooms for the last two minutes. 
Warm the tomato sauce (or the meat sauce or the tomato sauce + meatballs. I used tomato sauce with chopped-up meatballs to be a meat sauce).  
Warm the ricotta/cheese mixture. 

Assemble with noodles (lasagna noodles chopped if using those!) tossed with parmesan, and top as you like – with ricotta, tomato/meat sauce, veggies, and shredded cheese. 
Enjoy! 

I loved this. I always have a partial box of lasagna noodles but orzo also seemed so useful too so I did both and packed another portion to be a work lunch. My ricotta was vegan “ricotta” I had leftover but I’d normally go with regular or a drizzle of leftover alfredo would also feel fitting.  

Swap any veggies you like! I love warm and cold for a bowl so I secretly wanted to dump a handful of arugula dressed in Italian dressing on top. The noodles + sauce + maybe a meatball and some tomato/mozzarella salad on top would also be great with ricotta on the bottom of the bowl. Next time!

Dairy-free Lasagna

I’m deep in the lasagna world through my volunteerism with Lasagna Love and wanted to share an option for a dairy-free/vegan lasagna. This is not the only or best way to make a cheese-less ricotta substitute, but it is likely the cheapest and easiest to source. Let’s turn white beans and summer squash into “ricotta”.

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

This wouldn’t be a fake-out for those who normally eat cheese, but some cheeseless options are costly or difficult. A popular option for “ricotta” is bulk buying raw cashews which is expensive, and sometimes using an unfamiliar ingredient – like tofu, or sourcing dairy-free options can be tough for some people or in some stores. I find that this white bean & squash mixture is a solid substitute for ricotta amongst sauce and noodles and some herbs.

Dairy-free Lasagna
Ingredients: (serves ~4)

9 lasagna noodles
1 can white beans (drained but liquid reserved)
1 small summer squash/yellow squash/or pealed zucchini
1 teaspoon dried basil/oregano/Italian seasoning
1-2 cups of dairy-free shredded mozzarella
~2 cups of tomato sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees and chop the squash.
Saute or steam the squash until cooked through.
Drain the beans but reserve the liquid and add the beans into a food processor with the cooked squash (my photos are of a double batch).

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

Blend together adding ~1/2 the bean liquid, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Scrape down the sides and blend until smooth. Add more liquid (or water) if desired. Stir in herbs.

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

Cook the noodles until totally pliable.
Assemble the lasagna – I did 9 roll ups so I didn’t have to trim noodles for a few servings, but this could be a 9×9 pan too as a more traditional layered lasagna.
Lay the noodles out, spread on the ricotta-substitute and sprinkle with dairy-free cheese and roll up.

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

Spray the pan with non-stick spray, add some sauce to the bottom, and lay the rolls into the pan. Top with more sauce.

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove foil, top with remaining “mozzarella”, and bake for another 5-10 until the cheese melts. The broiler may help as dairy-free cheese doesn’t melt exactly the same.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

I liked it! I made a double batch to have some in the freezer. This is a thin & minimal use here, but I think it gives the impression of ricotta. I will use the remainder for my next dairy-free lasagna request or, maybe I’d mix some 1:1 with ricotta for a protein boost, or with a dollop of pesto. It also could thicken a chowder or add some nutrition to alfredo.

Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

I make a lot of lasagnas. A lot. Most often they’re for Lasagna Love so I regularly see convos about alternatives. This time they’re getting a twist and only wanted a few portions for these chicken and broccoli lasagna, all rolled up. They use just a small amount of roasted chicken and get drizzled in alfredo sauce.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls


Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients: (for ~4 servings)

8 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cup roasted chicken (~1 chicken breast)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup alfredo sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Directions:
Boil water in a large pot for the lasagna noodles. Cook until fully cooked but not the full time listed on the package. For the last few minutes, add the broccoli into the water for ~2-3 minutes.
Drain noodles and broccoli and lay out the lasagna noodles.
Spread ~2 tablespoons of ricotta onto each noodle, then assemble with smaller broccoli pieces and chicken. Add a sprinkle of cheese.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Roll them up and poke anything that falls out back into the rolls.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

In a 9×9 baking dish, spray with non-stick spray and spoon some of the alfredo onto the bottom of the pan. Add the rolls in.
Top with remaining alfredo sauce, remaining shredded cheese, parmesan, and sprinkle on any remaining broccoli.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until warmed through, and bubbly. Remove foil for another 5 minutes until crisp at the edges.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Enjoy! These are very comforting and a great way to use a small amount of chicken and ricotta instead of a full lasagna. I like the rolls for portioning and to not have to trim the noodles to fit a smaller pan. They reheat well and are a nice break from tomato sauce.

I make lasagnas a lot so if there’s a small amount of leftover ricotta, this would be perfect! I also use it in place of cream cheese sometimes too. Ricotta freezes fine, as does the roasted chicken (a la Costco).

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls