Cheesy Black Bean Lasagna

Name: Cheesy Black Bean Lasagna
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12 servings.
Ingredients: 9 lasagna noodles; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 teaspoon canola oil; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 4 large egg whites, lightly beaten; 1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley; 2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

This is one of my family's absolute favorite meatless meals. I came up with this variation on lasagna to help my husband lower his cholesterol level, and I never dreamed that family and friends would rave over it.” Dusty Davis - Slidell, Louisiana

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, cilantro and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
In a small bowl, combine the egg whites, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Drain noodles. Spread 1/2 cup bean mixture into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, a third of the ricotta mixture, a third of the remaining bean mixture and 2/3 cup cheese blend. Repeat layers twice.
Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 279 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 25mg cholesterol, 455mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 6g fiber), 18g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

Originally published as Dusty's Black Bean Lasagna in Healthy Cooking October/November 2008

Reviews

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Average Rating:

jtermont

Apr 25, 2015

This recipe was good, but I feel like it needed some balance with the ricotta mixture. I think I would just adjust with either more beans or less ricotta.
origcin

Mar 1, 2014

Merged this recipe with another with great results. Added 1 cup salsa, 1/2 to 1 cup water (so I did not have to boil the noodles), some cumin and crushed red pepper. After baking and resting topped with crushed tortilla chips, some additional cheese and fresh chopped cilantro. Served at a community meal to 70+ people with great reviews.
alleycat1264

Dec 1, 2013

Loved it! So full of flavor you forget there's no meat in it!
scubacas

May 29, 2013

This wasn't bad at all but I'm on weight watchers and it was a very small portion for 10p+...& that's for 1.5 servings...8 in a lasagna pan rather than the 12 the recipe calls for. Anyway...unless I'm blind no where in the recipe does it tell you what to do with the shredded mexican blend of cheese?? I added it to the egg white mixture because to me that was pretty watery...I also used the no boil Barilla lasagna noodles and I only used 6 because there was not enough cheese or bean mixture to make another layer.
JDKCOOK229

Jan 1, 2013

This was really good. My brother and his girlfriend are vegetarian, it was perfect for them. My brother said it was the best lasagna he had so far.
nylleoj49450

Feb 15, 2011

When I told my husband and teenage daughter what I was making for dinner, they both grumbled and said they would have hot dogs Instead. Well they both tried it and loved it and even had seconds. I too thought it was excellent. I didn’t put in the parsley as I thought it might clash with the cilantro. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.
KathOm

Dec 1, 2010

I prepared this dish for a group of 6. Only one of us is a vegetarian, but the dish was loved by everyone! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
scodia4

Sep 3, 2010

absolutely wonderful. Everyone raved about it. Used 1/2 tsp of the red pepper, added fresh ground pepper and a dash of salt, and used FRESH cilantro and Italian parsley, --- and no one thought it was bland. Such a healthy and tasty lasagna. My new fav!!
ella016

Feb 21, 2010

Very odd flavor combination. Would probably be delicious with tortillas instead of lasanga noodles. As it was, we had a very large pan of lasanga that we had to throw away because the flavors and textures were too unpleasant.
bkkb1984

Jan 23, 2010

My family loved loved this recipe. After reading other reviews I decided to add a little extra red crushed peppers, salt & pepper to make it spicer. Great recipe