Quinoa Zucchini Lasagna

I’ve found very few ways I enjoy quinoa, so I’m always on the lookout for something new and promising. This was posted a couple weeks ago, and immediately jumped on my to-do list.

· 3 large zapallitos (or 2 large zucchinis)

· 1 cup quinoa, rinsed

· 1 cup vegetable stock

· 1/2 cup tomato sauce

· 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

· 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

· 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

· 2 tablespoons CasanCrem (or light cream cheese)

· Salt and pepper

· 1.5 cups marinara sauce

· 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400*

2. Chop the top and bottom off of the zapallitos and slice each one the long way into 6 pieces. These will be your noodles. Lay the zapallitos on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt, put another paper towel on top, and let them sit while the water is released.

3. Combine the rinsed quinoa, vegetable stock, tomato sauce, and onion in a pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. When the quinoa is done cooking, add the CasanCrem and parsley and mix thoroughly.

5. Wipe the zucchini clean of any excess moisture.

6. In an 8×8 dish, pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. Put 4 slices of zapallitos, one next to the other. Top with a layer of the quinoa and 1/3 cup of marinara sauce.

7. Repeat: zucchini, quinoa, marinara.

8. Add the final zapallitos, top with marinara, and top that with the cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes, or until everything is heated through and the cheese is bubbly.

Comments: Despite being slightly fearful of this, it was quite tasty! Of course, I can’t really relate to it on a lasagna level, but I’ll definitely be repeating it!