Mexican Black Bean Lasagna

 

Black Bean Lasagna (made by Renee Biss)

Hola! A treat from a vegetarian friend for a recent Mexican themed party. If you are up for something different than a typical Italian style lasagna, here's one delicious recipe from All Recipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Bean-Lasagna-II/Detail.aspx

The beans were tender and melted in your mouth with the cheese and pasta. Renee added extra spices to accentuate the flavor. Please do so to customize it to your likings.

Here's a copy of the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried black beans
• 2 3/4 cups canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Coat a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Saute onion, red bell pepper, corn and garlic until tender. Stir in black beans, refried beans, tomato sauce, salsa and 1/4 cup cilantro. Cook until heated through and slightly thickened; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and remaining 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; set aside.
4. Coat a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange 3 of the cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread with 1/3 of the bean mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice more.
5. Cover, and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Garnish with sliced black olives and sprigs of cilantro.