Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna

A few weeks ago, I tried one of SnoWhite's recipes: spinach and black bean lasagna. Of course, when the fabulous dude found out that I was making a meatless meal he started to complain. I convinced him to give it a try and in the end, he really enjoyed it. Although, he did say, "how hard would it be to just throw some meat in there?" Ahh, boys.

This was a really really tasty dish that I will definitely be making again!

Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna - adapted from SnoWhite
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 container, ricotta cheese
1 package, frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 tsp. salt
2 C Mozzarella and cheddar, shredded
4 cups cooked black beans (or 2 large cans rinsed and drained)
3-4 cups spaghetti sauce (I used homemade with lots of veggies - onions, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and celery - SnoWhite's recipe is great)
9 oven ready lasagna noodles

1. Make spaghetti sauce, if making your own.

2. Spray a glass 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Lightly mash black beans with a masher. Add spaghetti sauce and stir to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, combine egg, ricotta cheese, spinach, salt and 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

4. Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture on the bottom of the 9x13.

5. Cover with noodles and half of the cheese mixture.

6. Add another layer of noodles, followed by the bean mixture. Add ricotta and repeat, ending with bean mixture topped with cheese. Somewhere along the way, I think I mixed up the order of my layers but in the end, it didn't really matter. Just end with bean mixture.

7. Cover pan with remaining shredded cheese.

8. Bake covered for 40-45 minutes at 350. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is brown and crisped.

Enjoy with a Caesar salad, corn and a crusty french bread.

Makes 10 servings. Just a note: this lasagna makes great leftovers and freezes very well for future use.