Spinach Lasagna with Mediterranean-Style Sauce

I made this last night, and it is almost gone already. Definitely a hit!!


Sauce:

1 tbl olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbl dried oregano
2 tbl dried basil
2 tbl capers

28 oz tomatoes, canned, pureed
3 oz tomato paste
1/2 tsp sea salt

Heat a large sauce pot over med-high heat and add oil. Add onion and saute for 8 minutes. Add red and yellow peppers, and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes. This longer cooking process of sealing the vegetables using a saute is important for developing a good flavor. Add the oregano, basil, and capers and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt. Simmer for 10+ minutes.

Pre heat oven to 350.

Lasagna:

approximately 1 box oven-ready, brown rice lasagna noodles (i needed 2 strips from another box)
1 package of silken tofu (creamy and delicious--makes a very convincing "ricotta")
1 bunch or 6 ounce package of fresh spinach
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley


Bring a pot of hot water to a boil. Blanch the spinach in the boiling water for approximately 30 seconds (should turn bright green). Using a slotted spoon, remove spinach from the boiling water and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Be sure to squeeze out all excess water from the spinach. Set aside.

Crumble tofu in bowl with the parsley.

In a 13x9 casserole dish, start building your layers. First, a layer of noodles. Next, a layer of the tofu. Next, the sauce. Finally, the spinach. Repeat. End with a layer of noodles, but be sure to cover completely in sauce, otherwise the noodles will not get soft while baking. I topped with a generous sprinkle of Raw-mesan cheese.

Bake in 350 over for about 45 minutes or until the top looks done.

The sauce recipe comes from a fantastic cook book called, "A Taste of Vitality."