Inspired by a recipe from the Food Channel, the following meal has absolutely no pasta in it! The meal is low in carbohydrates by only using vegetables and ricotta cheese with some spices. I’ve also been able to cook without oil by roasting the vegetables on a non-stick pan. This allows for a low calorie meal but also brings out the flavours of the vegetables. For a non-browned effect, place some olive oil on whilst cooking and rock salt.

The side dish is roasted artichokes cooked dry, so it’s a little dark but full only of it’s own flavour, leaving a deep and nutty taste in your mouth. I’ve reduced the amount of fat and calories by not including an olive oil dressing, but it would be great with a little red wine vinegar and a good olive oil drizzled on top.

Ingredients:

Lasagne

• 100 grams ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp chilli paste
• 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced thinly
• 100 grams sweet potato sliced thinly
• 2 medium capsicums - one red and one green
• oregano flakes
• garlic flakes

Sauce:

• 4 tbs tomatoes diced from a can
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• garlic flakes
• 2 button mushrooms sliced thinly

Artichoke Salad:

• globe artichoke - how to cut
• rock salt
• 1 cup lettuce
• 1 tsp chilli
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar
• parmesan cheese grated (optional)

Instructions:

Lasagne:

1. Preheat over to 180 degrees celsisus.
2. Slice all the vegetables up into long thin slices and place all minus the mushrooms into the oven.
3. Once softened, layer the ingredients in whatever order you like, placing some thinly cut ricotta in between.
4. On top of the ricotta, place a sprinkle of garlic and oregano. Layer with two lots of ricotta for each lasagne.
5. Cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables have started to brown off.

Sauce:

1. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a frying pan.
2. Simmer until the tomatoes have thickened.
3. Pour the sauce on top of the lasagne and sprinkle some optional parmesan cheese on top.

Artichoke:

1. Cut artichoke using one of the ways shown in this link.
2. Roast for 45 minutes, either with no oil (this would brown off like mine) or pour a generous amount of olive oil and sea salt.
3. Layer lettuce down and cut the artichoke into pieces over the lettuce.
4. Sprinkle with some chilli, parmesan (optional) and red wine vinegar.