Black Bean Lasagna makes good use of items you can keep on hand in the pantry.
Here’s a tip: don’t bother buying those ‘oven-ready’ lasagna noodles that you can find in the pasta section.
They disintegrate into an unpleasant goo, and are often more expensive.
You can use regular lasagna noodles, uncooked, and they will soften up just fine after baking.
You may need to break the noodles to fit them into your pan, but any extra bits can be saved for patching bare spots, or for a batch of lasagna soup.
This Black Bean Lasagna makes 12 servings, so it’s good for a small crowd or for leftover lunches.
You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it.
This easy lasagna will serve 12. You can make it vegan by using dairy-free cheese. Don't bother cooking the noodles first, or using oven-ready noodles. Just use regular lasagna noodles, uncooked, and they will cook as the lasagna bakes.
- 2 tablespoons / 30 ml olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups / 500 ml)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
- 1 tablespoon / 15 ml chili powder
- 1 tablespoon / 15 ml cumin
- 1 small can tomato paste ( 5.5 oz / 156 ml)
- 1 large can chopped tomatoes ( 28 oz / 796 ml)
- 2 teaspoons / 10 ml dried oregano
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml chopped parsley
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed ( 19 oz / 540 ml cans - approx 4 cups / 1 liter )
- 1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 2 cups / 500 ml corn kernels
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 ml ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 ml salt
- 15 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 2-1/2 cups / 625 ml prepared salsa
- 1 cup 250 ml grated Mozzarella (see note)
- 2 cups 500 ml grated Cheddar (see note)
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Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat. When the pan is heated, add oil and swirl to coat pan. Add onions and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Don't let the onions brown. If they start to brown turn down the heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
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Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, chili powder and cumin. Stir to coat onions with spices and cook, stirring for one minute. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute.
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Add black beans, diced tomatoes, oregano, parsley, green pepper, corn, ground pepper and additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
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While sauce is simmering, preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C.
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Spread 1/2 cup of salsa over bottom of a 13x9-inch / 33x22 cm baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles over salsa, breaking to fit into pan. (Use small bits of noodles to fill in any blank spaces, or save for using in another dish.)
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When sauce is cooked, spread half of the sauce over noodles in baking dish. Top with another layer of noodles. Cover with remaining sauce. Place another layer of noodles over sauce. Spread remaining salsa over the noodles, and top with the cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbling around the edges.
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Remove dish from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. This will give the lasagna a bit of time to set and will help pieces hold together when they are served.
Cheese: You can substitute non-dairy cheese for the Cheddar and Mozzarella to make this a vegan dish.
When you are shopping for dairy cheeses, look for ones made without rennet if you are a vegetarian.
Make ahead: You can prepare the dish a day in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. Add 5-10 extra minutes to the cooking time to ensure it has heated through.
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