Meatless Bow-Tie Lasagna

Feed your family a completely nutritious meal with Barbara Stein's Meatless Bow-tie Lasagna that has a little sneaky vegetable stirred in. When the lasagna cooks, it just disappears!

I have never been one to sneak fruits and vegetables into my children's food, but this recipe was written this way when I found it long ago. My children, even though they're almost all adults now, still don't know that there is yellow squash in this yummy version of the Italian favorite -- lasagna. This version, without beef, is budget-friendly, too.

This is a more casual version of lasagna -- the layers are not as clear; it's more like baked pasta. But it's easy and tasty, and just add a green salad and some bread for a delicious Friday night meal.

Copyright 2017 Barbara Stein. All rights reserved.

Meatless Bow-tie Lasagna

serves 6-10 (depending on appetites)

1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
2 small yellow (summer) squash
24 oz. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper (to taste)
12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought

Using pasta instructions for cooking, boil and cook bow-tie pasta and cook to al dente. Drain (don't rinse).

Meanwhile, wash and cut ends from yellow squash. Shred, using a hand shredder or food processor, on the smallest shred.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, basil, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Add squash and stir to combine. Add drained squash and fold into cheese/squash mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan, then layer pasta, mozzarella, sauce, pasta, and sauce, reserving about a cup of mozzarella cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes, then top with remaining mozzarella, cooking for another 15-20 minutes or until sauce bubbles throughout the pasta. Cool for about 10 minutes, then  serve, with grated Parmesan, if desired.

Copyright 2017 Barbara Stein.