Do you like to make hearty dishes that are pretty easy to create? Lasagna is the perfect idea. Lasagna is such a great invention. The flavor comes from each layer and you can put so many different ingredients into each layer. There are cheese layers; vegetable layers, sauce layers and meat layers if you wish. My Mexican Lasagna, as the title suggests, is a fusion of the classic Italian dish with traditional Mexican flavors substituted for their Italian equivalents.
The ingredients began with a trip to my backyard. I grabbed fresh cilantro, basil and jalapenos. As noted in earlier posts, this is the first time I have tried growing anything. It is really easy and began with a simple trip to my Home Depot store. Now, I have such fun watching the herbs and peppers grow. Amazing, when I go to cook, I simply walk outside and grab what I need. So easy, and ultimately, a time and money saver. I learned though that you cannot let the cilantro flower. If it flowers, it will essentially stop growing. I am trying to resurrect the cilantro plant now. We will see what happens.
As you see below from the picture of the typical cast of characters, I added enchilada sauce to my tomato sauce, tomato paste and tomatoes to get that Mexican flavor. How easy was that? The Mexican flavor of the sauce was deepened with the cilantro and green chilies. This sauce was so good. You could try this sauce over other pastas or over chicken and rice.
Sautéing the veggies and cooking the sauce.
Then adding all the layers to the lasagna.
The final Mexican Lasagna baked and plated.
The Recipe
Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
Lasagna Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 whole Onion, Peeled and chopped
- 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded and Chopped
- 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded and Chopped
- 2 whole Jalapenos, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Basil, packed
- 12 Ounces Fresh Spinach
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 whole Cilantro Stalks, finely chopped
- 29 Ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 1 2/3 Cups Water
- 28 Ounces Enchilada Sauce
- 6 Ounces Tomato Paste
- 6 Ounces Green Chillies
Filling
- 30 Ounces Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 Ounces Frozen Corn
- 1 Cup Mozzarella, Shredded
- 1 Cip Parmesan, Shredded
- 12 Ounces Ricotta
- 1 Package Lasagna Noodles
- 1 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Rough chop
Instructions
- Cook lasagna according to box instructions. Set aside and drizzle with some olive oil to keep from sticking.For the sauce:Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.Add the onion, bell peppers. cilantro stalks and chiles.Add the salt and cook gently for 15 minutes, and once soft, add the chopped cilantro stalks.Add the canned tomatoes then rinse the cans out with water and add this too. Add in the enchilada sauce, tomato paste and the rest of the canned tomatoes and let things come to a simmer.For the filling:Drain the beans and corn and set aside.Wash the spinach and basil.Start to assemble the lasagna by spooning about a third of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking tray. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles overlapping slightly.Add 1/2 the ricotta over the lasagna noodles.Add 1/2 of the mozzarella, black beans and corn, and then half of the canned tomatoes.Sprinkle some of the basil.Add 1/2 the Parmesan and more of the basil.Add another 1/3 of the enchilada sauce.Add another layer of lasagna noodles.Add the remaining ricotta and spinach.Add the final layer of lasagna noodles.Finish by topping with the remaining mozzarella.Finally, add the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with any remaining mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil in a 350 degree oven. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the top is bubbly and crisp.Serve and enjoy!
Responses
comments – I answer every one.
We love anything Mexican and Italian so I know this would be a hit in our house!
Start with two great food cultures and the result has to be good!
My family would go crazy over this Peter…what a fantastic dish!
Thx so much Linda.
Peter! I never thought lasagna could look so delicious!! I mean, I know lasagna can taste very darn good, but it’s usually hard to take good pictures of it! This is just lovely.
I so agree with your pic comment. I got lucky on this one.
You naughty human being. I love you for this recipe.
Thank you for making me laugh. Keep the good comments coming!
Everything with the word mexican on it makes me drool!! Also loved the step by step pictures
Thx Ana.
All that cheesiness has got my mouthwatering.. nothing beats a classic lasagna!
I so agree Thalia.
I actually have everything to make this. So guess what I am making this weekend?
Would love to see how yours turn out.
Beautiful job with this one, Peter! I’ll be sharing it on our social media sites.
Thx so much Dan.
Congratulation on growing your own produce. I love the gratification of knowing that ingredients came from my garden. This is a lovely dish.
You are so right. It is so fun and good to be able to grab my own herbs.
This looks so good! It’s so funny I posted a Mexican pasta Bake today!
I noticed that too. Great minds think a like.