Black Bean Lasagna

Here's a recipe I found that we have come to love. It is meatless, but still very hearty. Has a Mexican taste, but not too strong for the little ones.

I often take it to our church potluck dinners. - rb

Black Bean Lasagna
This delicious lasagna surprises the palate with black beans, cumin and fresh cilantro, bringing a southwestern flair to a traditional Italian classic. This recipe freezes well, is great for potlucks and continues to be one of my most requested recipes.
Yield: 8-12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese or equivalent amount yogurt cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Organic Monterey Jack cheese or soy cheese

2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (26 ounce) jar prepared organic pasta sauce

½ teaspoon ground cumin

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Mix together ricotta or yogurt cheese, spinach, cilantro, sea salt and 1 cup of shredded cheese.
In a blender, mix beans with pasta sauce and ground cumin.

Spread a thin layer of this mixture on the bottom of an oiled 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Layer 3 noodles, 1/3 bean mixture, half of spinach mixture and 1 cup cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with remaining bean mixture.
Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Uncover and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese melts.
Garnish with additional chopped cilantro. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

RB Notes: I have never used the cilantro, although I'm sure it would be tasty!
I have used 1/2 pinto beans when I didn't have enough black beans. It worked fine.