1 heaping cup dry green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
16 oz mushrooms, sliced or diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
16 oz container cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tsp each: dried basil and oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
25 oz jar marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Combine lentils and bay leaf in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and remove bay leaf.
Meanwhile, combine mushrooms and onions in a skillet. Saute until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated. Mix in balsamic vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, egg, basil, oregano, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, red pepper flake, and half of the minced garlic. Mix the other half of the minced garlic into the cooked, drained lentils.
Meanwhile, bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. If your noodles are cooked before you are ready to assemble the lasagna, lay them out on a parchment lined sheet so that they aren’t touching, otherwise they will stick together.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch glass baking pan. Reserve another 3/4 cup for the top of the lasagna and mix the remaining sauce into the cooked lentils.
Layer 4 noodles over the sauce in the pan, top with half of the lentil mixture, half of the mushroom mixture, half of the cottage cheese mixture, and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Top with another layer of noodles and remaining lentils, mushrooms, cottage cheese and another 1/2 cup shedded mozzarella.
Top lasagna with the last 4 noodles, the reserved 3/4 cup marinara sauce, and the last 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is browned.