Mixed Capsicum & Ricotta Lasagna [Meat Free] & San Remo Competition

Despite being nicknamed “fan tong” (a cantonese term for rice bucket) since I was a child, I’ve found myself slowly expanding my love for carbohydrate from rice to pasta. This realisation came about when I was re-organising my pantry  in the past weekend and uncovered partially empty boxes of dried pasta in various shapes and sizes which I intend to deal with some time in the future, hehe!

In the meantime, I went out and bought more pasta! (Sounds like a pasta hoarder in the making?)

This time is I’ve added the instant lasagna sheets by San Remo to my pasta collection. It’s worth noting that they are WHOLEMEAL!

Well, I gotta stay on track with my healthy New Year resolution somehow.

Speaking about San Remo… I would like to bring your attention to….

A COMPETITION hosted by SAN REMO whereby the three lucky winners will receive…

1. An invitation to attend a three course Diamonds Dinner (VIP style!) with the Australian Netball Diamonds (the winnners can bring along a friend) – worth noting that if the winners are located outside of South Australia, the prize also includes return flights, a night’s acomodation and breakfast in Adelaide; and
2. One year’s supply of San Remo pasta; and
3. San Remo pasta pot, cap and apron.

(Emily: I was informed that the dinner is going to be prepared by Adam Swanson – one of the Chefs from the show Ready Steady Cook and the owner and Executive Chef of Zucca Greek Mezze).

 All you have to do is to CREATE YOUR OWN SAN REMO PASTA DISH that you would serve the Diamonds before their big game and submit your recipe with a photo of your dish BEFORE OCTOBER 2!! Please click here for more information.

To enter, visit the promotional entry page on www.facebook.com/sanremopasta and “Like” the Facebook page to be eligible to enter. It is open to anyone within Australia.

click here for a full size image

So if you have a kick a#* recipe for pasta, risotto or lasagna, now it’s the time to shine…..and you may even be rewarded for it! 🙂

Last but not least, here’s another photo of my lasagne.

What do you think? Are you woMAN enough to handle the amount of cheese in there? 😛 Mind you, the “white sauce”  is actually ricotta and eggs, resulting to a texture like quiche. Oh so yum!

Mixed Capsicum & Ricotta Lasagna

(adapted from the packet of San Remo Wholemeal Lasagna)

Servings? The packet specifies 4 to 6. I think the portion is suitable for 4 people.

Ingredients:

• 250g San Remo Wholemeal Lasagna (it comes with ten (18cm x 12cm or 7 inches x 5 inches) sheets which I’ve only used up only three.)
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 2 brown onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 capsicum (any colour you like – I’ve used 2 green capsicum and 2 roasted red capsicum bought from the deli)
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 4 tbsps tomato paste (100g /4 oz)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 750g / 26 oz smooth ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves (I’ve used about half of the bunches you get from Coles/Woolworths)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (seriously who’s counting?)

Methods:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 356 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slice onion and chop garlic.

• Slice capsicum.

• Heat oil over a medium low heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
• Add capsicum. Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Slice basil and add into a mixing bowl. Then empty the ricotta into a mixing bowl. Crack 3 eggs in the empty ricotta carton and lightly beat them. Mix basil, ricotta and eggs until well combine. Season with salt and pepper.

• Assembly – pour 1/2 cup of the capsicum sauce into a lightly greased (or baking sheet lined) baking dish. Alternate layers of lasagna, capsicum sauce and ricotta, ending with ricotta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Please the packet recommends to allow 4 layers but I’ve ended up with just two. I depends the size of your baking dish really. I have a fairly small one.
• Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through (test if cooked by pricking with a fork). Let the lasagna stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Packet tip – For perfect lasagna, make sure that lasagna sheets are completely covered with the capsicum sauce and ricotta. Important to retain a high level of moisture.

With that being said, I ran out of the capsicum sauce towards the end (you may be wondering how can this be possible with just 3 sheets)….Well I’m paranoid about undercooked lasagna sheet (my rule of thumb is to have more moisture than less)  plus I have added too much capsicum sauce at the bottom layer…suffice to say I ran out of the capsicum sauce and what I’ve done was adding a mixture of 3 tbsps of chilli-sundried tomato pesto (I had some leftover in the fridge) with some water to achieve the pasta sauce consistency. If not replace the the pesto with some tomato paste if you some leftover.