Servings: 6 Prep time: 10 min Cooking time: 50 min
Ingredients
16 oz whole wheat pasta, dry
16 oz cooked lentils, (rinse if using canned)
4 cups kale, chopped
3 cups marinara sauce
2 cups water
1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Spread dry pasta across a 9x13 inch baking dish. Use a large enough baking dish so that the pasta can cook evenly.
Arrange the lentils, chopped kale, and marinara sauce on top of the pasta. Add in 2 cups of water. Gently stir the mixture, keeping the pasta at the bottom of the dish.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top. Cover again with the aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, remove foil, and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
Notes:
In place of lentils, you can also use ground chicken, turkey, or even meatballs. Brown the meat before adding to the casserole dish to ensure it cooks fully.
Instead of kale, you can use broccoli, spinach, zucchini, or other veggie. If using frozen, make sure it's thawed and any excess water is drained.
