Inside-Out Lasagna

Here we take basic lasagna ingredients—ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes—and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 1/2 CUPS

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  whole wheat rotini or 8  ounces  fusilli
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, sliced
• 8  ounces  sliced white mushrooms or 3 1⁄2 cups white mushrooms
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 (14 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 8  cups  Baby Spinach
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3⁄4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Directions

1. 1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. 2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. 3.Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
4. 4.Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.