Mushroom Mania

I love lasagna. Who doesn't? Sometimes, though, I get a little tired of the same ol' pasta, filling, sauce, repeat. Well, really, I don't. But what I do like is finding a recipe that can satisfy the lasagna urge for vegetarians, gluten free-ians and health conscious folks combined. Based on an Eating Well recipe, I've added a few ingredients to really boost the flavor and vegetable content.

*Stuffed Portabellos*
serves 6

6 large portabello mushroom caps
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1 cup finely chopped fresh broccoli
2 T finely chopped kalamata olives
1 tsp granulated onion (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried marjoram (or basil)
1 1/2 cup prepared marinara sauce
1 cup whole wheat pasta (or rice, or polenta if you need it gluten-free)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Gently remove stems and gills from the mushrooms by scraping them lightly with a spoon. Place the caps bottom side up on the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and roast until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, broccoli, garlic, olive oil, remaining salt, pepper, onion, oregano, marjoram, 2T Parmesan and olives. Heat marinara sauce in the microwave and keep covered to keep warm.
4. Set a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to instructions.
5. When the mushrooms are tender, remove them from the oven and carefully drain off any liquid that accumulated in the caps. Return them to the pan and add 1 T marinara sauce to each, making sure to spread it to the edges of the cap. Mound about 1/3 cup of the filling into each cap and sprinkle the tops with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve one cap over 1/2 cup pasta topped with a few tablespoons of marinara.

Nutrition Info:
287 calories; 7 g fat (4g saturated); 26g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 13 g protein; 7g sugar

WW points: 6