Polenta Lasagna with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Vegetarian Times Issue: April 1, 2006 p.70 — Member Rating:

This recipe has its roots in polenta pasticciata, a traditional Italian dish of polenta layered with a béchamel sauce. It’s a great way to use tubes of prepared polenta, available in most supermarkets. For a thicker lasagna, you can make it in an 8x8-inch dish; the cooking time will be the same.

Ingredient List

Serves 8

1 medium-size onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. low-fat milk
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup dry white wine or low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 17-oz. tubes polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Cook onion in large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 3 minutes, stirring often. Add all mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add 3/4 cup milk, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Mix cornstarch with remaining 2 Tbs. milk, and stir into mushroom mixture. Add cream cheese and wine, and cook, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and blended. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Coat 10x10-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 3 Tbs. mushroom sauce in bottom of dish. Layer 1/3 of polenta slices over sauce. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over polenta. Top with half of remaining mushroom sauce. Layer with 1/3 of polenta slices and remaining sauce, and top with remaining polenta.
Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle lasagna with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned. Remove from heat. Cover loosely with foil, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 176, Protein: 8g, Total fat: 3g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 28g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 732mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 4g