My Italian Style Quinoa Casserole is what happens when lasagna marries quinoa. It is an unexpected match made in heaven. So much less fussy than layering all of the ingredients, and you still get all of the magnificent flavors and textures in each bite. The quinoa even adds it's own extra nuttiness and crunch that a lasagna noodle just couldn't ever provide.
What's in the Italian Style Quinoa Casserole
I start with a quick saute of fresh garlic, onion, zucchini, tomatoes and basil. This adds so much flavor and freshness. Then combine the veggie mixture to cooked quinoa, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Pour all of this into a baking dish, top with more cheese and bake. That's it! So much easier than layering noodles, cheese, sauce and veggies for lasagna, right?!?!? But hey, I like lasagna too. In fact, my Veggie Lasagna with DeBoles gluten free "no boil" noodles is pretty fantastic and not too hard to make either.
This is the kind of dish I like to prepare in the morning or night before. Then all you have to do is throw it in the oven an hour before you want to eat. Serve it with a salad, maybe my Kicked Up Kale Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing which can also be prepped the night before. Dinner is done!
Recipe
Italian Style Quinoa Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup Quinoa
- 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- 1 large zucchini - diced
- 1 small onion
- 1 pint grape tomatoes - halved
- 1 cup basil chopped
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese -
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese - divided
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese - divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large casserole dish.
- Bring broth and quinoa to a boil over high heat, then turn to low and cover until cooked through.
- Wash and cut all veggies and herbs.
- Saute all veggies in olive oil, adding salt & pepper to taste. Add basil last and cook just a minute more.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (reserving half of the parmesan & mozzarella cheeses for topping) and mix until well combined.
- Pour into the casserole dish and sprinkle remaining cheeses on top.
- Bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Yumm!
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