okara lasagna •

This is a cheesy, vegetarian version of lasagna using Okara Pasta. I am very fortunate to get pint jars of my mother’s home canned spaghetti sauce. The recipe for her sauce (what information I pulled out of her—she doesn’t follow a true recipe)follows. 

Okara Lasagna •

1 recipe Okara Pasta, made into lasagna noodles.

1 pint spaghetti sauce

1 (10 ounce)package of frozen chopped spinach-defrosted and drained throughly.

12 to 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine, not dried)

1 large egg

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, finely  minced

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix above ingredients throughly, set aside. Spray a 13" x 9" pan with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer lasagna noodles, one-half of ricotta mixture, one-half of spinach, one-third of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, spinach, and mozzarella. End with a layer of noodles and mozzarella cheese. Spray a large sheet of foil with vegetable spray and cover pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Gma’s Spaghetti Sauce •

In a large skillet sauté:

2 green peppers, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Add:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Water as needed

*Sometimes, mom tells me, she adds paprika, brown sugar, and ground carrots to her sauce.

okara pasta •

Okara is a great addition to a bread recipe, but I was curious to see how it would work with pasta. I experimented with making a pasta dough without egg and using the okara as a binder instead. I was content with the outcome. I have since made lasagne with the dough, and it was mighty tasty. 

Okara Pasta •

In a large mixing bowl combine:

3/4 cup unbleached white flour

3/4 cup semolina flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small mixing bowl whisk together:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine)

2 tablespoons water (optional; depending on how wet your okara is, you might not need it)

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and pour wet ingredients into it. Mix to make a stiff dough. If the dough seems too dry, add the optional water. If it is too wet, add more flour, two tablespoons at a time. Knead for 10 minutes. Tuck a damp kitchen towel on top of the dough, and let it rest for 20 minutes. Roll out on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Or use your pasta maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

If you are using the dough for lasagne, DO NOT BOIL first, just add to your recipe as is. 

Fill a large pot with water, add 1/2 teaspoon oil, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until “al dente”. Because the pasta is fresh, it will cook incredibly fast. When the pasta floats to the surface— test it, it is usually ready.