To take into account the importance of lycopene for prostate cancer awareness month, we thought we would come back in full force by taking a previous recipe and incorporating it into another, to make a lasagna.

Lycopene is the red pigment in many vegetables and fruits. It is a powerful antioxidant known for its ability to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer. It would have protective effects as much as it would for men without cancer, as for those carrying cancerous cells (reduction in the risks of aggressive cancers). The potential supplement uses include, of course, prostate health, but also metabolic syndrome, liver problems, and cognitive health. A low level of lycopene in the bloodstream would even be correlated with a higher rate of mortality from all causes. A recent meta-analysis even points to a link with the incidence of ovarian cancer.

In these difficult times, we had a brilliant idea; to introduce whole wheat pasta with extra black olives in our sauce. If, by chance, you have frozen portions of sauce, thaw first, even the day before. Otherwise, don’t worry, because we’ll take care of giving you back the ingredients of this culinary delight, down to the smallest detail.

 

Mexican Inspired Spaghetti Sauce – Ingredients

-1 can (28 ounces) of crushed tomatoes
-2 jars (418 ml) of sweet or mango salsa
-1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
-2 cups of pulled pork, cooked lentils, cubed tofu, or canned chickpeas
-2 garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
-Olive oil (about three tablespoons)
-1 green or yellow zucchini, sliced ​​in half-rounds
-1 3/4 cups of corn kernels
-2 cups of colored peppers, cut into large cubes
-1 cup of black olives
-1 cup of green beans, Macedonia style (2 cm long)
-1 teaspoon of ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
-1 1/2 teaspoons of ground or fresh oregano
-A pinch of cinnamon and cloves
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Chopped fresh parsley to taste

Mexican lasagna (other ingredients):

-1 to 1 1/2 boxes of Catelli Healthy Harvest 100% Whole Grain Lasagna
-Fresh or thawed Mexican-inspired spaghetti sauce
-4 cups of grated Tex-Mex, Monterrey Jack, Colby or marbled cheddar cheese
-1 can of black olives, sliced ​​well, rinsed and drained
-Avocado slices to garnish (optional)

 

Steps:

  1. Bake your lasagna sheets as suggested on the manufacturer’s box. Meanwhile, make sure your sauce is ready to use, even thawed if necessary. Put your sauce in a pot, reheat it over medium-low heat, so that it simmers without sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  2. Once your pasta is cooked and drained; take out a Pyrex or rectangular baking dish. With many tries, this is what we think is best for performing this dish. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit; this will ensure that it is all set when the time comes.
  3. Let’s finally develop the assembly of this lasagna! To do this, you will need to make alternating layers of sauce and pasta. When making your lasagna; it is very important that the first layer is sauce, as well as the last one. It is also very important to respect these overlays, regardless of the number of layers achieved. Knowing the facts, we strongly advise you not to fill your dish to the rim. Leave 1 to 1 1/2 inches of space for the cheese later.
  4. As soon as your oven has reached the desired degree, you will be ready to put the lasagna in the oven. This operation, which could take about forty minutes, should be done on the middle rack. When the sauce bubbles around the edges; this is the sign that your delight will be heated evenly. Therefore, you will need to take it out of the oven to put the cheese, and generously sprinkle it with sliced ​​black olives. It all depends on the size of your pan; it is very easy to use the amount of olives suggested in this recipe.
  5. Once the cheese and olives have been placed on the lasagna, you can put your baking dish in the oven again, being careful to watch the cheese so that it does not burn. As soon as the cheese is browned, or even stretched to your liking; you’d better take out the lasagna to prevent it from continuing to cook. If you want to experiment with a more grilled type of cheese next time, using the “Broil” function would come in handy. However, be careful, as this usefulness can be disastrous if you don’t keep an eye on what’s going on in the oven. For serving, we recommend that you garnish the portions with avocado slices. A nice crusty whole grain bread, reheated would also be a great ally.

 

We wish you all a good appetite, and don’t forget to freeze some slices for this winter.

 

 

References:

  • Grabowska M , Wawrzyniak D , Rolle K , Chomczyński P , Oziewicz S , Jurga S , Barciszewski J . Let food be your medicine: nutraceutical properties of lycopene. Food Funct. 2019 Jun 19;10(6):3090-3102. doi: 10.1039/c9fo00580c. PMID: 31120074.
  • Kristi M. Crowe-White* , Tinsley A. Phillips and Amy C. Ellis. Lycopene and cognitive function. Journal of nutritional science. 2019. vol. 8, e20, page 1 of 8.
  • Li X, Xu J. Meta-analysis of the association between dietary lycopene intake and ovarian cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Sci Rep. 2014 May 9;4:4885. doi: 10.1038/srep04885. PMID: 24810584; PMCID: PMC5381283.