Updated Vegetarian Broccoli Casserole

I love what I call ‘”old school vegetarian” recipes – you know from back before they had to be good for you.  Back when the recipe just couldn’t contain meat.  Well, the trouble with those recipes is that a lot of them are not good for you. My husband’s doctor has recommended that he eat mostly vegetarian, which is difficult for my husband because he loves meat, and often doesn’t feel really full without it.  But, you know those old recipes, they were filling.  So, I am revisiting some of those and trying to cut some of the fat out of them, which sometimes even ups the protein (like when you substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, like I did here).

This is a recipe I adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, which is out of print, but is one of my favorite cookbooks.  I read that they were coming out with an  anniversary edition, so I definitely recommend it.  I updated the recipe by using whole wheat pasta, non-fat ricotta, reduced fat cheddar, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and almond flour instead of bread crumbs or wheat germ.  The results were very tasty, less fattening, and higher in fiber and protein.

Updated Vegetarian Broccoli Casserole

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Ingredients

• 6 oz. whole grain flat noodles
• 7 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 lbs. button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Tbsps. olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond flour, divided
• 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions, just until tender. Don't overcook them as they will cook more as the casserole bakes.
3. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and broccoli in olive oil until tender. The mushrooms will produce a good bit of liquid as they cook, but you want to continue cooking until most of the moisture has cooked away.
4. In a 9"x13" baking dish, stir together noodles, vegetables, ricotta, yogurt, eggs, and 1/4 cup almond flour until well combined.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining almond flour and cheddar cheese.
7. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.