Black Bean Lasagna

Whilst looking for my vegetarian recipe of the week, I found this recipe and it piqued my interest.  I usually try to find variations of classic dishes, though I tout myself as a lasagna purest.  Lasagna is my favorite food, and I try not to mess with it.  This recipe seemed interesting, and anything with Mexican flavors is an automatic sure thing for me.
Shut up.  This was delicious.  I had seconds (which is rare), Matt had thirds.  I would perhaps add more peppers and some corn if you wanted to bulk up the vegetables, but it was great, as is!

Black Bean Lasagna 

Black Bean Lasagna

Ingredients:

12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 tsp. olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta
1 (8 oz.)packed cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
Garnish: chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, sour cream (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.
Mash one can of beans; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add onion, pepper, and garlic.  Cook until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add mashed beans, unmashed beans, tomato sauce, cilantro, and cumin.  Heat through.
In a large bowl combine ricotta, cream cheese, and sour cream; set aside.  Spray a lasagna pan with cooking spray.  Arrange 4 noodles, slightly overlapping them, in the dish.  Top with one-third of the bean mixture, making sure to completely cover the noodles.  Spread half the cheese mixture on top of bean mixture.  Repeat layers two more times, ending with the bean mixture.
Bake, covered, for 40-45 minutes, or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Garnish with tomatoes, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Recipe.com