Spinach and pine nut lasagne

Spinach and pine nut lasagne

Spinach and pine nut lasagne
  • Low phosphate
  • Low potassium
  • Low protein
  • Low salt
  • Vegetarian
  • Main meal
  • European
  • 1 hour or less
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This creamy, tasty pasta dish is packed with nutritious spinach and has a lovely nutty flavour. A delicious way to get in those green leafy vegetables, packed with fibre and vitamins.

Chef

Lizzie Morey
Lizzie Morey

Kidney Kitchen Chef

A tasty alternative to a classic dish, this dish requires some kitchen skills to make the roux sauce, but it’ll be worth it!

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and diced

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

200g spinach

200g kale, chopped

150g cottage cheese

Ground black pepper

9 sheets dried lasagne

White sauce

25g unsalted butter

15g cornflour

400ml milk

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

30g pine nuts

40g grated mozzarella

Side salad

100g lettuce or rocket leaves

50g cucumber, diced

1 medium tomato, chopped, or 4 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Ground black pepper

Method

  1. Step 1

    Make the white sauce by melting the butter in a small pan over a medium heat and then whisk in the cornflour and nutmeg, cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk while whisking continuously to avoid any lumps. Keep over a medium heat until it has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the diced garlic and onions and cook until softened. While the onions and garlic are cooking, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the kale for 5 minutes and then add in the spinach for a further minute. Remove and drain, rinse with cold water and then squeeze out all the excess water from the kale and spinach. Put the drained kale and spinach into the pan with the onions along with the cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons of the white sauce and a good grind of black pepper. Mix all the ingredients together.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 6. Spread a third of the white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, topped with half of the spinach mix. Place three sheets of lasagne topped with another third of the white sauce and the rest of spinach mix, followed by the remainder of lasagne and topped off with white sauce. Sprinkle over the mozzarella.

  4. Step 4

    Bake for 35 minutes until golden on the top. Remove from oven and sprinkle over the pine nuts, then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Prepare the ingredients for your side salad. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and toss into the salad.

    Remove the lasagne from the oven and serve with the dressed salad.

Food facts

Serving sizes are based on adult portions. Here is a guide for children:

Toddler (age 1-4): ¼

Young child (age 5-9): ½

Older child (age 10-13): ¾

Teenagers (14+): 1

Some children do have bigger appetites than others. Your child’s portion may need to be changed to fit their typical diet if you think the recommended serving sizes are too large or small. We would advise speaking with your dietitian prior to increasing the serving size if your child has struggled to manage potassium or phosphate.

The lasagne sheets are the main source of carbohydrate in this recipe, and the value has been provided for those who have been trained in insulin adjustment.

If you need to gain weight, have a growing child who needs more calories, or have a poor appetite, you can add extra unsalted butter and use whole milk to make the white sauce.

This recipe is low in protein, therefore suitable for those advised to eat less protein.

Despite the use of some high potassium ingredients, such as spinach and kale, this recipe is low in potassium, when following the quantities in the ingredients, the cooking method, and the serving sizes. Therefore, suitable for those advised to lower potassium in their diet.

This recipe is also low in phosphate, however it does contain some phosphate, mainly provided by the milk and cheese, therefore if you have been prescribed a phosphate binder you should take as directed. 

Consider using wholewheat lasagne sheets for a healthier option.

You can omit the pine nuts or try adding 30g finely chopped walnuts as a cheaper alternative. Use vinegar, oil and mustard that you have handy to avoid buying alternatives. Use frozen spinach.

Once cooked and cooled, this recipe can be stored in the fridge and reheated for the following day.

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