Lasagna For Dessert: Chocolate and Fruit
August 8, 2014
Lasagna is fun to make and even more fun to eat! If you’re sick of traditional pasta and cheese, we’ve got some sweet ways to make lasagna.
Chocolate Lasagna
This delicious recipe from Center Cut Cook incorporates cookies, whipped cream and instant pudding for a deliciously creamy layered dessert.
Ingredients:
- 1 package Oreos (36 cookies)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 12 ounces Cool Whip
- 2 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding
- 3 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons cold milk
- 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
Directions:
- Pulse Oreos in the food processor until crumbs. Stir with the butter and press into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Chill a few minutes.
- In a mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons milk, the sugar and 1 1/4 cups of the Cool Whip. Mix together.
- Spread this mixture over the chilled crust.
- In another bowl, whisk chocolate puddings with the 3 1/4 cups milk until it thickens.
- Spread this over the cream cheese layer. Chill 5 minutes.
- Spread the rest of the Cool Whip on the top and sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips.
- Chill several hours or overnight before cutting.
Fruit Dessert Lasagna
This fruit lasagna recipe won third prize Resort in a contest held by the National Pasta Association and the Culinary Institute of America. Michael Stambaugh of the El Conquistador created the fruity layered dessert. Once you try it, you’ll see why it one!
Ingredients:
- 12 pieces lasagna
- 4 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 8 kiwis, peeled
- 4 cups strawberries (8 reserved for garnishing)
- 4 cups blackberries
- ½ cup toasted, sliced almonds
Prep:
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, substituting 2 tablespoons of sugar for the salt. Rinse, drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese and ½ cup sugar. Set aside.
- In the food processor, purée 4 kiwis with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer the purée to a bowl and set aside.
- In a clean processor, purée half the strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Strain the purée into a bowl and set aside.
- In a clean processor, purée half the blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Strain the purée and set aside.
- Slice the remaining kiwis into ¼ inch thick rounds, the strawberries into 1/8 inch thick pieces and the blackberries in half.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of each of the purées to use as a garnish when serving.
Directions:
- Cover the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking pan with 3 pieces of pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the ricotta on top and spread evenly.
- Pour kiwi purée over the cheese and arrange the kiwi slices on the purée.
- Lay on 3 more pieces of pasta and cover with 1/2 the remaining cheese.
- Pour strawberry purée over the cheese and sprinkle with sliced strawberries.
- Lay on 3 more pieces of pasta and cover with the remaining cheese. Pour the blackberries purée over the cheese and sprinkle with blackberries.
- Top with a final layer of pasta.
- Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the lasagna with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and with the toasted almonds.
And that is how to change a main course into a dessert!