Source: nephrocare.it

Presentation

First course prepared with lasagna, sunflower seeds, onion, zucchini, garlic, ricotta, cheddar and tomato sauce prepared with tomato and basil

Ingredients

for 4 people

9 lasagna sheets

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

1 onion

700 g (24.7 oz) zucchini

2 garlic cloves

250 g (8.8 oz) ricotta cheese

50 g (1.8 oz) cheddar cheese, grated

350 g (12.3 oz) tomato sauce (e.g., tomato and basil pasta sauce)

Method

Finely chop the onion.

Coarsely grate the zucchini.

Chop the garlic.

Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C if ventilated).

Boil the lasagna for 5 minutes, to soften them (do not cook them completely). Rinse them in cold water and set them aside without overlapping them or with a few drops of oil between one layer and another, to prevent them from sticking together. Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion.

After 3 minutes, add the zucchini and garlic and sauté the zucchini until tender and a nice light green color.

Add about 2/3 of the ricotta and the cheddar and season to taste.

While waiting, heat the tomato sauce in the microwave or in a bain-marie.

At this point, arrange the ingredients in layers in a baking dish.

Start with half of the zucchini, cover with lasagna and then spread a layer of tomato sauce.

Repeat the process.

Sprinkle everything with the remaining ricotta and then the cheddar.

Bake in the highest position of the oven for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and the cheese is golden brown.

Allergens

Garlic: very rare cases of garlic reactivity reported

Basil: possible cross-reaction in case of allergy to parietaria or spices

Cheddar: milk allergens

Onion: possible reactivity in case of nickel allergy due to the vegetable’s ability to concentrate it

Lasagna: contains gluten from cereals included in EU Regulation 1169/2011

Tomatoes: possible cross-reaction in case of sensitivity to grasses

Cottage cheese: milk allergens

Sunflower seeds: possible reaction in case of allergy to Asteraceae (Ambrosia, Chrysanthemum, Daisy)

Zucchini: possible individual intolerance or cross-reaction in case of allergy to Ambrosia

Notes

To reduce potassium levels, leave the grated zucchini in water for several hours before making the lasagna.

To lower phosphorus levels, reduce the amount of cheese slightly or try using flake cheese instead of cottage cheese

The ingredients of the dish bring the following benefits:

Garlic: has immune-stimulating properties, promotes liver function and the elimination of waste metabolites. It also has hypocholesterolemic, lipid-lowering, antiplatelet, hypotensive and hypoglycemic properties that promote cardiac function.

Basil: rich in carotenoids that support the immune system and due to the content of mineral salts, vitamins and antioxidants acts to protect the cardiovascular system and the functioning of the liver

Onion: rich in selenium that supports the immune system and with the ability to stabilize blood glucose at normal values; carrier of quercetin, a flavonoid that helps contain cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, parameters related to cardiovascular risk, which also supports liver function by promoting the purification of the body. Also suitable for nephropathic patients.

Pasta: if produced with wholemeal flour, which provides zinc, an element favorable to the proper functioning of the immune system; also suitable for nephropathic patients:

Protein-free pasta: containing protein in quantities not exceeding 1%, suitable for nephropathic patients

Tomato: rich in vitamin C, the antioxidant par excellence that fights free radicals and supports the immune system, and provides mineral salts, vitamins and antioxidants that act to protect the cardiovascular system; also suitable for nephropathic patients. Useful for the functioning of the liver for the supply of vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants

Ricotta. Useful for the functioning of the liver for the supply of vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants and for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system

Sunflower seeds: they are a source of Vitamin E which protects the immune system from harmful fatty acids and mineral salts, vitamins and antioxidants that act to protect the cardiovascular system; also suitable for nephropathic patients. Also useful for the functioning of the liver for the supply of vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants

Zucchini: provides flavonoids (Vit. P), antioxidants that enhance the action of Vit. C in favor of the immune system and mineral salts, vitamins and antioxidants that act to protect the cardiovascular system; also suitable for nephropathics; useful for the functioning of the liver for the supply of vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants

Safety / Intended use

Product also intended for subjects with:

• Constipation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Mucositis (Inflammation and lesions of the oral cavity) only in the case of pasta and vegetables that are very cooked and tender.

In case of Dysphagia (problems with chewing and swallowing) administer only if cut into small, soft pieces.

Not recommended in case of:

• Diarrhea