Spicy and Quick Portabella Lasagna

The meaty goodness of Phillips Portabellas is evident in this vegetarian lasagna. This dish is very good using older Phillips Portabellas. The liquid they yield during cooking makes the sauce a very attractive dark red. The addition of hot chiles to the sauce also adds to the satisfying qualities of this dish. If you can't stand the heat, omit the chiles.
This dish can be prepared in advance, refrigerated, and heated later. In fact it's better if the assembled dish has a day or two to sit in the refrigerator before baking. Add another 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time if you are going to heat it right from the refrigerator.
For a lower-calorie version, substitute any low-fat cheese or spaghetti sauce. And by all means, add sautéed ground beef or pork if you like a meaty lasagna.

Ingredients:
* 8 ounces lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
* 2 6-ounce packages sliced Phillips Portabellas
* Salt
* Dried Oregano, to taste
* 1 jalapeno or 2 serrano chiles, minced
* 1 28-ounce jar tomato-based spaghetti sauce (marinara, chunky vegetable and so forth)
* 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
* 12 ounces shredded mozzarella or romano cheese (3 cups)

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles to cook for 12-to-15 minutes, until soft. You should be able to prepare everything else, except the baking, while the noodles are cooking.
Place the mushrooms in a large (6-8 quart) pot and add 1⁄4 cup water. Lightly salt the mushrooms, turn the heat to high, and cover. When the liquid begins to boil (in about 1 minute), remove the lid, sprinkle a little oregano over the mushrooms, stir, and cover again. Turn he heat down to medium-low. After 6-8 minutes, the mushrooms will have given of much of their liquid and there will be about 1⁄2 cup in the pot.
Gently lift the mushrooms out of the liquid and set aside. Add the chile to the pot. Turn the heat back to high, and evaporate most of the liquid until only a scant 2-3 tablespoons is left. Don not let the liquid residue burn. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Turn off the heat.
Assemble the lasagna in a 13 x 9 x 2 - inch baking dish. Place 3 noodles in the bottom of the dish. Spread one third of the ricotta and 1⁄2 cup of the mozzarella over the noodles, then add one third of the mushrooms and one third of the sauce. Sprinkle a little oregano over the sauce. Repeat two more times. For the top layer, sprinkle on the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated thorough. Let the lasagna sit for about 15 minutes before serving to make it easier to cut.

Serves 6 to 8