-
My Turkey, Spinach & Sausage Lasagna
- I’ll admit it. I grew up on Stouffer’s frozen lasagnas, and I loved them. Every prepackaged, gloriously inauthentic bite. But I’ve grown up, and just looking at the calorie count on the side of that box will surely give anyone a heart attack. (Who really eats the recommended serving size?) While my take on lasagna does pack a healthy punch, I’ve tried to cut back on calories in places where you won’t even miss them and I’ve added a few veggies, too.
- Lasagna is one of those dishes that usually takes a lot of time to prepare, but if you pick up these fancy new no-boil lasagna noodles, you can cut that time in half. Oh, and did I mention that you can freeze my lasagna, too? Take that frozen food aisle! As soon as you take that first bite, I know you’ll never go back to Stouffer’s again. Buon appetito!
Turkey, Spinach & Sausage Lasagna
Low-fat turkey subs in for ground beef in this take on the classic Italian dish. For a vegetarian dish, skip the meat and double the frozen spinach, making sure to season well.
To download a Word copy of this recipe, click here.
For the tomato sauce:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped,
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
28 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes, including juices
14 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 Tbs. dried oregano
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
Kosher salt & Pepper to taste
For Ricotta Mixture:
16 oz. low-fat ricotta cheese
12 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
1 10z. package of chopped frozen spinach, defrosted & squeezed of excess moisture
1 egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. nutmeg
For Assembly:
1 lb. ground turkey
½ lb. hot Italian sausage, ground or links removed from casing
1 large fresh mozzarella log, sliced
1 8 oz. bag of shredded mozzarella
1 c. Parmesan cheese
1 9 oz. package no-boil lasagna noodles
Equipment: 9 x 13 baking dish or deep lasagna dish
Barilla No-Boil Lasagna Noodles
Preheat oven to 350˚.
Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper and sauté until onions begin to turn translucent. Add garlic, sauté for two minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, & sugar. Simmer over med-low heat for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree sauce with a hand-held or standing blender. Add fresh herbs and season to taste with salt & pepper.
Combine all ingredients for ricotta mixture in a medium bowl. In a large sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, brown the Italian sausage. Set aside. Brown turkey in same pan, then set aside. Season meat with salt & pepper and toss two kinds together.
• Layer 1: Ladle sauce in the bottom of the pan, followed by 4 pasta sheet, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, half the meat, half of the fresh mozzarella, a handful of shredded cheese and 1 cup of sauce.
• Layer 2: 4 pasta sheets, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1.5 cups of sauce.
• Layer 3: 4 pasta sheets, last 1/3 of the ricotta, brown mean, & 1 cup sauce.
• Layer 4: 4 pasta sheets, the remaining sauce, fresh & shredded mozzarella. Top lasagna with grated Parmesan.
Cover lasagna with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 5 minutes more, or until cheese starts to brown and bubble. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
If freezing the lasagna, it’s best to do so before you bake it, but you can still freeze cooked lasagna if needed. Freeze uncooked lasagna directly in the pan. Freeze cooked lasagna in plastic containers. Be sure to defrost the lasagna before you bake it.
