Classic Lasagna:
- Meat Sauce:
- 1/2 Tbsp expeller-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces hot or sweet organic Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 2 organic onions, finely chopped
- 1 organic carrot, finely chopped
- 12 ounces organic mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
- 2 cloves organic garlic, minced
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 2 28-ounce cans organic plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), slivered
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
- Pasta & Cheese Filling:
- 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (12 ounces)
- 2 cups organic nonfat ricotta cheese
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- Ground nutmeg to taste
- 1 cup shredded organic part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated organic Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
An old-fashioned meat-and-cheese lasagna made lusciously low-fat. Whole-wheat lasagna noodles taste great in this recipe.
- To prepare meat sauce: Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up clumps, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrot; cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushroom liquid evaporates, 4 to 6 minutes
- Stir in wine, plum tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme and crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is very thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- To prepare filling & assemble lasagna: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook noodles until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, then cool by plunging noodles into a large bowl of ice-cold water. Lay noodles out on kitchen towels.
- Season ricotta with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce in prepared pan. Layer 3 noodles on top. Spread another 1 cup sauce over noodles. Dot about 2/3 cup ricotta over sauce, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 Tbsp Parmesan. Continue layering noodles, sauce and cheeses, finishing with sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle with parsley; cover with foil.
- Bake the lasagna for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Uncover and bake until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
NUTRITION INFORMATION:Per serving (without garnishes): 303 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 5 g fiber; 420 mg sodium; 533 mg potassium.
NUTRITION BONUS: Calcium (41% daily value), Vitamin A (34% dv).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through step 6. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking.
Recipe adapted from EatingWell.com
