Holiday Spinach Lasagna
Description
Serve a healthier lasagna this holiday season with less calories and fat, more veggies, lower fat cheese, and whole grain pasta with ground turkey instead of ground beef or pork.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey, 93% lean
non-stick cooking oil spray
24 oz. tomato or marinara sauce, your favorite
1 c. water, divided
2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 egg white
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
20 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained of water
9 whole-grain lasagna noodles, uncooked
1½ c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
baby spinach leaves, for garnish, optional
star-shaped bell peppers, for garnish, optional
cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish, optional
Directions
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Cook ground turkey in a medium non-stick pan coated with non-stick oil spray over medium heat until there is no pink remaining. Crumble the turkey as it's cooking with rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Drain off/discard fat.
Add sauce plus 1/2 c. water to the pan with the cooked turkey; mix thoroughly; cover; turn off heat; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick oil spray.
In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, egg, egg white, garlic powder, pepper, basil, and oregano; add drained spinach; mix thoroughly.
Cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 c. meat sauce; put down 3 uncooked lasagna noodles; top with half of the spinach/ricotta mixture; add about 1 c. meat sauce mixture; add a layer of 3 more noodles. Top with the remaining spinach/ricotta mixture; add remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the top; sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese.
Pour about 1/2 c. water around the edge of the pan to help cook the noodles; cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray on the side touching the lasagna, so that the cheese doesn’t stick to the foil.
Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered 30 minutes. Let cool 10 - 15 minutes.
If desired, add baby spinach leaves on top in the shape of a Christmas tree (or a Hanukkah menorah), then decorate with star-shaped bell peppers and sliced cherry tomatoes as ornaments.
Serve.
12 servings.