Healthier Lasagna
This healthier lasagna is made with ground turkey, lots of vegetables, and less cheese than traditional recipes. It is lower in fat and carbs, but has just as much delicious, hearty flavor!
My favorite thing about lasagna is probably how well it keeps for leftovers. It is easy to make a large batch, and tastes just as good a few days later. I love this particular version because it still has that cheesy, satisfying flavor, but is virtually guilt-free. I’m willing to bet it would be a delicious vegetarian option also, with the exclusion of ground turkey.
What makes this lasagna healthier than a traditional recipe? I’m glad you asked.
Fist, it is lower fat compared to most lasagna. I like to use 93% lean ground turkey or chicken. To me, it tastes just as good as ground beef, which is sometimes higher in fat content. I also use 1/3 less fat ricotta cheese. Because lasagna just wouldn’t be the same without ricotta, but the less-fat varieties are just as satisfying.
Second, many recipes use a pre-made pasta sauce. Most of these contain added sugars, high levels of sodium, and who knows what else. Since we are focusing more on knowing what is in our food, I simply added a can of crushed tomatoes and a handful of chopped herbs. I was a bit apprehensive, since Rick is obsessed with any pre-made tomato-based sauce (particularly those containing obscene amounts of sugar and sodium…) But he didn’t even notice the difference in this lasagna because there was so much flavor. Phew!
Third, the addition of vegetables is really something you can feel good about with this recipe. Instead of a dish that is predominantly meat, cheese, and noodles, this one contains a rainbow of veggies that add nutritional value. Not to mention they add flavor!
Last but not least, the lasagna noodles. If you can find whole wheat, that is definitely the way to go. (I couldn’t find them near me, but next time I make this I will be sure to track them down ahead of time.) I also only used half a package. You can see in the pictures there are some gaps between the noodles, but the lasagna still stays together fairly well when cut. I’m not going to promise every piece will be beautiful as you plate it… but I can promise it will be super tasty!
Healthier Lasagna
Equipment
- 9×12 glass baking dish
- aluminium foil
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 4 oz mushrooms, diced I used baby bella, but white are also fine
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrot shredded
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 onion diced
- 6 cups fresh spinach torn
- 1 container low fat ricotta cheese 15 oz
- ½ package lasagna noodles about 6
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- pinch salt & pepper
- ½ cup cheese parmesan, mozzarella, or a combination of both.
Seasoning for Ground Turkey
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp fennel
- ¼ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º
- Heat a large pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and seasonings, stirring and chopping to crumble the meat occasionally. About 5 minutes.
- When chicken is mostly cooked, add mushrooms, celery, carrot, onions, and zucchini. Sauté until vegetables reduce and onions are translucent, stirring often. (about 5-7 minutes) Add spinach, and stir 2-3 minutes until wilted.
- Add garlic, crushed tomatoes, basil, & oregano to the pan & combine. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Assemble lasagna. In a 9×12 glass baking dish, add sauce, then noodles, then ricotta. Then add sauce, noodles, more sauce, & ricotta. Sprinkle mozzarella and/or parmesan on top.
- Cover dish with foil, and bake for 18 minutes. Remove foil, rotate pan, & bake another 10 minutes.
Notes
