Recipe #28 Classic Lasagna

I made this recipe before the weather turned to 100 degrees, so you may want to keep this one for later in the year.  I was craving comfort food and wanted to make something that I could just put in the oven for Family Night at the Quinns'.  I am also trying to eat a little lighter, so this is another recipe from Eating Well magazine.  It's a bit time consuming, so I suggest that you make it on the weekend; the good news is that you can make ahead of time and keep for later.  The recipe uses whole wheat noodles to help boost the fiber (and my fussy eater (DAD) didn't even notice).  I don't boil my noodles, but cook the recipe a little bit longer and noodles cook themselves.  I was missing the sun dried tomatoes and nutmeg, but otherwise, used all ingredients called for.  I served with whole wheat garlic bread and a light Caesar salad and of course wine. All in all it was a really good recipe and was a crowd pleaser on Family Night.  Happy Cooking!

Yummy!

8 servings

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

Classic Lasagna

• Meat Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 12 ounces mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil), slivered
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

Pasta & Cheese Filling

• 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, (12 ounces)
• 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Ground nutmeg, to taste
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1.  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.

2.  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, for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is very thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

I did not do these two steps:

1. 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. 
2. Cook noodles until just tender, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, then cool by plunging noodles into a large bowl of ice-cold water. Lay the noodles out on kitchen towels.

3.  Season ricotta with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce in the prepared pan. Layer 3 noodles on top. Spread another 1 cup sauce over the noodles.

4.  Dot about 2/3 cup ricotta over the sauce, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Continue layering the noodles, sauce and cheeses, finishing with the sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle with parsley; cover with foil.

5.  Bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition

Per serving: 357 calories; 8 g fat ( 3 g sat , 2 g mono ); 32 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 9 g fiber; 698 mg sodium; 396 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (36% daily value), Calcium (30% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking.