Mushroom, Sausage & Spinach Lasagna
This hearty lasagna is packed with vegetables, and gets a little kick from spicy (or “hot”) turkey sausage. When buying the sausage, choose the one with the lowest fat and sodium, since brands can vary widely.
8 ounces lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat
1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (see Variation)
4 cups sliced mushrooms (10 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese (2 cups)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of water on to boil
2. Cook noodles in the boiling water until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until the sausage is cooked through, the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then stir into the pan; remove from heat.
4. Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
5. To Assemble Lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, trimming to fit if necessary. Evenly dollop half the ricotta over the noodles. Top with half the sausage mixture, one-third of the remaining tomatoes and one-third of the mozzarella. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining sausage, half the remaining tomatoes and half the remaining mozzarella. Top with a third layer of noodles and the remaining tomatoes.
6. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and heated through, 1 hour to 1 hour-10 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 10 servings
Nutrition Information: (per serving)
327 calories
14 g (5 g sat, 3 g mono)
41 mg cholesterol
27 g carbohydrate
25 g protein
6 g fiber
582 mg sodium
562 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus:
Vitamin A (90% daily value)
Calcium (35% daily value)
Folate (15% daily value)
For Healthy Weight
For High Fiber
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours
To Make Ahead: Prepare through Step 5 up to 1 day ahead.
Vegetarian Variation: Use a sausage-style soy product, such as Gimme Lean, or simply omit the sausage altogether. |
