Ryan's Lean Lasagna
This lasagna recipe swaps out some of the typical ingredients for low calorie and higher protein options while not compromising on flavor. Cottage cheese does have a notably different texture than the traditional ricotta cheese that would be used in it's place. I find it does a great job at playing it's own part in making the filling thick and satisfying.
Equipment
- 3 Mixing Bowls For combing ingredients.
- 1 Food Processor To finely chop the vegetables.
- 1 Large Pot I use a 4.7L (5qt) cast iron Dutch oven.
- 1 Casserole Dish I use a Pyrex 9x13 baking dish.
Ingredients
- 9 Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles uncooked
- 1 kg Extra Lean Ground Turkey or Chicken
- 1 large Egg
- 1 container 2% Cottage Cheese 500g
- 300 g Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese 3 cups, shredded
- 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano 1/2 cup, shredded
- 28 oz Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796ml
- 5.5 oz Tomato Paste 156ml
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil 20g
- 1 medium Onion 165g, roughly chopped
- 1 medium Carrot 150g, roughly chopped
- 2 ribs Celery 150g, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Red Pepper Flake
- ½ tbsp Dried Parsley Optional, for garnish
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 375˚F, to prepare it for baking the lasagna later on.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, egg, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, combine the shredded cheeses and 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning. Toss to combine and set aside for later.
- To a food processor add the roughly chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic cloves. Process until broken down into a fine pebbly in texture. Set aside to be used in the meat sauce later.
- To a large pot, heat ½ tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, sear it, and crumble the meat using a wooden spoon or potato masher. Once seared and cooked, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining ½ tbsp of olive oil, and the finely chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic to the pot. Stir occasionally until the aromatic vegetables are softened. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning, red pepper flake, salt and pepper to the pot. Sauté for 1 minute to infuse the aromatics with the spices.
- Add the cooked ground turkey and tomato paste to the pot, then mix to incorporate. Cook until the tomato paste starts to lightly color the bottom of the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar, then mix to combine. Simmer on low, partially covered with a lid, for 10 minutes to finish the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- To a 9x13 baking dish add 1 cup of the meat sauce as a base or enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish.
- Layer on 3 lasagna noodles, ½ the cottage cheese mixture, ⅓ the shredded cheese mixture, and ½ of the meat sauce. Repeat once more and finish with a final layer of 3 noodles, topped evenly with the remaining ⅓ of the shredded cheese.
- Cover the lasagna with greased aluminum foil. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, then bake again for 25 minutes. Optionally, broil on high for 2 - 3 minutes to brown the cheese on top.
- For meal prep, let the lasagna cool completely. Cut into 6 even portions and store in plastic or glass containers. Garnish the servings with dried parsley and store refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave when ready to serve.