Make Healthy Lasagna, Save Money!

March 18, 2009 2:27 pm

In this economy, cooking at home on a Sunday afternoon is a great activity you can do within a reasonable budget. It saves me the $5.00 Diet Coke and gratuity charges of eating out, not to mention the calories you can avoid by skipping appetizers and dessert! In addition, you'll have enough to enjoy for additional meals throughout the week. This is a great, casual meal to serve your friends on a week night.

I learned to bake lasagna from the Joy of Cooking, several healthy eating cookbooks, and lots of experiments with added ingredients and spices. The skim cheeses, ground turkey meat, fresh vegetables and whole wheat pasta make this a meal I don't feel guilty enjoying! If I can cook this, anyone can!

Here is what you'll need:
This recipe makes approximately 10 servings

Tomato Sauce:
¼ cup olive oil
1 pound ground turkey meat (You can also use lean ground beef here, or if you are ignoring the calories then sweet Italian sausage is wonderful too. You can pick up two sweet Italian sausages at any whole foods, simply cut off the casings and crumble up the meat. If you are vegetarian, simply omit this ingredient)
1 medium onion, chopped into chunky size pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2 28-ounce cans whole, peeled tomatoes, include their juice
3 teaspoons of oregano leaves— not dried!
1 teaspoon salt (I tend to add a lot more once the sauce is complete)
Black pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
Slivered basil leaves to taste—I prefer to use 5 or 6 tablespoons

Lasagna:
15 ounces of ricotta (skim)
1 pound of mozzarella, thinly sliced (skim if they have it)
¼ cup (4 ounces) of parmesan cheese
1 pound of lasagna pasta (whole wheat -- I use Westbrae Natural, an organic whole-wheat brand, loaded with protein and fiber with minimal sodium)

Step 1: Preheat over to 375°F and grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. For added flavor, line the pan with fresh garlic before buttering it. You can use a non-fat spray if you are counting calories.

For best-tasting results, you can make the tomato sauce the night before you prepare the lasagna.

Step 2: Making the Sauce
Combine the meat of your choice with hot olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

After seasoning with spices of your choice (I used red pepper flakes and paprika) add the pound of meat. Cook until pink color is gone. Remove excess juices with a spoon. Then add the onion. Cook until the onion becomes translucent. Then add the minced garlic and the tomato paste. Stir for 4 minutes.

At this point you are free to get creative. I like to add in finely chopped celery pieces and zucchini to increase my veggie intake and add more flavors.
Add in the canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice along with suggested seasonings of oregano, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir together well and let simmer for 25 minutes uncovered. Use a large spoon to break up the large tomatoes against the side of the dish. They should be in very small bite size pieces when you are done. This will release the juices of the tomatoes and make your sauce less chunky. Let sit on low for 25 minutes and stir every 3-6 minutes. Add fresh slivers of basil and your sauce is complete.

Step 3: Prepare the lasagna
Boil water in a large pot and cook the lasagna pasta for 3 minutes or until slightly under-done. Next, immediately place the pasta in cold water, then remove dry over kitchen towels. I like to lay out the pasta strips for the next step. Coat the pasta strips with thin layers of the ricotta cheese with a spoon. This can be tricky; having some chunks is to be expected.

Layer the bottom of your cooking pan with sauce. Use your sauce sparingly as you go so you have enough left over for the top layer. Then add a layer of lasagna pasta across the pan, with the ricotta facing upwards. Use ¼ of your mozzarella slices, spreading them around the pan. Then sprinkle your shredded parmesan -- approximately 2 tablespoons worth. Start over again with the pasta. Continue layering until you have 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of sauce/fillings. Note: you can also get creative here. I like to add a layer of thinly sliced mushrooms and more slivered basil to each layer. You can also add jalapeños or scot peppers (just one!) to make this a hot and spicy dish.

Drizzle the remaining sauce across the top with sprinkles of parmesan and mozzarella on top as well. I like to then use a pinch of paprika and basil across the top for some kick and color.

Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Once cooked, let cool for 15 minutes before cutting, otherwise you'll have cheese all over the place and not on your plate. Sprinkle with remaining fresh basil for fresh color and smell on top.

I highly recommend this as a relaxing Sunday afternoon break from the usual routine. Plug in your iPod, tie on your tackiest apron and have fun changing up the spices and ingredients. My Aunt uses smoked gouda instead of mozzarella for a very different taste.

Enjoy!

Nancy W. Gleason