Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

From EatingWell: April/May 2005, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

This cheesy lasagna is full of spicy Italian turkey sausage, whole-wheat noodles, mushrooms and spinach. A serving of this version has about one-third the fat and saturated fat, and only half the calories of the original. Use soy-based sausage for a hearty vegetarian variation.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I loved this recipe. I did the vegetarian version- excellent! I didn't use all the ricotta or mozzarella it called for- had a little left of each. Also- I used more noodles than it called for- I'd say you need about 12 oz. "

Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna Recipe

10 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles
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
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until not quite tender, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until it 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.
Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
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.
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. Vegetarian Variation: Use a sausage-style soy product, such as Gimme Lean, or simply omit the sausage altogether.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5 up to 1 day ahead.

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat lasagna noodles are higher in fiber than white noodles. They can be found in health-food stores and some large supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 333 calories; 14 g fat (5 g sat, 3 g mono); 41 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 7 g fiber; 655 mg sodium; 606 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (128% daily value), Calcium (23% dv), Iron (21% dv), Folate (19% dv), Potassium (17% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 2 medium-fat meat