Description
Delicious lasagna made with lean ground beef, layers of cheese, and fresh spinach.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 6 large cloves garlic (minced, divided)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 16 oz container (2 cups) low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 8 oz block (2 cups) part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded, divided)
- ½ cup freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (chopped)
- 6 whole wheat or regular lasagna noodles
- Fresh parsley or basil (for topping)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add ground beef or turkey, onion, 5 cloves garlic and salt and cook until meat is browned, using a spatula or meat chopper to break apart the meat.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme and pepper. Let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, 1 clove garlic and chopped spinach. Mix well.
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spray with cooking spray and spread a thin layer of the meat sauce, about ¾ cup.
- Layer 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce.
- Spread ½ of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by ½ of the meat sauce.
- Repeat the layers once more, ending with a layer of sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving topped with fresh parsley or basil.
Notes
- For a vegetarian option, substitute the meat with additional vegetables or mushrooms.
- Can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for future meals.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg