White House Turkey Lasagna

I saw this recipe on the Today Show about a year ago, and I have made it quite a few times. It was even a hit with my parents who were a little "iffy" about the healthy alternative swaps...such as whole wheat noodles, and turkey meat. Well, they LOVED it! This dish is by no means healthy...but it is definitely a healthier alternative to a real lasagna, and I think it is just as good! Here is the link to the recipe: White House Turkey Lasagna.

There is even a video, so you can see exactly how easy it is. I made it again last Wednesday when I had off, and we had enough for Stephen to bring leftovers for lunch twice, and we even had it for dinner again on Friday....not too shabby! It really goes a LONG way! Here are the ingredients... 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 pound fresh ground turkey 
• 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed 
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste 
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 16 cooked whole-wheat lasagna noodles 
• 15 ounces low-fat ricotta 
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 large egg, beaten 
• 2 cups fresh spinach, washed, but not dried 
• 1 pound low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (optional) 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried flat-leaf parsley 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried basil 

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add damp spinach, stir until wilted. Add plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper; let simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in basil and parsley, set aside.  

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and egg, season with salt and pepper and set aside. (My noodles didn't come out very pretty, but they sure were delicious regarless!)

Ladle one-quarter of the turkey mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; spread to cover. Add 1/4 of lasagna noodles, one-third of the mozzarella, one-third of the ricotta mixture. Repeat process two more times; top with remaining lasagna noodles. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top; transfer to oven. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting, serve.

 

I made a simple salad with spring mix, and balsamic vinaigrette... delish!