Turkey Sausage Lasagna
By Vallery LomasPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped fine1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed8 ounces ground turkey ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided2 tablespoons tomato paste 6 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly cracked¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 15 curly-edged lasagna noodles 1 pound (2 cups) cottage cheese 8 ounces block mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided4 ounces fontina cheese (1 cup), divided
Before You Begin
Be sure to use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free), in this recipe.
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion and 1 teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 pound turkey sausage (casings removed), 8 ounces ground turkey, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 6 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons lightly cracked fennel seeds, and ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, lay 15 curly-edged lasagna noodles in broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish and cover with boiling water. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 15 minutes, separating noodles with tip of paring knife occasionally throughout soaking time to prevent sticking.
- Drain noodles and set aside, patting noodles and now-empty dish dry.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine 1 pound cottage cheese, 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup shredded fontina cheese, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and remaining ½ cup fontina cheese in separate bowl; set aside.
- Spread 1½ cups meat sauce over bottom of now-empty dish. Place 5 noodles side by side over sauce (noodles may overlap slightly), then spread about ⅔ cup cottage cheese mixture over top. Repeat two more times with 1½ cups meat sauce, 5 more lasagna noodles, and ⅔ cup cottage cheese mixture, then top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella-fontina mixture evenly over top.
- Spray sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and cover lasagna. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes.
- Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler element. Discard foil.
- Broil until cheese is golden, about 3 minutes.
- Let lasagna cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 8Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
8 ounces ground turkey
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly cracked
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
15 curly-edged lasagna noodles
1 pound (2 cups) cottage cheese
8 ounces block mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
4 ounces fontina cheese (1 cup), divided
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
8 ounces ground turkey
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly cracked
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
15 curly-edged lasagna noodles
1 pound (2 cups) cottage cheese
8 ounces block mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
4 ounces fontina cheese (1 cup), divided
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
8 ounces ground turkey
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly cracked
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
15 curly-edged lasagna noodles
1 pound (2 cups) cottage cheese
8 ounces block mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
4 ounces fontina cheese (1 cup), divided
Why This Recipe Works
We achieved a rich, decadent turkey lasagna by using turkey two ways and going big on the cheese. A combination of ground turkey and turkey sausage gave the lasagna lots of savory, herby flavor. And a trio of cheeses—including melty, salty fontina—accounted for the lasagna’s creaminess. To give the casserole structure and bite, we used traditional lasagna noodles, but instead of boiling them, we briefly soaked them in boiling water. Using the broiler to brown the lasagna after it baked gave the lasagna a golden brown topping in just a few minutes.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free), in this recipe.
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion and 1 teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 pound turkey sausage (casings removed), 8 ounces ground turkey, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 6 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons lightly cracked fennel seeds, and ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, lay 15 curly-edged lasagna noodles in broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish and cover with boiling water. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 15 minutes, separating noodles with tip of paring knife occasionally throughout soaking time to prevent sticking.
- Drain noodles and set aside, patting noodles and now-empty dish dry.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine 1 pound cottage cheese, 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup shredded fontina cheese, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and remaining ½ cup fontina cheese in separate bowl; set aside.
- Spread 1½ cups meat sauce over bottom of now-empty dish. Place 5 noodles side by side over sauce (noodles may overlap slightly), then spread about ⅔ cup cottage cheese mixture over top. Repeat two more times with 1½ cups meat sauce, 5 more lasagna noodles, and ⅔ cup cottage cheese mixture, then top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella-fontina mixture evenly over top.
- Spray sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and cover lasagna. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes.
- Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler element. Discard foil.
- Broil until cheese is golden, about 3 minutes.
- Let lasagna cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.
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