Light Meat and Cheese Lasagna
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 29, 2009
Time
3½ hours
Yield
Serves 10
Ingredients
Sauce
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes 1 medium onion, minced1 teaspoon olive oil Salt 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)2 tablespoons tomato paste ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 2 bay leaves ½ cup minced fresh basil leavesGround black pepperFilling and Pasta Layers
1 pound fat-free ricotta cheese 12 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)½ cup minced fresh basil leaves1 large egg, lightly beaten½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Vegetable oil spray 12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce packageBefore You Begin
Do not use ground turkey breast meat (sometimes labeled as 99 percent fat free) for this recipe, or the sauce will be dry and grainy. Do not use fat-free mozzarella or the filling will be rubbery.
Instructions
- Process 1 can of tomatoes with their juices in a food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Combine the onion, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in half of the ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, remaining can of diced tomatoes with their juices, broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
- Stir the remaining turkey into the sauce and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce measures about 6 cups, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined (you should have about 3 cups of filling).
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread 1½ cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Lay 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, spaced evenly apart. Place cup of the filling on top of each noodle and spread it out evenly over the entire noodle using a rubber spatula. Spread 1 cup of the sauce evenly over the filling. Repeat this layering twice more.
- Lay the remaining 3 noodles over the top. Spread the remaining 1½ cups sauce evenly over the noodles, making sure to cover the edges. Spray a large piece of foil with vegetable oil spray and cover the lasagna tightly.
- Place the lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna evenly with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
for the sauce
for the filling
to assemble and bake
Time
3½ hoursYield
Serves 10Ingredients
Sauce
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
Ground black pepper
Filling and Pasta Layers
1 pound fat-free ricotta cheese
12 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package
Ingredients
Sauce
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
Ground black pepper
Filling and Pasta Layers
1 pound fat-free ricotta cheese
12 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package
Ingredients
Sauce
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
Ground black pepper
Filling and Pasta Layers
1 pound fat-free ricotta cheese
12 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package
Why This Recipe Works
To wind up with a light meat and cheese lasagna recipe, we replaced traditional meat sauce with a sauce made from lower-fat ground turkey. We didn’t want to simply cut back on the quantities of cheese in our light lasagna recipe, because we needed the volume for a satisfying dish, so we explored the reduced-fat and no-fat cheeses on the market today, determining that reduced-fat mozzarella and nonfat ricotta were perfectly acceptable. We rounded out our filling with a small amount of Parmesan cheese—just enough to add flavor without tons of fat—and a little freshly minced basil for some much-needed brightness.
Before You Begin
Do not use ground turkey breast meat (sometimes labeled as 99 percent fat free) for this recipe, or the sauce will be dry and grainy. Do not use fat-free mozzarella or the filling will be rubbery.
Instructions
- Process 1 can of tomatoes with their juices in a food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Combine the onion, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in half of the ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, remaining can of diced tomatoes with their juices, broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
- Stir the remaining turkey into the sauce and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce measures about 6 cups, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined (you should have about 3 cups of filling).
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread 1½ cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Lay 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, spaced evenly apart. Place cup of the filling on top of each noodle and spread it out evenly over the entire noodle using a rubber spatula. Spread 1 cup of the sauce evenly over the filling. Repeat this layering twice more.
- Lay the remaining 3 noodles over the top. Spread the remaining 1½ cups sauce evenly over the noodles, making sure to cover the edges. Spray a large piece of foil with vegetable oil spray and cover the lasagna tightly.
- Place the lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna evenly with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
for the sauce
for the filling
to assemble and bake
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