Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

By Ellie

10 Person

120 Minutes

327 Calories

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.

Ingredients

8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
¼ cup water
4 cups sliced mushrooms, (10 ounces)
1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, or vegetarian sausage-style soy product
8 oz. whole-wheat lasagna noodles

Method

01

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
02

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.
03

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.
04

Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
05

To assemble lasagna: Spread ½ 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.
06

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.
07

Vegetarian Variation: Use a sausage-style soy product, such as Gimme Lean, or simply omit the sausage altogether.
08

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

Related Tags

Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

3.5

( By Ellie )

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 10 servings
Calorie 327 Kcal
Prep Time 30 Mins
Cook Time 90 Mins
Total Time 120 Mins

02 Ingredients

8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided

1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky

1 pound frozen spinach, thawed

¼ cup water

4 cups sliced mushrooms, (10 ounces)

1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, or vegetarian sausage-style soy product

8 oz. whole-wheat lasagna noodles

03 Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Step 5

To assemble lasagna: Spread ½ 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.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

Vegetarian Variation: Use a sausage-style soy product, such as Gimme Lean, or simply omit the sausage altogether.

Step 8

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

04 Author