A Lasagna That Can't be Beat - I Feel Like Cooking

A Lasagna That Can’t be Beat

Main Course / February 9, 2014

I love good lasagna, but I truly get tired of eating so much cow. I also know that an exclusively vegetarian lasagna would never
past muster in my home. By hiding a few carrots, onions and green pepper, I succeeded in creating a lovely, cheesy, and well rounded meal that had its share of vegetables and plenty of satisfying meat flavor. It’s not low calorie, but it isn’t heart attack food either. It has the cheeses we love; mozzarella and Parmesan, and ricotta, but it also has a bit of low fat cottage cheese. This takes the healthy-brag factor to a new high, without sacrificing flavor or texture. It’s decadent, yet healthy! Make it for yourself and see what you think! It is pretty, authentic tasting, and although there are a few steps, its is fairly fool proof.

Deceptively Decadent Sausage Vegetable Lasagna

Tons of Flavor with Half the Guilt

Prep time 40 minutes/Cook time 40

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 lb ground beef

1/3 lb sausage

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato puree

3 carrots diced small

½ large green pepper diced small

½ white onion diced

2 t dried oregano

¼ t dried sage

Salt and pepper

Turmeric

1 package Mozzarella cheese

½ C grated Parmesan cheese

1 container ricotta cheese

½ C cottage cheese

1 egg

10 lasagna noodles

2 T olive oil

METHOD:

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and take off burner. Preheat a large fry pan and add oil. Sauté onion, carrot and pepper with salt and pepper, oregano, sage and turmeric. Add the sausage and then drain off the fat. Add the tomatoes, the puree, and let simmer on low for 30 minutes. Cook lasagna noodles until al dente.
In the meantime, in a bowl add the container of ricotta, egg, 1 C mozzarella, ½ c cottage cheese. Whisk and incorporate until well blended.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put a small amount of meat mixture at the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan. Can spray with oil if desired. I used a nonstick pan. Now, layer with three noodles. Cover with half the ricotta mixture, layer half the remaining meat, cover with noodles, slather with other half ricotta mixture, layer with noodles, cover with remaining meat mixture, cover with the rest of the mozzarella.
Bake in oven for 4o minutes. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Cut and serve!