Turkey Lasagna to-die-for

During my Senior year in college, I bought a healthy cooking cookbook with the idea that I would attempt to make at least 3-4 meals a week to avoid going out so much and spending so much money. I am embarrassed to say while I did cook in college, I never used that cookbook. Instead, I was a big fan of "calling mom for recipes" and using google.

A few weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to make lasagna. I wanted it to be delicious and everything that I knew Lasagna could be, but also wanted to make sure it was a healthy meal. I googled (as usual) a few recipes, but ended up resorting to pulling out that Healthy Cooking cookbook that I had never used 3-4 years back. I ended up finding a recipe for a Turkey Lasagna that was delicious and did not have too many steps/ingredients. The left-overs were just as good as when I first made it (maybe even better!)

Turkey Lasagna (serves 9)

What you will need:

• 9 lasagna noodles (I used the Barilla Lasagne noodles - uncooked. you can also use pre-cooked noodles with this recipe.)
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 cups tomato sauce (or a 15 ounce can) 
• One 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 pound low-fat ricotta (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat (or part skim) mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese 

** I love a lot of sauce and wanted more than this recipe called for so after I used what the recipe called for above, I added some more tomato sauce, basil and oregano. You do not need to do this - I just didn't want it to be too dry.

What to do:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles until pliable but not soft. Drain and lay out on clean kitchen towels (the thought of "fuzzy noodles" made me sick, so I used paper towels...they didn't really stick, but still be careful as they may fall apart a little).
2. Meanwhile, cook the turkey in a large non-stick skillet until white throughout. As it cooks, break it apart. Pour off any fat or liquid (this is important). Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juice, oregano and basil. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Measure out 1 cup of the sauce and set aside.
3. Preheat your oven to 350. Coat a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
4. Place 3 noodles on the bottom of the pan (be careful, as they may break). Spread half of the turkey sauce over the noodles, then dot with half the ricotta (don't try to spread it smooth - it will do this as it cooks). Layer another 3 noodles. Repeat with the rest of the sauce and ricotta. Place the last 3 noodles on the top. Spread the reserved cup of sauce on the noodles (I added more than a cup of sauce here...as I mentioned, I like sauce). Finish by distributing the mozzerella and parmesean accross the top.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes (it will fall apart if you try to serve it too quickly). 

Enjoy!!! 

I also made a side of spaghetti with a traditional marinara sauce, and a Mixed Salad with an olive oil dressing on the side. 

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving: Calories 236 | Protein: 23g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 23g | Sodium: 533mg