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Joys Bauer's Spinach Lasagna

TODAY
Servings:
12
RATE THIS RECIPE
(313)

Chef notes

This ooey-gooey, cheesy lasagna will hit the spot. It's perfect for a simple weeknight supper, yet elegant enough for serving company. Plus, there's no need to precook the noodles, which makes preparation a snap. You can also get your little ones involved; have them decorate the tops using sliced bell peppers and tomatoes to create funny faces, hearts or even write their initials. And thanks to the heaps of frozen spinach, there's a whole lot of feel-good nutrition in every luscious bite.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
  • One 24-ounce jar tomato or marinara sauce
  • 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained of all water
  • 9 whole-grain lasagna noodles, uncooked
  • 1½-2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • Sliced cherry/grape tomatoes tomatoes and colorful thin bell pepper sticks, to decorate (optional)

Preparation

1.

Cook the turkey in a medium pan coated with nonstick oil spray over medium heat, making sure to crumble the turkey as it's cooking with rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Drain off fat. Add marinara sauce and 1/2 cup water to the pan with the cooked turkey. Mix to combine, cover and shut off heat then set aside.

2.

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

3.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, egg white, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano. Add the drained spinach and mix again to combine.

4.

Cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of meat sauce (about ½ cup) and place down 3 of the uncooked lasagna noodles. Top with half of the spinach-ricotta mixture and about 1 cup of the meat sauce mixture, then a layer of 3 more noodles. Top with the remaining spinach-ricotta mixture and then the remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the top.

5.

Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Pour about 1/2 cup of water around the edge of the pan (this will cook the noodles) and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

6.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for 30 more minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then decorate the top using cherry tomatoes and bell pepper sticks (you can create a heart, smiley face or even spell a family member's initials).