Lasagna

Today's yummy recipes deal with one of my favorite foods: lasagna. What's not to love? That said, today's offerings include Vegetable Lasagna and Festive Lasagna Roll-Ups with Salsa Rosa Sauce. Enjoy!

EGGPLANT LASAGNA

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings

Source: Hunt’s

View online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/eggplant-lasagna.

Ingredients

Pam Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/4-inch thick lengthwise slices

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 package (20 ounces) ground turkey

3/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 can (14.5 ounces) Hunt's Original Diced Tomatoes, No Salt Added, drained

1/4 cup Hunt's Tomato Paste (or Hunt's Organic)

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 350F. Spray 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning; set aside.

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush eggplant slices with oil; sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

In batches, place eggplant on grill pan. Cook each side 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Remove and place on baking sheet lined with paper towels; pat to remove excess moisture.

Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add turkey and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and garlic; cook 2-3 minutes more or until onion is tender and turkey is crumbled and no longer pink. Drain.

Add drained tomatoes, tomato paste and basil to skillet; stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes more.

Assemble lasagna by spreading 3/4 cup meat mixture over bottom of dish. Place 3 eggplant slices over meat mixture, top with 3/4 cup meat mixture, half of ricotta cheese mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with a layer of eggplant slices topped with meat mixture and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Spray underside of aluminum foil with cooking spray; cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

An extra set of hands from a little helper can shave minutes off the assembly of this Eggplant Lasagna, while getting a youngster excited about digging into a veggie-centric dinner.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 318; Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 363 mg; Cholesterol: 72 mg; Protein: 22 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g

BUDGET-FRIENDLY PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

This is from Diabetes Food Hub, and begins, “This version of Greek Lasagna is a great family meal that pairs well with a green salad topped with a little feta cheese and light Greek salad dressing.”

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Servings: 12; Serving Size: 1 slice

View this online at https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/budget-friendly-pastitsio-greek-lasagna.html.

Ingredients

1 spray Nonstick cooking spray

1 medium onion (diced)

20 oz lean ground turkey (93% fat-free)

2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 can tomato sauce (15 ounce, low-sodium)

1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

1 lbs brown rice or quinoa penne pasta (or whole wheat penne pasta)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 cups skim milk

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

1 egg

Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 8

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.

Add cooking spray to a large nonstick sauté pan. Sauté onions for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add in ground turkey and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through.

Add cinnamon, oregano, salt (optional), ground black pepper, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer for 5-7 minutes or until just starting to thicken.

Stir in parsley and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and stir immediately into turkey mixture. Pour the pasta and turkey mixture into the baking sheet and press down so it is evenly spread in the pan.

Add the olive oil to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook the flour for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to brown it. Stir constantly.

Slowly whisk in the skim milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in the nutmeg and parmesan cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and then slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture to temper the egg. Add the rest of the milk mixture to the egg and then pour over the top of the pasta, spreading to coat the entire thing.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.

CHEESE LASAGNA

Servings: 3

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/3.shtml

Ingredients

6 ounces whole wheat lasagna noodles

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 cup onion, bell pepper and mushrooms (mix of all three)

1-1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

2 eggs

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

3 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside.

Combine tomato sauce and chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Mix in separate bowl cottage cheese, eggs & 1/2 of Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a 8" x 8" casserole, layer half the noodles, the cottage cheese mixture, and grated mozzarella cheese. Top with tomato sauce mix and the rest of the noodles. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, then serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 500; Protein: 36 g; Fat: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 52 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 Low-Fat Milk, 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Vegetable

TRADITIONAL LASAGNA

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes; Difficulty: Medium

Recipe Yield: Yield: 12 servings.

Source: Dreamfields

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/traditional-lasagna.

Ingredients

12 pieces of Dreamfields Lasagna

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

8 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)

8 ounces lean ground beef

8 ounces Italian sausage

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 cups marinara sauce

Directions

Prepare lasagna according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain well.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute garlic, onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes; remove from heat.

Using the same skillet on medium heat, brown hamburger and Italian sausage, season with salt and pepper, stirring and crumbling meats. Cook about 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain juices. Mix in vegetable mixture.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 13x9x3 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

To Assemble:

Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of baking dish.

Layer 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the meat mixture, 1 cup marinara sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Layer 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce.

Layer remaining lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, meat mixture, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cover pan with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 322; Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 769 mg; Cholesterol: 55 mg; Protein: 22 g; Carbohydrates: 0 g

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Recipe Yield: Makes 6 main dish servings.

Source: Dreamfields

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/vegetable-lasagna.

Ingredients

6 pieces Dreamfields Lasagna

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup chopped zucchini (1 small zucchini)

1/2 cup sliced carrot

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup dry red wine

2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons commercial basil pesto

Nonstick cooking spray

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cook lasagna according to package directions. Drain and cut each piece in half.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, red onion and black pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until wine has evaporated. Add pasta sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and pesto.

Spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup vegetable-pasta sauce in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 4 noodle halves over sauce. Top with one-third of cheese-pesto mixture, then 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice, using any remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375°F 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Notes:

This recipe may be doubled and made in a 9×13 baking dish for 12 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 331; Calories from fat: 37; Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: 652 mg; Cholesterol: 24 mg; Protein: 16 g; Carbohydrates: 0 g

FESTIVE LASAGNA ROLL-UPS WITH SALSA ROSA SAUCE

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Source: Dreamfields

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/festive-lasagna-roll-ups-with-salsa-rosa-sauce.

Ingredients

16 uncooked Dreamfields Lasagna noodles

4 cups (32 ounces) prepared marinara sauce

1 container (10 ounces) prepared refrigerated light Alfredo sauce (1 cup)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tabespoon finely chopped red onion

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms

9 ounces fresh spinach leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley and chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup dry red wine or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 carton (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup finely shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips, optional

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together marinara and Alfredo sauces until uniform in color. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; cook 1 minute until soft. Add mushrooms, spinach, herbs and wine. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Spray 9 x 13 x 2-inch and 9 x 9-inch baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of sauce in bottom of 9 x 13-inch dish and 1/2 cup in 9 x 9-inch dish.

Lay noodles on cutting board or counter top; pat dry. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese evenly over each noodle. Next, spread 1-1/2 tablespoons of sauce, then 1-1/2 tablespoons of spinach mixture uniformly over each lasagna noodle. Roll lasagna noodle gently but firmly. Place lasagna rolls in baking dishes seam-side down (10 lasagna rolls will fit in 9 x 13 dish and 6 in 9 x 9 dish). Pour 3/4 cup sauce over the top of 9 x 13 dish and 1/2 cup over 9 x 9 dish. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 45 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking 10 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with additional fresh basil, if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 535; Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Fiber: 9 g; Sodium: 944 mg; Protein: 25 g; Carbohydrates: 66 g