11/4/13

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna


I like a good lasagna as much as the next person, but a white lasagna, oh, I'm in love. Take out the tomatoes and put in some extra Parmesan and a cream sauce and lasagna goes from something I'll eat on occasion to something I try to slip into the dinner menu once a week. Since my family loves white lasagna as much as me this usually isn't a problem, but did I mention the cream sauce? Not necessarily something you want to be eating on a regular basis. Sigh.

Luckily for me (and you, trust me!) there are lighter versions of white lasagna around and this one is my favorite. I found it through my friend Renee at Renee's Kitchen Adventures and after she raved about it I had to try it for myself. It is a modified Cooking Light recipe that tastes anything but light. The recipe uses turkey sausage, which I happen to love but my husband rates it up there with red delicious apples and fat free sour cream on the list of disappointing foods in his life. He so heartily approved of this lasagna the first time I served it, though, that I've never had the heart to tell him about the turkey sausage in it. Even if he knew, there is still a lot to like about the dish. It is perfectly seasoned, not dry or rubbery, and the spinach and sausage pair together so well for a great flavor that make seconds a must. Despite having less cheese than most white lasagna recipes, it is still plenty cheesy and full of ooey gooey goodness. And did I mention the spinach? This dish is bursting with it, which makes my heart happy when I see my toddler shoving spoonfuls into her mouth. You have to love dishes that make eating spinach enjoyable. This is the perfect fall comfort meal, made just a little less stick-to-your-ribs.




Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Heat Oven To 350 Published 11/04/2013
Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed with excess moisture squeezed out
  • 1.5 pounds lean turkey sausage
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 15 oz tub part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
  2. Combine flour, milk, chicken broth, bay leaf and canola oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk together and heat until sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of prepared 9x13 pan.
  3. In a large skillet, add sausage (casings removed if sausage is in links) and cook until browned. Break up large pieces with a spoon while cooking. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in spinach and remaining sauce.
  4. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg and Parmesan cheese. Set aside
  5. Place 3 lasagna noodles over sauce spread at the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles and spread mixture carefully until it is even. Top with 1/3 of the sausage/spinach/sauce mixture. Add 3 more lasagna noodles and repeat layering two more times, ending with spinach/sausage/sauce mixture. Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and broil lasagna for 4 minutes to brown the cheese on top.
  6. Remove lasagna from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Renee's Kitchen Adventures, originally from Cooking Light



18 Click For Comments:

My husband LOVES turkey sausage. Thank goodness because it's one of my faves too. I'm not usually a fan of white lasagna because I like things heavy on the sauce, but I might just have to make this for Nate :) Looks great!

Oh it looks like it came out great!!! I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I need to make this recipe again soon. PS...Thanks for using my new name! haha (see I took your advice!)

This looks marvelous. Pinning :)

I just noticed the change today when I double checked your address to make sure I had it right in the post. I like it! And it comes up great in google searches, so that's good too. Congrats!

Hi Nicole! I'm like you...I love the sound of white lasagna, but it's definitely something I don't think I should be eating all the time. This healthy version sounds AMAZING. I can't wait to try it! Thank you for sharing. Very glad I found your blog tonight!!!

oh great! I was worried about loosing SEO with the change!

I love a good white lasagna and this one definitely sounds like a winner! I made one from Cook's Illustrated for Christmas last year and it was amazing, but anything but light :) Pinning this and putting it on the menu soon!

I wonder if I could get my husband to eat that and not tell him its got turkey in it! For some reason, after my husband had colon cancer, his tastes completely changed. The man who loved pork any which way, can't stand it, his burgers/steaks have to be super thin, and he hates red sauce - and he's Italian! I think he'd go for this though!

OMGGG this looks DIVINE:) your blog is now my addiction haha.

Check out my blog post...make your own gallery wall:)

Have a lovely day dear

LOVE Maria at inredningsvis - The Swedish home decor blog

is icing sugar the same as powered sugar???

can you use wowbutter instead of peanut butter??? www.wowbutter.com for those who cant eat peanut butter check it out!

can you use wowbutter instead of peanut butter????

I've heard from some people that they've tried wowbutter or another kind of reduced calorie product and it has worked for them. I haven't tried it myself.

I changed the comments after I pinned it so it doesn't say its 'sugar free' for all the drama queens out there :) Wonderful recipe, daughters love these and had fun making tonight...may not be any left for our Thanksgiving guests tomorrow!

I use wow butter and they come out great!

can these be made ahead and frozen?

I just scrolled through these comments and I was mildly amused at how people could actually get upset about a Pinterest Pin. Don't like it, do your own research! As for me and my family, we're going to make and enjoy these delicious toxic peanut butter GMO infused heavenly tasting holiday treats! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

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