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I love a good old traditional beef lasagna. But often the fat and calories are enormous due to the fat in the meat, the tons of cheese and the béchamel (white cream sauce). I use lean ground beef and drain both the beef and sausage fat. In the cheese layer I depend on more ricotta and evaporated milk so I don't need a béchamel sauce. If you don't have time to make the tomato sauce, replace with 6 cups of store-bought spaghetti sauce (with meat).
MEAT AND TOMATO SAUCE
- 8 oz lean ground beef
- 6 oz spicy sausage (casing removed, chopped)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cans (28 oz) Italian plum tomatoes, drained and puréed (42 oz altogether)
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 5 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
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CHEESE FILLING
- 2 cups light ricotta (5%)
- 1 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup canned evaporated milk (2%)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-x13-inch glass casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling water just until tender to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- To make the meat and tomato sauce, lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with the cooking spray. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until brown, breaking up with fork, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Set aside.
- Respray the pan. Add the oil, onion and garlic to skillet and sauté until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Return the beef and sausage to the skillet. Add the dried basil, oregano, salt, pepper, basil leaves, sugar, puréed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 30 minutes. Add the Parmesan. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off just until still crumbly. Do not purée.
- To make the cheese filling, stir the ricotta, cheddar, egg, milk, Parmesan, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
- Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat and tomato sauce over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with 3 noodles. Spread half of the cheese filling over the noodles. Add another 1 1/2 cups of the meat and tomato sauce, 3 noodles and the remaining half of the filling. Add another 1 1/2 cups sauce and the remaining 3 noodles. Finish with the remaining meat sauce. Top with the grated mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, then another 15 minutes uncovered. Garnish with the basil.
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Nutritional Analysis per Serving
| Calories |
343 |
| Protein |
23 g |
| Fat |
15 g |
| Saturated Fat |
7.4 g |
| Carbohydrates |
25 g |
| Cholesterol |
71 mg |
| Sodium |
690 mg |
| Fiber |
3 g |
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Make Ahead:Bake the day before and reheat in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes.
Serves 10
Nutrition Watch:One serving of traditional lasagna may have up to 700 calories, 40 g of fat and 1,130 mg of sodium. Try this lighter version instead
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