#COOKING WITH CLORIS--TURKEY LASAGNA

Yes, it’s July, but I really had a craving for lasagna the other night, probably because it was one of those infrequent summer days that feels more like late October than mid-July. This recipe doesn’t take hours to make or bake because it uses lasagna noodles that you don’t first cook. And it’s made with turkey ground meat, turkey sausage, and lots of veggies. So it’s lower in calories and good for you.

Turkey Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

10 asparagus spears

1/2 pound turkey sausage

1 pound lean ground turkey

1/2 bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 (25 ounce) can canned spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup water

1 T. Italian seasoning

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

4 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a Dutch oven sauté sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic, and asparagus in oil over medium heat until onion becomes transparent and meat is well browned. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, and water. Season with Italian seasoning. Heat through, stirring occasionally.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Spray 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.

Pour 1 cup of sauce in bottom of pan, spreading evenly. Top with three sheets of noodles. Sheets will expand to edge of pan during baking.

Layer remaining ingredients as follows: 1 cup of sauce,  1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella, 3 sheets lasagna. End with remaining sauce, ricotta and mozzarella, sprinkling remaining Parmesan cheese over mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving.

COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUILT-FREE LASAGNA

Who doesn’t love lasagna? But don’t you feel guilty afterwards? All those calories! All that fat! Well, food editor Cloris McWerther has come to the rescue of lasagna lovers everywhere with her Guilt-Free Lasagna recipe. She uses chicken sausage, zucchini, fat-free ricotta, and part-skim mozzarella. All the taste, none of the guilt! Manga! -- AP

GUILT-FREE LASAGNA

Ingredients

12 oz. package spinach/cheese chicken sausage, chopped

3/4 cup of chopped onions

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cups diced zucchini

2 tablespoons olive oil

25 oz. jar 3 cheese pasta sauce

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

3 cups of fat-free ricotta cheese.

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 egg

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

1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

12 whole wheat lasagna noodles

Soak lasagna noodles in hot tap water for 15 minutes. While noodles are soaking, brown sausage, onions, garlic, zucchini, and Italian seasoning in olive oil.

Whisk egg in mixing bowl. Blend in ricotta cheese and nutmeg.

Spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9” x 13” lasagna pan. Add remaining sauce to the sausage mixture.

Remove the lasagna noodles from water. Shake off excess water from noodles. Lay 6 noodles in pan over sauce layer. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer. Spread half the meat sauce over the cheese layer. Add remaining layer of noodles. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of the mozzarella, then 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the ricotta. Spread the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top.

Cover the pan with foil. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking uncovered for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes before serving.

Who’s running right out to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients to make this tonight? -- AP