2015 A Lasagna Odyssey A wholesome twist on an old favourite
I'm a sucker for Italian food, whether it's pizza, pasta or bread!
Unfortunately, Italian food in Australia often comes prepackaged with lots of extra carbohydrate, sugar and salt.
For a more wholesome take on lasagna, try this homemade recipe which is bursting with vitamin A (carrot), vitamin C (tomato), iron (spinach) and protein (lean beef mince), to name a few benefits!
This recipe also uses a lite Ricotta cheese mixture in place of Bechamel sauce, making the lasagna lower in saturated fats.
In addition, traditional lasagnas don't contain many vegetables - whereas this recipe offers green, red, orange and brown varieties with a sprinkle of immune-powering herbs!
INGREDIENTS
500g lean beef mince
800g tinned diced tomatoes (no added salt, sugar)
200g tomato paste (no additives, preservatives)
1 onion (thinly sliced)
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
3 carrots (thinly sliced)
2 zucchinis (grated)
150g spinach leaves
250g lite ricotta cheese
1 cup lite grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup lite milk
250g wholemeal lasagna sheets
Mixed herbs - oregano, basil and marjoram
Not the most photogenic of dinners, but still a family favourite
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Brown mince and onion in fry-pan, add garlic once mince is sealed.
3. Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring thoroughly to blend, simmer for 4 minutes - when mince sauce is heavily fragrant, set aside.
4. Add ricotta cheese and milk into a large mixing bowl.
5. Stir cheese mixture until it becomes smooth and free of any air-bubbles.
6. Lightly grease a 37 x 12cm lasagna dish
7. Add first layer of lasagna sheets, top with mince sauce, carrot, zucchini then spinach leaves. Cover with ricotta cheese mixture.
8. Add second layer of lasagna sheets, top with mince sauce and ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat to create third layer.
9. Top third layer with lasagna sheets, and pour remaining ricotta cheese mixture over the top. Top with Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil and marjoram.
10. Lightly cover dish with baking paper, and bake in oven for 45 minutes.
11. Allow to stand for 1 minute, and then enjoy!
I suggest serving lasagna with a rocket and pear salad, or steamed broccoli and beans
Categories
#healthy_recipes
%healthyhints
235583 - 2023-07-18 00:16:41