Lasagna is a traditional layered pasta, sauce, and cheese dish. It can be made lower in fat and calories and higher in fiber by changing or adding a few ingredients. 

Some folks actually serve lasagna as a dish on Christmas! No matter when you serve it, this is simply a delicious dish! 

Holiday Lasagna 

Ingredients: 

1 lb. whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked “al dente” 

1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey 

4-5 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning (or 2 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil) 

29 oz. can tomato sauce 

6 oz. fresh spinach, chopped 

8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded 

5 oz. grated parmesan cheese, divided 

24 oz. low fat cottage cheese 

1 large egg 

Salt and pepper  

Directions:  

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large pot, cook pasta “al dente” according to package directions. Rinse under cold water then set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown beef (or turkey), using spatula to crumble as it cooks.
3. Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to for cook a few minutes longer.
4. Add tomato sauce to meat mixture and stir to combine. Cook one minute then take off heat.  Reserve one cup of meat sauce separately for the bottom and top layers.
5. In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, half the mozzarella (4oz), half the parmesan (2.5oz), the chopped spinach and the egg, stir to combine.
6. Spread a thin layer (~1/2 of the reserved cup) of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan.
7. Begin layering:  3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of cheese mixture, 1/3 of remaining meat sauce, do these 2 more times ending with the last 3 lasagna noodles.
8. Spread the remaining reserved meat sauce on top and layer with the remaining mozzarella (4oz) cheese.
9. Cover with foil and bake for 40- 45 minutes, uncover, add the remaining parmesan cheese (2.5oz) and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to brown the top. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut and serve! 

Tips:  

*To keep lasagna from sticking, boil in a large pot and stir constantly through the first few minutes. You can also add a little oil to the water. When noodles are done, separate the sheets in a single layer and on a kitchen towel. 

*Noodles cooked “al dente” means they are still firm to the bite. 

Serving size: 12 

Nutrition per serving: 374 Calories, 11g Fat, 30g Carbohydrates, 5g Fiber, 37g Protein, 866mg Sodium