Wine-Tasting Lasagna
From: Midwest LivingHosting a wine tasting party? Serve this classic lasagna. With its rich meaty sauce and creamy cheese layers, it's a main dish that's always a favorite.
Servings: Makes 9 main-dish servings.
Prep: 1 hr 15 mins
Total: 2 hrs 25 mins
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Ingredients
9 dried lasagna noodles
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 pound lean ground beef or ground pork
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage or bulk pork sausage
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (1 medium)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree
1/2 of a 6-ounce can tomato paste (1/3 cup)
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
1 egg
1 cup light ricotta cheese
1 cup 2% or 4% cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
2-3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (11 ounces)
Directions
1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, except omit any oil or salt; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Place noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil; set aside. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. For meat sauce: In a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, cook and stir beef, sausage, onion, carrot and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes in puree, tomato paste, brown sugar, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in fresh basil. Remove bay leaf; discard. Set sauce aside.
3. For filling: In a medium bowl, combine egg, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Stir in spinach.
4. To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the sauce evenly in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles in the dish. Spread with half of the filling. Top with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with half of the remaining sauce, spreading to evenly cover cheese. Top with 3 more noodles, remaining filling, and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.
5. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees oven for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 9 main-dish servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 472, Total Fat 24 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Monounsaturated Fat 9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 102 mg, Sodium 974 mg, Carbohydrate 32 g, Total Sugar 9 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 30 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 24%, Calcium 38%, Iron 15%.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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