Description

This lightened-up turkey lasagna is every bit as comforting as the classic! Layered with lean ground turkey, high-protein cottage cheese, marinara, zucchini and spinach, it bakes up bubbly and delish in under an hour. A crowd-pleasing, healthier take that's easy enough for a weeknight!

Ingredients

Units Scale

10 lasagna noodles
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced small (or sub 8oz sliced mushrooms!)
3 cups fresh spinach
1 lb lean ground turkey (I use 93%)
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp grated or shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (sub 1 tbsp dried parsley)
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus freshly ground black pepper
2-24oz jar high-quality marinara sauce, like Rao's (6 cups)
1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I use part-skim)
2 oz fresh chopped basil

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. Set out a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Boil noodles*: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add noodles and cook according to package directions (you want them al dente since they'll cook in the oven, which tends to be 3-7 min depending on brand. I always cook them a few minutes longer so it cooks faster in oven). Drain and lay flat on parchment paper or baking sheet to prevent sticking.
Cook veggies: While water boils, warm 1/2 tbsp oil in your largest skillet (it'll need to fit all the sauce later) over medium heat. Once hot, add zucchini or mushrooms, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook for 8 minutes or until browned, stirring often, then add spinach and cook for another 3 minutes, or until fully wilted. (It's important veggies are fully cooked so lasagna isn't watery.) Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Make sauce: To the same pan, add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil. Add turkey and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any excess water (important so it isn't watery). Add jars of sauce and stir to combine. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Make cheese layer: Place cottage cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan, egg, parsley, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mix to combine.
Assemble: Spread 2 cups meat sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Top with 5 noodles, 4 lengthwise and one in the gap (see photos). Layer on half of the cooked veggies, half of the cottage cheese mixture, 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella, and a sprinkle of basil. Repeat with 2 cups more of sauce, remaining noodles, veggies, and cottage cheese.
Top with a sprinkle of basil and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Top with 2 cups more meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2-4 tbsp more parmesan.
Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through. Let stand for 15 minutes to help it set before garnishing with more fresh basil and digging in! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

To make this dairy free, use vegan mozzarella cheese and parmesan and my 5-ingredient tofu ricotta.

*If using no-boil noodles, it may take longer to bake--just check with a fork for doneness.