Lasagne

My goal: to capture the elements of lasagne that people love – a hearty meat sauce, creamy filling and cheesy bite – without breaking the low sodium bank. The net result: a delicious, authentic-tasting lasagne that’ll leave you feeling full, fabulous, and completely guilt free. If you haven’t tried it yet, fresh water-packed mozzarella has a wonderfully subtle taste and is much softer than its shrink-wrapped salty cousin. Check local grocery stores and specialty cheese shops for availability of both fresh mozzarella and the lowest possible sodium Parmesan.

Serves 8.

SODIUM CONTENT: 121.5 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS

1 16-oz. pkg. dried lasagne noodles (about 2/3 of box)

SAUCE:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 c.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-oz. pkg. Baby Bella (cremini) mushrooms, diced (about 2 c.)
2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, drained and diced
2 8-oz. cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 T. tomato paste
2 t. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. dried basil
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried thyme

FILLING:
1 12-oz. pkg. silken tofu, drained
1 egg
3/4 c. shredded fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese
1 T. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t. dried basil

TOPPING:
1 c. shredded fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese
1 T. grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Get out a 9 x 13-inch casserole pan and set aside.

Fill a stockpot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add lasagne noodles 3 at a time and cook 10 minutes. Carefully remove noodles from pot and lay flat on waxed paper to cool. Repeat process two more times, for a total of 9 cooked noodles.

To make the sauce, heat a large saute pan over medium-high. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic and cook until the ground beef has browned, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and diced tomatoes and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the tomato sauce and remaining seasonings, and stir well to combine. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, assemble the filling. Place the silken tofu into a mixing bowl and break into pieces using a large spoon. Add the egg and continue stirring until a smooth ricotta-like consistency has been achieved. Stir in the basil, fresh mozzarella and parmesan, then set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Once the sauce has finished cooking, assemble the lasagne. Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place three noodles lengthwise over top, then spread about a third of the tofu filling over the noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 c. fresh shredded mozzarella over top. Repeat process using the remaining ingredients: sauce, noodles, tofu filling, shredded mozzarella. Finally, sprinkle 1 T. parmesan cheese over top of the assembled lasagne and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan on middle rack in oven and bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully remove foil and let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.