Recipe: Very Veggie Lasagna
Like many beloved classics, there are dozens of ways to make lasagna that are all certifiably delicious. But as dietitians, a recipe that adds more veggie nutrition, of course, tops the list.
This Very Veggie Lasagna has a few modifications to boost the fiber and protein while still delivering on the “yum” factor. An easy hack to add veggies with little effort is to blend them into the marinara sauce before baking. This adds a little water, thinning out the sauce and making it a perfect pairing for no-boil noodles. If you love the texture of regular lasagna noodles, see our tips below for the easy adjustments.
For 8 servings, this lasagna provides 28 grams of protein and 1.5 veggie servings per person. Round it out with a side salad or portion of roasted broccoli for a fully fabulous plate method meal!
Very Veggie Lasagna
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 1 red pepper, sliced in half and deseeded
- 1/3 C fresh basil
- 12 oz cottage cheese
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- 1/3 C water
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic (or 3-4 tsp minced garlic from a jar)
- 1.5 lbs lean ground meat (turkey, beef, or chicken sausage)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 (9 oz) package no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1/2 C grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley, for garnish, if desired
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut zucchini, carrots, and red pepper into large chunks. Roughly chop basil. Set aside.
- Add the cottage cheese to a small food processor or blender. Blend until the consistency is thick and creamy, similar to ricotta cheese. Place cottage cheese into a bowl. Set aside. If using the same device (ie blender) for the marinara, rinse it well before proceeding to the next step.
- Add marinara sauce, zucchini, carrots, and red pepper to the blender. Blend on high speed for 1 minute or until smooth. Add 1/3 C water and 1/2 tsp salt, and blend for an additional 15-20 seconds.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant and softened. Add the ground meat to the pan with the remaining salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning (omit all if using pre-seasoned meat).
- Brown the meat for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Drain.
- Into a 9×13 inch pan, spread 1/2 C sauce along the bottom.
- Top with 3 noodles in an even row lengthwise.
- Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese evenly over the noodles.
- Top with the 1/3 of the ground meat.
- Add 2/3-3/4 C sauce and gently spread across the meat.
- Repeat steps 7-10 twice before moving to step 13.
- Top the final layer of meat and sauce with 3 noodles. Evenly spread 3/4 C sauce (or whatever remains) on top to cover noodles.
- Wrap the lasagna in aluminum foil. Ensure it’s taut around all edges and not touching the top sauce layer.
- Bake, covered, for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil, rotate the pan 180°, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until the dish is steaming and bubbling at the corners.
- Remove from the oven. Set the pan aside to cool for 15 minutes for any liquids to settle and the mixture to set into a firm texture for slicing.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan/mozzarella and fresh basil, if desired. Slice and serve.
Tips:
- Using gluten-free noodles? Ensure the top layer of noodles is fully covered in sauce and/or cheese to prevent drying out in the oven.
- Marinara purist? Roast the veggies separately or beforehand and layer them into the lasagna (such as in this recipe) for an alternative “very veggie” approach.
- Prefer traditional noodles that you boil in advance? Omit the water blended into the sauce and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes with the cooked meat to reduce any added moisture. Then cook the regular noodles 1-2 minutes less than the package advises, to prevent them from getting too soft when baking.
Swaps:
- For the fresh basil: 3 Tbsp basil paste
- For the avocado oil: olive oil
- For the cottage cheese: ricotta cheese, cashew cream, or vegan/dairy-free ricotta
- For the no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles: gluten-free no-boil alternative (Barilla, Chickapea, and Jovial are common options)
- For the optional cheese: vegan Parmesan cheese or vegan mozzarella cheese
