The Best-Ever Healthy Lasagna Recipe

There are two types of lasagna in this world. The Italian type is made with a rich meat sauce and covered with béchamel instead of cheese, and the American type is heavy on tomatoes, ricotta, and mozzarella—a delicious, if not altogether healthy, interpretation. This version of the chicken lasagna recipe represents the best of both worlds, blending the cheesy, tomatoey comfort of the American version with the meatiness and relative healthfulness of the Italian take. Perfect for large dinner parties and for freezing. The only thing better than lasagna? Leftover lasagna.

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Nutrition: 360 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated), 450 mg sodium

Serves 8

You'll Need

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 links raw chicken sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta (Barilla makes a good no-boil lasagna that is widely available.)
1/2 cup 2% milk
16 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles
16–20 fresh basil leaves
1 cup chopped fresh mozzarella

How to Make It

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook for about 3 minutes, until no longer pink.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Combine the ricotta and milk in a mixing bowl.
8. In a 9" x 9" baking pan, lay down a layer of 4 noodles.
9. Cover with a quarter of the ricotta mixture and a quarter of the sausage mixture, then a few basil leaves and a quarter of the mozzarella.
10. Repeat three times to create a four-layer lasagna.
11. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the pasta cooked through.
12. Remove the foil and increase the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
13. Continue baking for about 10 minutes, until the top of the lasagna is nicely browned.

Eat This! Tip

Other ways to layer your lasagna:6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

• Sautéed mushrooms and spinach (as many different types as you can find), béchamel, and goat cheese
• Turkey Bolognese and béchamel with a bit of grated Parmesan on top

 Easy, healthy, 350-calorie recipe ideas you can make at home.