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Healthier Meat Lasagna

SMART SUBSTITUTIONS Small swap-ins can make a big difference. Whole-wheat noodles, low-fat cottage cheese, and lean ground sirloin lighten up this lasagna. Sautéed eggplant rounds out the ground-beef sauce; melted part-skim mozzarella on top (but not inside) keeps the dish feeling indulgent, but more moderately so.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

6 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 ounces total), broken in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small Italian eggplant (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces ground beef sirloin
1 can (10.75 ounces) tomato purée
2 cups low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 375°F. Place noodles in an 8-inch square baking dish, and cover with hot water; set aside to soften.

    Step 2

    In a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, eggplant, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add sirloin and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato purée and cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season meat sauce with salt and pepper.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Remove noodles from baking dish, discarding water (dry dish).

    Step 4

    Spread about 1/4 cup meat sauce in bottom of dish, and top with 4 noodle halves in a single layer. Sprinkle evenly with a third of the cheese mixture, then top with a third of the sauce. Repeat twice with remaining noodles, cheese mixture, and sauce. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

    Step 5

    Bake until lasagna is bubbling and cheese topping is golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

  2. nutrition information

    Step 6

    (Per Serving)

    Step 7

    Calories: 469

    Step 8

    Fat: 15.4g (6g Saturated Fat)

    Step 9

    Protein: 40.4g

    Step 10

    Carbohydrates: 42.4g

    Step 11

    Fiber: 9.5g

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