Meatless Lasagna (Lower Fat)

This is a Lower Fat version of my favorite food! The trick to healthier eating is always in the ingredients. This year Our Daughter requested a meatless Lasagna for Christmas so here it is!

Ingredients:

1.5-2 pounds lasagna noodles. I used white flour noodles this year, but I prefer whole wheat or fresh sheets which are very hard to find.
1 large pot of fresh tomato sauce or to make things much easier, 6 jars of your favorite marinara. (No cans because it makes the sauce taste like metal)
2, 8 oz containers non fat ricotta cheese
2 cups low moisture part skim mozzarella 
1 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese for the topping (It melts better)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided 
1 whole egg + 3 egg whites
1/2 up chopped fresh basil (chop lightly as not to bruise)
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Olive oil (sparingly)

Method:

The First thing to do is to make your tomato sauce if you are making it from scratch. 

Using a large pot, Boil up the noodles al dente  about 10 minutes..Drain and stir gently and add back to the cooking pot adding a little olive oil so they don't stick to each other.

Mix together: the ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, fresh basil and parsley, salt and pepper while the noodles are cooking and set aside.

Layer ingredients as follows:

Sauce, noodles, tablespoons of ricotta mixture, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Last layer is topped with sauce and the whole milk mozzarella.

Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil (optional) It makes the top a nice golden brown

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until it bubbles and is hot in the middle
OR Place in Fridge overnight and cook within 24 hours at 350 for an hour and a half

Serve with Caesar Salad ( I must come up with a healthier than store bought dressing soon) and Warm Sourdough Bread 

I made a side of my turkey meatballs and they came out so yummy too..The trick with any meatball is to not over-handle it or they get tough. I will post a recipe soon. I am experimenting with baking the meatballs instead of frying.

Remember to portion control everything you eat unless it's a low carb veggie..Denying yourself the foods you love is the death of all diets!!