Fresh Tomato Lasagna

I don't think of this as a low calorie recipe from Cooking Light which had it copied from The Culinary Institute of America., it's more like a recipe that I can enjoy at any time. It is really basic and very tasty. The tomatoes does take some time to cook, but it really is not a big deal.

I like adding other herbs to the tomatoes too, such as dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram. Add about 1/2 teaspoon each. You can even add parsley if you like, although I would add fresh parsley rather than dried.

FRESH TOMATO LASAGNA

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
7 cups chopped peeled tomato (about 4 pounds)
2/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray
8 cooked lasagna noodles
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:
Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 2/3 cup basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat ricotta in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot; stir in mozzarella, stirring until melted. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Spread 2 cups tomato mixture in bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half the noodles over tomato mixture; top with ricotta mixture. Arrange remaining noodles over ricotta mixture; top with remaining 2 cups tomato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon basil. Let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 290
Fat: 12 g
Carbs: 29 g
Protein: 18 g
Fiber: 3 g

Zucchini Lasagna

The calories of this tasty lasagna is not bad at all. And it is very tasty. The only change that I made was to use skim ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese simply because I like the taste better.

The recipe is from National Institutes of Health, so you know it is healthy:) Enjoy....

ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lasagna noodles, cooked in unsalted water
3/4 c part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
1-1/2 c fat free or skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1-1/2 c raw zucchini, sliced
2-1/2 c no salt added tomato sauce
2 tsp basil, dried
2 tsp oregano, dried
1/4 c onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 9- by 13-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

In small bowl, combine 1/8 cup mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with all of the cottage cheese. Mix well and set aside.

Combine tomato sauce with remaining ingredients. Spread thin layer of tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish. Add a third of noodles in single layer. Spread half of cottage cheese mixture on top. Add layer of zucchini.

Repeat layering. Add thin coating of sauce. Top with noodles, sauce, and reserved cheese mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings
Per Serving:
Calories: 260
Fat: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Protein: 16 g