Best 6 Cooking Light Hearty Lasagna Recipes

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Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that is enjoyed by people all over the world. It is a hearty and flavorful casserole that is made with layers of pasta, cheese, and sauce. Traditional lasagna is made with a meat sauce, but there are many variations that use different fillings, such as vegetables, seafood, or even tofu. In this article, we will share three delicious lasagna recipes that are sure to please everyone at your table. Our first recipe is a classic lasagna that is made with a rich and flavorful meat sauce. Our second recipe is a vegetarian lasagna that is packed with fresh vegetables and herbs. And our third recipe is a seafood lasagna that is made with a creamy and flavorful seafood sauce. No matter what your taste preferences are, you are sure to find a lasagna recipe in this article that you will love.

**Three lasagna recipes included in this article:**

1. **Classic lasagna:** A traditional lasagna recipe that is made with a rich and flavorful meat sauce. This recipe is sure to please everyone at your table.
2. **Vegetarian lasagna:** A hearty and flavorful lasagna that is packed with fresh vegetables and herbs. This recipe is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
3. **Seafood lasagna:** A delicious and elegant lasagna that is made with a creamy and flavorful seafood sauce. This recipe is perfect for a special occasion meal.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

HEARTY MEAT LASAGNA



Hearty Meat Lasagna image

This classic layered pasta, sauce and cheese dish gets a zesty boost with the addition of chunky, chili sauce.

Provided by Heinz

Categories     Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips     Heinzitup.com

Time 1h50m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium (2-1/2" dia)s onions, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
½ pound lean ground pork, veal or crumbled sausage
4 cups Heinz® Tomato Juice
1 (455 ml) bottle Heinz® Chili Sauce, Chunky with Sweet Peppers
1 (156 ml) can Heinz Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon Heinz Worcestershire Sauce
12 noodles oven-ready lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic and dried herbs; cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables soften.
  • Crumble in beef and pork and brown all over, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato juice, chili sauce, tomato paste and Worcestershire Sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Spread 1/4 of the sauce in to a 13- x 9-in (3 L) casserole dish. Top with 3 noodles. Layer with 1/4 more sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers twice, ending with cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.3 calories, Carbohydrate 36.7 g, Cholesterol 56.6 mg, Fat 13.6 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Protein 22.5 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Sodium 914.8 mg, Sugar 2.2 g

HEARTY LASAGNA



Hearty Lasagna image

Here's a dish that's perfect to share with your sweetie! The heart on top is an easy touch which makes the lasagna extra special. Because you can make it ahead, you won't have to feel rushed when it's time to enjoy your meal. -Marcy Cella, L'Anse, Michigan

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 2h30m

Yield 12 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 17

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 carrots, halved
2 celery ribs, halved
12 ounces lasagna noodles
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic in oil until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Place carrots and celery in sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. , Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse in cold water. Remove and discard carrots and celery. , In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer one-third of the noodles, one-third of the meat sauce, one-third of the ricotta, one-third of the mozzarella and one-third of the Parmesan. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining noodles and meat sauce. , Cut a heart out of aluminum foil and center on top of sauce. Dollop and spread remaining ricotta around heart. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove and discard foil heart. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 391 calories, Fat 16g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 56mg cholesterol, Sodium 790mg sodium, Carbohydrate 36g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 25g protein.

LIGHTER LASAGNA



Lighter Lasagna image

A lighter version of a classic. If you want to use regular lasagna noodles and boil them first, omit the vegetable juice.

Provided by ZOO66

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 1h45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 egg
cooking spray
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup shredded carrots
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 (26 ounce) jar low-fat pasta sauce (such as Healthy Request®)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktail

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, and egg in a large bowl.
  • Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and carrot until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey, and stir until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Pour the pasta sauce and water into the skillet. Season with rosemary,oregano, and basil. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes.
  • Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the pan, and top with 3 noodles. Spoon an additional 1/3 of the sauce on the noodles; top with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining 3 noodles and the rest of the sauce. Pour the vegetable juice evenly over the lasagna, and top with the remaining mozzarella. Cover the dish with foil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 263.2 calories, Carbohydrate 24 g, Cholesterol 73.9 mg, Fat 9.2 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 25.4 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 663.1 mg, Sugar 6.4 g

HEARTY HOMEMADE LASAGNA



Hearty Homemade Lasagna image

Help satisfy their appetites when you make this Hearty Homemade Lasagna recipe. Requiring just 20 minutes of prep, this Hearty Homemade Lasagna is full of meaty, cheesy flavor that your family will love.

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories     Home

Time 1h30m

Yield Makes 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 jar (26 oz.) CLASSICO Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce (about 2-3/4 cups)
1 lb. ground beef, cooked, drained
1/4 cup water
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine sauce, meat and water. Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture onto bottom of 12x8-inch baking dish.
  • Top with layers of half each of the uncooked lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Repeat all layers; sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover tightly with foil.
  • Bake 1 hour. Let stand 5 to 10 min. before cutting to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 340, Fat 18 g, SaturatedFat 9 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 540 mg, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 22 g

HEARTY LASAGNA (LOW FAT)



Hearty Lasagna (Low Fat) image

This is a recipe I originally got from Cooking Light magazine in 1995. The only change I made was to omit the 3/4 pound of ground round it called for. You can obviously add it if you wish. The prep time includes the simmer time for the sauce. This is a wonderful tasting and filling lasagna that people won't even realize is low fat unless you tell them!

Provided by Junebug

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h50m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 17

vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped &, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 (15 ounce) container fat-free ricotta cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
12 cooked lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded italian provolone cheese

Steps:

  • Coat a pan with cooking spray.
  • Saute onion and garlic 5 minutes.
  • Add 2 tablespoons parsley and the next 7 ingredients.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Uncover and simmer 20 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Combine the remaining 2 tablspoons parsley, cottage cheese and the next 3 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  • Spread 3/4 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 pan, sprayed with vegetable spray.
  • Arrange 4 noodles over tomato mixture.
  • Top with 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 2 cups tomato mixture and 2/3 cup provolone.
  • Repeat layers, ending with noodles.
  • Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
  • Sprinkle with remaining provolone and bake uncovered til cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 199.6, Fat 9, SaturatedFat 5.5, Cholesterol 24.6, Sodium 569.6, Carbohydrate 14.6, Fiber 3, Sugar 8.8, Protein 16.5

EASY HEARTY LASAGNA



Easy Hearty Lasagna image

Make and share this Easy Hearty Lasagna recipe from Food.com.

Provided by taillightsinsightbb

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h20m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 (28 ounce) jar any style spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef (I used1 1/2 lbs) or 1 lb ground chuck, cooked & drained (I used1 1/2 lbs)
1/4 cup water
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

  • Mix sauce, cooked meat and water.
  • Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture onto bottom of 12 x 8 inch baking dish.
  • Top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the shredded cheese and 1/2 of the remaining sauce mixture.
  • Top with remaining 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, sauce mixture and shredded cheese.
  • Cover tightly with foil.
  • Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
  • Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

  • Use no-boil lasagna noodles to save time and effort.
  • Cook the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring frequently to break up the meat. Drain off any excess grease.
  • To make the sauce, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles, then a layer of the meat sauce, then a layer of ricotta cheese, and finally a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers until all of the ingredients have been used up.
  • Bake the lasagna in a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the lasagna is heated through.
  • Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Conclusion:

This light and hearty lasagna is a delicious and satisfying meal that is perfect for a family dinner. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With its combination of lean ground beef, sausage, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese, this lasagna is sure to be a hit with everyone at the table. So next time you are looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal, give this light and hearty lasagna a try. You won't be disappointed!

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