Description
This easy healthy lasagna recipe features lean ground beef, fresh zucchini and summer squash, and a hearty tomato sauce layered with low-fat cottage cheese, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses. Oven-ready noodles make assembly quick and baking brings it all together for a wholesome, comforting dish perfect for any night.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion (chopped)
- 2 cups finely diced zucchini (about 2 small or 1 medium/large zucchini)
- 1 cup finely diced summer squash (about 1 medium/large summer squash)
Tomato Sauce
- 1 15 ounce can whole tomatoes (2 cups, or crushed tomatoes if preferred)
- 1 10 ounce can tomato sauce (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Other
- 6 ounces uncooked, oven-ready lasagna noodles (8 noodles)
- 16 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the lasagna later.
- Cook Beef and Onion: In a large pan with high sides, cook the diced onion and lean ground beef over medium-high heat until the beef is fully browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the beef is cooking, finely dice the zucchini and summer squash into small cubes about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size for even cooking and texture.
- Cook Vegetables: In the same pan, cook the diced zucchini and summer squash over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes until softened.
- Add Tomato Ingredients and Spices: Stir in the whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt, dried parsley, basil, oregano, and pepper. Break down the whole tomatoes with a spatula while cooking.
- Simmer Sauce: Continue cooking the tomato and vegetable mixture over medium heat for another 7 to 10 minutes, stirring often to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly.
- Combine Beef with Sauce: Return the cooked beef and onions to the sauce mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 1: Pour about one-quarter of the tomato sauce mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish to create the first layer of sauce.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 2: Place 4 of the oven-ready lasagna noodles evenly over the sauce in the casserole dish.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 3: Spread another one-quarter of the tomato sauce mixture over the noodles.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 4: Add half of the cottage cheese over the sauce layer.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 5: Sprinkle half of the shredded parmesan and half of the shredded mozzarella cheeses on top of the cottage cheese layer.
- Assemble Lasagna - Repeat: Repeat the layering process with the remaining tomato sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, parmesan, and mozzarella in the same order.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and Finish Baking: Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes to brown the cheese and fully cook the lasagna.
- Cool and Serve: Let the lasagna cool for a few minutes after baking to set, then serve warm and enjoy your healthy, delicious meal.
Notes
- You can prepare the lasagna assembly ahead of time by covering and refrigerating it overnight before baking.
- To freeze, wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and foil or store in an airtight container; freeze up to 3 months.
- When baking from frozen, add 15 to 20 minutes extra cooking time to ensure thorough baking.
- Whole tomatoes can be swapped with crushed tomatoes if you prefer a smoother sauce texture.
- Breaking down whole tomatoes with a spatula while cooking helps achieve a thicker, more even sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
