I was looking for a healthyish lasagne and came across this one on the goodfoodchannel.co.uk. It turns out that it’s not actually that healthy, there’s lots of various cheeses in it. I did try and reduce the calories and fat by using low fat mozzerella and creme fraiche. I really liked the recipe but if I was going to make it again, I would just use beef mince. I’m afraid I don’t think that chicken/turkey mince cuts the mustard. The pesto in this recipe, is a nice change from the norm. Hope you enjoy.
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serves 6
Ingredients
500 g minced turkey or minced chicken
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 tbsp tomato purée
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
½ tsp dried oregano
250 g egg lasagne sheets
225 g spinach
250 g ricotta cheese
4 tbsp basil pesto
150 ml creme fraiche
125 g mozzarella, grated
25 g parmesan, grated
Method
1. Dry-fry the minced chicken or turkey and onion for about 5 minutes until browned and the onion is beginning to soften.
2. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, red pepper and oregano. Cook for 2-3 minutes then pour over 150ml of water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, soak the lasagne sheets in boiling water or as directed on the packet.
4. Put the spinach in a colander or sieve over the sink and pour over boiling water until the spinach has wilted. Press gently to remove as much water as possible then put the spinach in a bowl with the ricotta and pesto. Mix well.
5. Set the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put 2 sheets of lasagne in the base of a 2.5-litre ovenproof baking dish and pour over half the chicken mixture. Top with half the ricotta mixture. Add another 2 sheets of lasagne and most of the remaining chicken mixture, reserving a couple of tablespoons for the top.
6. Add the remaining ricotta mixture and top with the last two lasagne sheets. Spoon over the reserved chicken mixture then spread with crème fraîche and sprinkle with the grated Mozzarella and Parmesan.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until piping hot in the centre and golden brown.