Lasagna with Turkey Italian Sausage and Vegetables

I love lasagna and I wanted to find a way to make it healthy & delicious. I love this recipe and so does my family. It's packed with flavor & it's so good. Serve it with a Caesar Salad and crunchy bread.

• 5-6 turkey Italian sausages
• Cooking spray

Heat skillet over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings and cook breaking into very small crumbles. Once cooked remove from heat drain if needed and place in a bowl.

• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely (I use 5)
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/2 tsp dried basil or 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

In the same skillet over medium heat add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Once pan is hot add onion and red pepper and cook until tender, remove from heat & place in a bowl. Heat other 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook until golden brown; then add garlic, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 60 seconds then remove from heat and mix with onions & peppers.

• 30 oz fat free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
• 1 tsp dried basil or 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 9-12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked per instructions
• 6 cups of homemade marinara sauce or your favorite store bought

Combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, 2 tbsp Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, mix well and set aside. Cook lasagna noodles and drape over pan when done (to prevent sticking together). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray glass 13x9x2 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread some marinara sauce over the bottom of dish. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles (or more if needed). Spread ricotta mixture on bottom, then turkey Italian sausage, then vegetable mixture. Layer 3 more noodles, more sauce, then more ricotta, sausage and vegetables. Add 3 more noodles and remainder of sauce. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese then sprinkle the last 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese on top. Spray one side of tinfoil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna. I cook it on a baking sheet covered with tinfoil to prevent spilling in my oven. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes then remove tinfoil cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Enjoy!

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