If you asked me where this recipe came from I have a memory like a sieve. Good thing that a sieve is a culinary term so I am right on the mark. What I liked about this recipe was the ease at which it was put together using premade ingredients. This boosts this recipe to new heights in ease of preparation for those busy weekday meals. I made the sauce on Sunday so that during the week all that was needed was to assemble this dish.Ground turkey adds the extra bonus of this dish being a little more heart-friendly, and the turkey sausage adds a burst of flavour. I happened to like the name as well!! Ooh-la-la!!!!!
To speed up the process even further I purchased Italian lasagna noodles. In the bottom of the casserole I place a little sauce and add a little water to slightly cover the bottom. Then I start layering without cooking the lasagna noodles. This seems to work quite well and saves so much time!!!
I am entering this dish in the Presto Pasta Nights event by our talented friend Ruth at Once Upon a Feast . I wish I made pasta every week so that I could enter often!! Her round-up seems to get bigger and bigger every Friday!!!!
**Ooh-la-la-la-sagna!**
Sauce
5 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
2 tsp olive oil
1- 1/2 cups chopped red onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1 -1/4 pounds (568 g) extra-lean ground turkey
8 ounces (227 g) lean Italian turkey sausage
1 cup packed grated unpeeled zucchini
1 jar (700 mL) your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained, chopped
1 T dried Italian seasoning
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
Filling
2 cups light ricotta cheese or cottage cheese makes a good substitute
2 ounces (57 g) crumbled feta cheese with herbs
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped
1 egg
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1- 1/2 cups packed shredded 4-cheese blend (6 oz/170 g; see Tip)
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Sauce
Pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over sun-dried tomatoes and let soak while you prepare the sauce.
To make sauce, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions have softened, about 4 minutes.
Add ground turkey and sausage, breaking up any large pieces. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add all remaining sauce ingredients, except fresh basil. When sun-dried tomatoes are soft enough, drain and chop them (fine) and add to sauce. Bring sauce to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in minced basil and remove from heat.
Filling
Combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain well.
To Assemble
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
To assemble lasagna, lightly spray a deep 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon some meat sauce over bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles over sauce and layer as follows: 1/3 meat sauce, 1/2 (4-cheese) blend, 4 noodles, 1/3 meat sauce, all of the ricotta/spinach mixture, 4 noodles, 1/3 meat sauce, 1/2 (4-cheese) blend. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.
