Low-fat Meaty Lasagna

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chunked
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms or 1 lb mushroom
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey, 93% lean
• 2 cups 2% low-fat milk, divided
• 2 cups fat-free chicken broth, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, no-boil variety (barilla recommended)

Recipe

• 1 meat sauce:.
• 2 place the carrots, mushrooms and garlic in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped - 10 pulses or so. transfer to a bowl.
• 3 add tomatoes with juice to the food processor and pulse till smooth - about 5 pulses. set aside.
• 4 in a large dutch oven or equivalent, combine 1 teaspoon olive oil, minced onion, salt and pepper. cover and cook over medium heat until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes. add the carrot/mushroom/garlic mixture and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 5-7 minutes. increase heat to medium-high and cook another 3-5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.
• 5 stir in the tomato paste and cook until it begins to brown, 2 minutes or so. stir in the turkey and 1 cup of milk. cook, using a spoon to break up meat, until most of the milk has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.
• 6 stir in the tomatoes, 1 cup of broth and the bay leaf. bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 45-60 minutes.
• 7 remove from heat, discard bay leaf and stir in the basil. add more salt and pepper if needed.
• 8 bechamel ( sauce):.
• 9 whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of broth and flour together in a medium saucepan until smooth. bring the mix to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and the parmesan cheese.
• 10 heat oven to 425f and adjust rack to upper-middle position.
• 11 spread 2 cups of the meat sauce in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. lay 3 noodles atop sauce. repeat layers 3 more times, ending with noodles. spread sauce evenly on the top layer of noodles, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides.
• 12 bake until lasagna is bubbling around the edges and the top is beginning to brown, 25-30 minutes. cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before serving.
• 13 make ahead: the meat sauce and sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days. reheat both before assembling lasagna.