Mushroom, Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

By mangia_g2

Ingredients

• 8 ounces lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat (see Ingredient note)
• 1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (see Variation)
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms (10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese (2 cups)
• 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
Cook noodles in the boiling water until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until the sausage is cooked through, the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then stir into the pan; remove from heat.
Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
To assemble lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, trimming to fit if necessary. Evenly dollop half the ricotta over the noodles. Top with half the sausage mixture, one-third of the remaining tomatoes and one-third of the mozzarella. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining sausage, half the remaining tomatoes and half the remaining mozzarella. Top with a third layer of noodles and the remaining tomatoes.
Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and heated through, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on the lasagna. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredient note: Whole-wheat lasagna noodles are higher in fiber than white noodles. They can be found in health-food stores and some large supermarkets. Variation: For vegetarians, use a sausage-style soy product, such as Gimme Lean, or simply omit the sausage altogether.