Lasagna Dip

By dcarriger56

All of the flavours of lasagna in a hot cheesy dip with no regrets! Lasagna Sauce Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 2 cups A simple and tasty tomato sauce that is perfect for pasta, pizzas, lasagna, etc. or you can use marinara sauce or your favorite tomato sauce instead of making the lasagna sauce from scratch.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup lasagna tomato sauce (see below)
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese or ricotta or cream cheese
• 1 cup partially skim mozzarella, shredded
• Option: Use ground beef or Italian sausage instead of ground turkey or omit the meat entirely.
• Lasagna Sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon basil, chopped (optional)

Details

Preparation time 5mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from closetcooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

1.Cook the turkey, add the tomato sauce and simmer until it thickens a bit, about 3-5 minutes.

2.Spread the cottage cheese over the bottom of a baking dish, followed by the sauce and finally the mozzarella.

3.Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the top is a light golden brown and the sides are bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.

Lasagna Sauce
1.Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

2.Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

3.Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, paprika, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes, and then mix in the basil and remove from heat.

Option: Cover and simmer for longer to develop more flavor.
Option: Add one 2 inch piece of parmesan rind to the sauce while it simmers.