Spicy Caprese Lasagna

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Do you love lasagna? My husband loves it too, but I don’t make it that often. For starters, it’s a lot of work. And also, we eat about a third of it and the rest is leftover. I’m not sure what happens to leftovers in your house, but here, even though we have good intentions for them, they ALWAYS end up getting thrown in the garbage.

All that being said, I have found a lasagna recipe that is worth the effort AND was so good, we ate all the leftovers the next day for lunch! As you probably have guessed, I have a thing for recipes with the word “Caprese” in them. It started with the Tomato and Nectarine Caprese Salad last summer, then moved to the Caprese Sandwich last fall, now, it’s time for Spicy Caprese Lasagna.

Oh my. I’ve made this twice now, and each time, we rave about how delicious it is. I’ve even made it for company and had the same rave reviews. While I call it “Spicy” Caprese Lasagna, it’s not really that spicy. In fact, you can use whatever chicken sausage you want, we just happen to like the spicy chicken sausage.

I’ve made this lasagna lighter by using the following ingredients:

Whole wheat lasagna noodles instead of white noodles
low-fat milk instead of cream
Chicken sausage instead of regular pork sausage
Part-skim mozzarella cheese instead of high-fat cheese

This Spicy Caprese Lasagna is a great twist on regular lasagna. I love the fresh tomatoes and fresh basil paired with the spicy sausage. And who says you have to give up lasagna to look good and transform your body? Not me. You can enjoy this lasagna without feeling guilty. It’s low-fat and low-calorie compared to traditional lasagna. The Olive Garden Classico Lasagna has over 850 calories! OY.

So save money and your waistline with this Spicy Caprese Lasagna.

Spicy Caprese Lasagna

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: serves 8

Serving Size: 1 square

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 spicy chicken sausage links (can use regular chicken sausage)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups no-salt added chicken broth
1-1/2 cups low-fat milk
6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1-1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.

Bring a large pot with water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions. When al dente, drain and gently toss with a teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking together.

Meanwhile, spray a skillet with olive oil and heat on medium heat. Squeeze sausage out of it's casings and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt butter and add garlic. Cook for about one minute. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.

Slowly pour in chicken broth, whisking to break up any lumps. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Season with a bit of sea salt and pepper. Stir sauce until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl with a spout and set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with olive oil. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into the bottom and spread with a spatula. Place 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom, then top with 1/3 of the tomatoes, 1/3 of the basil, 1/3 of the sausage, 1/2 cup of cheese, and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat two more times for a total of three layers.

Spray a piece of foil with olive oil, and cover lasagna with the foil (this will help prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Cal: 255 Fat: 8g Protein: 18g Fiber: 3g Carbs: 28g Sodium: 412mg

Weight Watchers Points+: 7

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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

1 lindsay February 20, 2013 at 11:33 am

I’ve always avoided sausages because of their high calorie and fat content. I’ve actually just discovered chicken sausage so now I’m always looking for new ways to use it. I would have never thought of using it in lasagna, but that’s a great idea!
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2 Heather February 20, 2013 at 1:36 pm

I LOVE lasagne and leftovers never go to waste here but I’ve been avoiding it because of the calories. Nice to know this version is alright to indulge in!
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3 Sean February 21, 2013 at 4:53 am

God Jen.. these pics make me want to it this now for breakfast! It looks absolutely delicious. I am going to try this over the weekend. I will leave out the chicken ingredient as I am a vegetarian.
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4 Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies February 28, 2013 at 5:01 pm

Caprese Lasagna is such a fabulous idea–this looks delicious!
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5 Jen March 1, 2013 at 8:10 am: Thank you, it is so delicious, a nice change from traditional lasagna

6 Julia March 6, 2013 at 5:24 pm

I make a caprese pasta dish in the summer that I just adore. This lasagna looks awesome. I love that it has a little kick to it. I will have to try it out.