Healthy Lasagna Recipe

When you think of healthy dinner options, lasagna is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But if you want some hearty, satisfying comfort food that tastes good and is good for you, this healthy lasagna recipe from wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn is just what you're looking for! While traditional lasagna recipes load up on meat, cheese, and even sugar, this recipe uses plant-based substitutes wherever possible, loads up on vegetables, and encourages the use of low/no sugar sauce.

"My favorite thing about this recipe is how absolutely delicious it is while still being healthy," Hahn says. "I love lasagna because you can make it ahead and pull it out an hour before serving. It is great for entertaining and is wonderful for the holidays!" This is a vegetarian or vegan recipe, depending on what type of cheese you use, and it can easily be made gluten-free by subbing gluten-free lasagna noodles. There's really no limit on how many healthy modifications you can make to this recipe.

For this recipe, you'll need, of course, some lasagna noodles. You'll also need 1 teaspoon of oil, diced zucchini, sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, 6 cups of spinach, and fresh basil. To season the lasagna, you'll need Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder or granules, Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese (or regular cream cheese), and dairy free mozzarella (or regular mozzarella).

You'll also need Beyond Meat plant-based Italian sausage. "You can substitute with another plant-based sausage but I think the Beyond Meat works best," Hahn says. "However, the Beyond Meat Brats (which look very similar) don't work well here. The good thing about using a plant based sausage is you avoid the carcinogenic preservatives used in real processed meats. And if you want to go with just sauce here and no added meat substitute, it is still delicious!"

And last but not least, you'll need some organic marinara sauce. If you want to go the extra mile, look for a marinara sauce with no added salt and very little sugar.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Next, cook the lasagna noodles and drain them according to the instructions on the package. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and zucchini to the frying pan and sauté for 15 minutes. Add the spinach and turn the burner to low heat. Stir the mushrooms, garlic, and spinach together and then cover the pan, letting the veggies cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Remove the casing from the Beyond Meat sausages and put them in a medium pot. "It can be tricky to remove the casing from the sausage," Hahn says. "I find it easier if the sausage is not fully thawed. If you end up missing some of the casing, it is totally fine." Once the sausage casing has been removed, cook the sausage over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break the sausage into crumbles. Cook the sausage for 10 minutes, and then add the marinara sauce. Once you've added the marinara sauce, lower the heat to a simmer.

Add the cream cheese, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt, and garlic powder together in a separate medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.

Now it's time to put all the elements of your healthy lasagna together. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and add ¾ cup of the sauce at the bottom, making sure to spread the sauce out into an even layer. Then layer 3 lasagna noodles, half of the cheese mixture, and half of the vegetable mixture. Repeat the layers with sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, and vegetable mixture. Finish the lasagna with three noodles and the remaining sauce.

Now it's time to put your lasagna in the oven. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake it for 45 minutes. How can you tell when your lasagna is done cooking? "You really just want it completely heated through, so you can take it out and cut into it to see if it is steamy hot to test if it is done," Hahn says. "The sauce on top should be bubbly as well."

Once the lasagna is steamy, hot, and cooked through, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before cutting into it. Once 20 minutes are up, serve the healthy lasagna topped with fresh basil. Hahn recommends serving this dish with a green salad or a simple blended soup. "This will hold up great for about 5 days in the fridge. You can freeze it for a month or two," Hahn says. "Sometimes I like to freeze individual portions in a glass container so it is ready for a quick lunch or dinner."