Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes • Servings: 8 • Skill: Intermediate
Even the pickiest of kids can’t resist lasagna, yet it’s appropriate for grown-up company, too. Its downfall is all those refined carbs and calories from the beef, pasta and cheese.
This lightened-up vegetarian version fixes the problem. The noodles are replaced with squash, and you can switch out the cheese layer with a simple béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
For the bechamel:
- 1 ½ cups low-fat milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 slice onion
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
For the lasagna:
- 1 spaghetti squash, approximately 3 pounds
- 1 pound fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
- 2 cups low-sodium tomato sauce
- 1 cup cooked spinach
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
- 2 cups low-fat mozzarella
Prepare the Bechamel
Step 1
Pour the milk into a large, heatproof measuring cup. Add the onion and bay leaf, and heat for up to 3 minutes in your microwave, until it boils and begins to foam. Set the cup aside for 5 minutes so the flavors can infuse.
Step 2
Pour the oil into a saucepan and add the flour. Stir over medium heat until they’re well combined and the flour loses its raw smell. Don’t let it brown.
Step 3
Remove the onion and bay leaf from the milk and stir it into the flour mixture. Whisk until the flour dissolves completely into the milk. Add the salt and pepper and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set it aside to cool.
Prepare the Lasagna
Step 1
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Bake it for about 45 minutes at 375 F until tender. When it’s cool enough to handle, rake the flesh into strands with a fork. Scoop the strands into a large mixing bowl and place it near your work surface. Turn up the oven to 425 F.
Step 2
Sauté the mushrooms in the oil. They’ll lose their moisture, then re-absorb it. When the mushrooms are dry again, they’re ready to use. Set them aside.
Step 3
Spoon 4 or 5 tablespoons of the tomato sauce into a deep 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the cooked squash over the sauce to make the first “noodle” layer. Spoon the mushrooms over the squash and cover them with more tomato sauce.
Step 4
Lay down another 1/3 of the squash to make a second layer. Scatter the spinach evenly over the squash. Spoon half the béchamel over the spinach and sprinkle it with the Parmesan cheese.
Step 5
Cover the béchamel with the last third of the squash. Spread the remaining tomato sauce over top. Carefully spoon the remaining béchamel onto the tomato sauce and top it with the mozzarella.
Step 6
Bake the lasagna at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese begins to brown. Let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Data (one serving):
- Calories: 219
- Total fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
- Sodium: 330 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 17 g
- Dietary fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 13 g
Author: by Fred Decker, Demand Media
Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. Decker wrote for the Saint John, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and has been published in Canada’s Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. He’s held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
