PREP: 45 minutes BAKE: 45 minutes STAND: 10 minutes OVEN: 375°F MAKES 8 servings
Nonstick cooking spray
9 dried white or whole grain lasagna noodles
3 cups broccoli florets
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced (11⁄4 cups)
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced (about 11⁄4 cups)
2 15-ounce cartons light ricotta cheese
1⁄2 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2 Cook pasta according to package directions; drain in colander. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Place noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil; set aside.
3 In a 4-quart Dutch oven place a steamer basket. Add water to just below the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring to boiling. Add broccoli, sweet pepper, zucchini, and yellow summer squash. Reduce heat. Steam, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
4 In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, basil, thyme, garlic, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
5 Layer one-third of the cooked noodles in the prepared baking dish. Spread with one-third of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with one-third of the vegetable mixture and 2⁄3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice.
6 Bake, covered, for 45 to 55 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
PER SERVING: 293 cal., 9 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 44 mg chol., 428 mg sodium, 30 g carb., 3 g fiber, 20 g pro.
tip
Although it’s easier to buy a vegetable lasagna in the freezer case than to prepare one from scratch, the frozen kind often comes up short on veggies and over the top on high-fat cheese. Make your own lasagna to reduce fat and add all the veggies you want!
