Trim-It-Down Tuesday: Special Occasion Lasagna

Today's recipe is actually called "Rachel's Special Occasion Lasagna". I'd love to take credit, but it's not mine. :-(

But, it's very very good, very easy to make (even for a lasagna novice like me), and under 300 calories per serving!! How about some warm cheesy lasagna goodness for a cold night??



Rachel's Special Occasion Lasagna

You can make this dish ahead--just cover and refrigerate or freeze after you've spread the final layer of marinara sauce. Serve with a salad and breadsticks to round out the meal.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles) **I used the no-bake kind, which turned out great!
1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese
3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup (6 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free pasta sauce, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese in a large bowl; stir to blend well. Stir in Parmesan and next 8 ingredients (through egg).

Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce; top with half of cheese mixture and one third of remaining pasta sauce. Repeat layers once, ending with noodles. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella; bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 284 (28% from fat)
Fat: 8.8g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 15.7g
Carbohydrate: 34.2g
Fiber: 3.3g
Cholesterol: 53mg
Iron: 0.9mg
Sodium: 657mg
Calcium: 179mg
Sarah Jones, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005