Need a good turkey lasagna recipe? Learn how to prepare delicious and nutritious turkey lasagna…
Leftover turkey can be utilized for many meals after Thanksgiving dinner. In fact this meat can be enjoyed throughout the year in different combinations. If you’re interested in lasagna, then turkey sausage makes an ideal stuffing and layer for the meat in the lasagna.
Recipe for Turkey Lasagna
To prepare nutritious turkey lasagna, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, add some hot water and place half a pound of the lasagna strips to soften a little bit for 20 minutes and then drain them thoroughly.
Take 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat it in a skillet over medium flame. Sauté 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion till it is translucent and add in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Stir in 1 1/2 pounds of sweet Italian turkey sausage after you have removed the casings. Using a fork break the turkey sausage into small pieces and then cook it for 7 to 10 minutes or until it is no longer pink.
Seasoning the Meat Sauce
Open up a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes which is preserved in tomato puree and add it into the sausages. Season it with 2 tablespoons of parsley, half a cup of freshly chopped basil leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Simmer the meat on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes without covering it. When the meat sauce thickens then remove it from the flame.
Cheese Sauce
In a separate bowl mix in 15 ounces of ricotta cheese, 4 ounces of very creamy goat’s cheese that has been crumbled, 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, a very large beaten egg along with 2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley. Season it with half a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
Layering the Turkey Lasagna
Take a 9 x 12 x 2″ casserole dish and spread one third of the meat sauce on the base of the dish. Now begin layering with half of the pasta placed in thin layers on top of the meat sauce. Layer thinly sliced mozzarella cheese strips and then sprinkle the cheese sauce on top of this layer of pasta.
Prepare another layer by adding one third of the meat sauce and repeating the pasta and cheese sauce layer followed by strips of mozzarella cheese. End with the meat sauce and then sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake this lasagna casserole for 30 minutes and remove from the oven when the sauce starts to bubble. Cool on the wire rack and slice into eight pieces before serving. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan if desired.
Options for Different Flavors
If you are using leftover turkey slices, then make sure they are warm but still moist and soft. Alternatively you can combine a few vegetables in the cheese sauce to make a more wholesome and nutritious lasagna. Why not try mushrooms, carrots and celery? Just gently sauté them in a tablespoon of butter and season with flour, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
Mix in some double cream to create a smooth paste and sauce. The more combinations of cheeses that are utilized in the lasagna, the better the flavor of the bubbling hot sauce.
