Today I’m sharing my girl Stacy’s Italian Stallion Light Lasagna & Lasagna Cup Recipe. This low-carb recipe is noodle free (replaced by eggplant), is packed with veggies and lean meat, and has a yummy sauce. I know Stacy through her cooking show, and boy, can she make some fantastic food that is lower calorie/fat but certainly doesn’t taste like it!
This is a favorite, and I love the lasagna cup idea (those are only 160 calories)! Let’s get cooking!
“Italian Stallion” Light Lasagna Recipe
If you are looking for a light pasta recipe, this post is for you. This light lasagna is perfect for when you are on a diet.
Ingredients
Lasagna Ingredients
1 large eggplant - may substitute whole wheat lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
1 teaspoon salt - freshly ground black pepper and Italian seasoning to taste
1 medium sweet onion - shredded
1 medium green pepper (green capsicum) - cored, seeded, and shredded
½ cup zucchini - shredded
½ cup carrots - shredded
6 cloves garlic - pressed
1 pound ground beef (minced beef) - lean, may substitute turkey, chicken or vegan crumbles- 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
24 ounces Marinara sauce (tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions – pasta sauce in southern hemisphere for Italian seafood dish)
Cheese Filling Ingredients
½ cup Cottage cheese - low-fat
½ cup Ricotta cheese - part-skim
1 cup Greek yogurt - plain
¼ cup cream cheese - fat-free
½ cup Parmesan cheese - reduced-fat, grated
1 teaspoon Sea salt- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Topping Ingredients
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese - reduced-fat, grated
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel eggplant and slice lengthwise into thin pieces.
- Coat the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and lightly brush with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While the eggplant cools, preheat a large skillet over medium/high heat. When the pan is hot, drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and pressed garlic in the bottom of the skillet. When oil and garlic sizzle, add onion, green pepper, carrots, zucchini, and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Then add the meat of choice, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking and crumbling meat until it is well browned and cooked through. There is no need to drain the grease using a lean meat cut.
- Next, add marinara sauce to the skillet and mix well with vegetables and browned meat. Let the meat sauce simmer while preparing the cheese filling.
- In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Coat the bottom of the lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place eggplant in the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of meat sauce. Spread the cheese mixture over the meat for the middle layer. Then add another layer of eggplant and meat sauce and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese on top is golden brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 23gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 1420mgPotassium: 652mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1737IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 315mgIron: 2mg
How did this recipe turn out for you?We’re eager to hear your thoughts!
