Hungry Meets Healthy: Goat Cheese and Turkey Lasagna Infused with Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Things I crave:

Italian food/men
Pasta
Tomato sauce -- why is this??
Cheese

Things I need:

Lean proteins
Carbs
Veggies

What to make, what to make? How about Lasagna! I put my body's wants and needs together and created a fabulous recipe. I love this lasagna recipe for several reasons. Ingredients include:

two lower-calorie cheeses (fat free ricotta and goat cheese)
lots of lean protein from using extra lean ground turkey breast
1/2 the amount of pasta used in a typical lasagna recipe
colorful veggies with lots of fiber and vitamins

Goat Cheese and Turkey Lasagna Infused with Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

1 1/3 lbs of extra lean ground turkey breast

2 medium zucchini, sliced

2 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 32 oz container of fat free ricotta (I used Sorrento)

5 oz goat cheese, separated (I used Whole Foods' 365 brand)

2 jars of tomato sauce (I used 1 Classico Four Cheese and 1 Classico Roasted Garlic)

1/2 box of Barilla oven ready lasagna (8 pieces)

2 large eggs

1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper

fig balsamic vinegar

fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Spray a large pan with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey breast and cook thoroughly. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add zucchini, squash, crushed red pepper, and 1-2 tbsp of fig balsamic vinegar to the pan. Cook until veggies have softened. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 4 oz goat cheese, eggs, and a few fresh basil leaves. Mix until smooth. Eat some.

4. Preheat oven to 375*. Begin lasagna assembly: In a 9x13 glass baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Place 4 pieces of lasagna over the sauce. Top the pasta with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Lay 1/2 of the veggies on top of the cheese. Add 1/2 of the turkey meat. Toss 2 tbsp of fig balsamic onto the meat. Repeat with 1 1/2 cups of sauce, remaining 4 pieces of lasagna, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, remaining 1/2 of the veggies, remaining 1/2 of the meat, and 2 more tbsp of fig balsamic. Finish off the lasagna with the remaining sauce, remaining 1/3 cheese mixture, and crumble the remaining 1 oz of goat cheese on top.

5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Let lasagna stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 8 servings.

Here are some pictures of the assembly. Adding the cheese was a lot of fun...

...and messy, how I like it:

Topping it with veggies, anal-retentive style:

CHEESE!!

Perfectly browned after baking:

This is what it looks like when you let a man photograph you while he makes wonky faces:

This is what it looks like when you whine to him that all your readers don't want to see your fugly face and flinstone feet. Much better!

Notes about the recipe:

The fig balsamic is what makes this recipe special. It adds a burst of sweetness that compliments the tangy goat cheese and sweet ricotta. Add extra crushed red pepper for spice.
Because you are using half the amount of pasta, you're saving on carbs and your meal contains more of the protein and vegetables. Score!
Use any veggies you like - make it colorful!
This lasagna is more ooey gooey than structured. Forget all that layering you worked so hard on and just plop it on the plate!

My serving looked like the most delicious collapsed lasagna ever:

Nutritional Information for 1/8th lasagna:

Here are two similar recipes I have made:

I'm sure you all were wondering how my Saturday night drinking went. I drank 1 Sapporo at the restaurant and 1 1/2 glasses of wine at home. Then this happened. I now have the tolerance of a teenager. YEAH!