Turkey Spinach Lasagna

With less than an hour of preparation, this turkey spinach lasagna is my take on one of the Italian classics. Using a from scratch veggie packed turkey tomato sauce along with brown rice lasagna noodles, it is a healthier option that the whole family will love!

Jump to:

• The Ingredients
• The Method
• Leftovers and Storage
• Make it Your Own
• Serving Ideas
• Dietary Notes
• And if you liked this recipe...
• Turkey Spinach Lasagna
• Comments

Next time you're craving a pan of pure comfort, this Turkey Spinach Lasagna may be just what you need!

Boasting layers of sweet ricotta, tender noodles, a delicious meat sauce, and topped with golden melted mozzarella, it is the kind of meal that satisfies.

But thanks to the generous serving of vegetables in the sauce (like in this Sautéed Spinach Pasta), you won't feel like you need to head straight for a nap when you're finished.

Whether you're entertaining and need to feed a crowd or want to meal prep something for lunch that you will be SO EXCITED about for the week, this recipe yields big rewards.

The Ingredients

• Turkey Spaghetti Sauce- This easy sauce is ready in 30 minutes with basic ingredients including lean ground turkey, vegetables, crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Feel free to use ground beef or chicken instead of turkey. Or check out the "make it your own" section of this post for alternative meat sauce options.
• Frozen Spinach- Thaw and drain the liquid off. Fresh spinach can also be used- roughly chop it and add it to the meat sauce in handfuls, allowing it to fully wilt.
• Mozzarella- You need 3 cups of shredded mozzarella. I recommend buying a block and shredding it yourself for the best melting.
• Ricotta
• Dried Parsley
• Oven Ready (No Boil) Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles- If you aren't using oven-ready noodles, you will need to prepare them prior to assembly as per the package directions. If you don't need the recipe to be gluten free, you can use regular or whole wheat lasagna no boil noodles instead.

The Method

1. Prepare Meat Sauce. Make my Easy Turkey Meat Sauce in a large pot- see the recipe for full directions (it only takes about 30 minutes total and you can use pre-chopped frozen vegetables to cut down the prep time even more!). Once cooked, stir in the spinach until well combined. Set aside to allow to cool slightly.

2. Prepare cheese mixture. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and the dried parsley.

3. Assemble. In a deep 9x13 inch pan, spread 2 cups of the meat sauce along the bottom of the baking dish. Add 3 no boil lasagna noodles (leaving ½ inch or 1 cm in between), then ½ of the ricotta mixture followed by 2 cups of the turkey meat sauce, 3 more noodles, the second half of ricotta mixture, 2 additional cups of sauce, 3 noodles and the remaining 2 cups of sauce.

4. Bake. Place on top of a large baking sheet (to catch any spillage), cover lasagna with tin foil, an oven proof lid or a 9x13 inch cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 375 F.

5. Top with Cheese. Remove from oven and top with the remaining 2 cups shredded mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes until melted with golden brown spots. Optional: Broil for the last 2-4 minutes.

6. Rest. Remove from the oven, place on a wire cooling rack or hot plate and allow to set for 15 minutes.

7. Slice and Serve. Slice into your desired serving portions and serve.

Leftovers and Storage

Make Ahead: Lasagna can be assembled and left unbaked in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

To Store: Cover and store leftover turkey spinach lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: To reheat single servings, you can simply microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat the lasagna in the oven at 350 F for 20-30 minutes, covered (great for larger portions).

Make it Your Own

Change up the cheese:

• Make it with Cottage Cheese- Use 2 cups of cottage cheese in place of the ricotta
• Add parmesan- Add ¼ cup of shredded parmesan cheese on top of each of the ricotta layers
• Use Gouda or White Cheddar in place of Mozzarella

Use Store Bought Pasta Sauce- I highly recommend making my quick meat sauce recipe for this turkey lasagna. However, if you'd like to skip making homemade, brown one pound ground turkey breast and then mix in two 24oz (650 mL) jars of a premade tomato pasta sauce such as marinara.

Serving Ideas

We like to serve this spinach lasagna topped with freshly cracked pepper, fresh herbs such as parsley or basil and grated parmesan.

And as for what to serve alongside- it pairs well with:

• A simple side salad such as a fresh Mediterranean, Caesar or Spinach Salad
• Baked Herb Tomato Zucchini or other roasted vegetables
• Garlic Toast

Dietary Notes

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If you have dietary restrictions, check the packaging of specific ingredients that you use to ensure they are compliant. This recipe is:

• Gluten Free- If you use gluten free lasagna noodles such as brown rice.
• Nut Free

And if you liked this recipe...

...you might also like:

• Cashew Shrimp Alfredo
• Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• One Pot Turkey Chili

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