Spool and Spoon: Meat Lovers' Turkey Lasagna

Is there anything quite like a delicious homemade Sunday supper? I doubt it.

Last weekend our amazing next door neighbor stopped by with homemade tomato sauce. The Mr. likes spaghetti so that was my first instinct, but special sauce deserves a special meal. I went to the grocer and stocked up on everything I'd need for something that would definitely whet the Mr.'s appetite: Meat Lovers' Lasagna. To lighten it up, I went with three varieties of turkey (ground, sausage, and pepperoni).

(will make 2 loaf pan sized lasagnas -- 1 for now, 1 for freezing!)

1/2lb Ground turkey

1/2lb Turkey sausage, ground

1/4lb Turkey pepperoni, sliced

1 package Lasagna noodles, fresh

16oz Ricotta, part skim

1 Egg

4oz Light Cream

8oz Mozzarella, shredded

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, shredded

1 small Onion, sliced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, dried

8 Basil Leaves, minced

2 cups Tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Olive oil

2 Loaf pans (I used one metal pan for baking and one ceramic dish for freezing)

Parchment paper

Foil

Pots/Pans, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line loaf pan with parchment paper

2. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat until caramelized, remove from pan

3. In the same pan, brown ground turkey and sausage together until cooked through.

4. Combine cooked onions/garlic, ground meats, and sauce

5. In a large mixing bowl combine: ricotta, egg, cream, 1/3 of mozzarella cheese, pecorino romano, Italian seasoning, and basil

6. Spoon a layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan

7. Create a layer of lasagna noodles

8. Smear the ricotta mixture over the noodles

9. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the ricotta

10. Add another layer of lasagna noodles

11. Lay about 8 pepperonis over the noodles

12. Spoon additional meaty sauce over the pepperonis

13. Repeat Steps 7 through 12, two more times

14. Top the lasagna off with a bit of sauce and a handful of mozzarella cheese.

15. Wrap foil tightly around the pan

16. Bake for 35 minutes

17. Peel off foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes

18. After removing it from the oven, let it sit for about 10 minutes to let it set so it'll be easier to cut

The finished product... YUM!

See how easy it comes out of the pan with the parchment paper! Can you say easy clean up?

Enjoy with a big glass of merlot and a toasted slice of garlic bread!

If you liked this lower-fat alternative to the normal beefy lasagna, I'd be delighted if you'd consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect; there are plenty of other mouth-watering recipes and simple tutorials for you to discover! Also, did you know Spool and Spoon has a Facebook? Hop on over so you don't miss any of the fun.