This Meaty Pesto Lasagna is a recipe makeover for traditional lasagna using whole grain lasagna noodles, lean ground beef, and homemade or store-bought pesto sauce.
I made dinner tonight with absolutely no intention of blogging my recipe. I came home from getting my kids from camp and was in a mad rush to get dinner on the table (you know how those days go...). Hence, the lack of photographs for my steps. I made lasagna my "healthier" way using a combination of recipes. This recipe hybrid for Meaty Pesto and Tomato Lasagna turned out amazing!
My family doesn't always get a repeat of a recipe that they really loved. I frequently throw things together, without writing them down, and never remember exactly how I prepared them. It's kind of a running joke in my family because my mom is the same way. My poor father will love a dish and may never eat it again. Oh well.... they can't say that our meals are repetitious! Without further hesitation and my annoying rambling, here is my recipe. Enjoy~
How To Make Lasagna with Pesto Sauce
Ingredients:
- Whole grain lasagna noodles
- Marinara sauce (I used Newman's Own Organic Marinara)
- Low-fat ricotta cheese
- Whole egg
- Homemade or storebought pesto sauce
- Reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lean grass-fed organic ground beef (*can also use ground bison)
- Fresh basil, rinsed and chopped fine
- Italian seasoning blend (such as McCormick's)
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add a little salt. Cook lasagna for 3 minutes and drain. Brown ground beef over medium heat until meat crumbles and is cooked through. Drain. Stir in pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil and set aside. In a separate bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, salt, and pepper. At the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish, spread ½ cup of the pasta sauce mixture. Top with 4 noodles. Spread with ½ the ricotta mixture and then more pasta sauce mixture. Add a second layer of noodles and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Top with the extra cup of mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.
Meaty Pesto Lasagna
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole-grain lasagna noodles
- 48 oz marinara sauce
- 16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 whole egg
- ½ cup pesto sauce
- 2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef *can also use ground bison
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil rinsed and chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend such as McCormick's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil.
- Add a little salt.
- Cook lasagna for 3 minutes and drain.
- Brown ground beef over medium heat until meat crumbles and is cooked through.
- Drain.
- Stir in pasta sauce, Italian seasoning and fresh basil and set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup parmesean, salt and pepper.
- In the bottom of a 11x7 baking dish, spread ½ cup of the pasta sauce mixture.
- Top with 4 noodles.
- Spread with ½ the ricotta mixture and then more pasta sauce mixture.
- Add a second layer of noodles and repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Top with the extra cup of mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Do you have a recipe makeover favorite? Feel free to share in the comments below!
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Kara
It is great to see you cook with grass fed beef. I can’t wait to make your Lasagna. I am glad you wrote this one down! I know many people have a difficult time finding grass fed beef. If you ever need a place, check out the La Cense Beef website. I order all my grass fed beef online from their site and am always so happy I did. I have searched different sites as I can never find it locally and for me La Cense is the way to go.
Amee
Kara, I will check out La Cense's website. Thank you! I am a lucky girl because my neighbor is selling local, grassfed beef. I get it delivered to my door. Doesn't get much better than that! Thank you for visiting my blog. 🙂
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger)
I'm glad you blogged about this even though you didn't have loads of photos. Looks great.
The Harried Cook
That lasagna looks fabulous! I am exactly like you... my husband often says 'make the pasta like you did the other day', and I'm say 'I have no idea how I made that!'. One of the reasons my blog came to be 🙂 Love your lasagna recipe... 🙂
Lori
This looks amazing! Will have to give it a try.
Amee
Thank you, ladies;)
carolinaheartstrings
This looks delicious. I love Newman's sauces. Wonderful. This is a repeat recipe for sure. Come over and visit us. We have a wonderful grilled fruit recipe.
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals
Say WHAT! Pesto tomato lasagna! I must make this.I love making my own pesto and always have too much. This would be a great use of the left overs. Yummo recipe! Thank you so much for posting it at the Recipe of the Week! Everyone is going to love this!
Kel
Why egg? I make something similar but have never put an egg in the cheese mixture. Wondering why you did that. Thanks!
Amee Livingston
Hi Kel! Good question. The egg acts as a binder for the cheese and keeps the layers together. It also will make it easier to slice.