Olive Garden Copycat Lasagna Now Healthier
Lasagna lovers who want to eat healthy can try this copycat recipe for Olive Garden's classic Italian dish. Olive Garden Copycat Lasagna -- Now Healthier won't leave you wanting more.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sweet or salted margarine (or equivalent butter substitute)
- 12 ounce evaporated skim milk or half and half
- White pepper, freshly ground
- 1 1/2 cup low fat or fat free fresh Parmesan, grated
- 18 (.5-ounce) slices low fat or fat free mozzerella cheese
- 1 pint low fat or fat free ricotta cheese
- 2 ounce low fat or fat free Romano cheese, grated
- 3 ounce low fat or fat free mozerella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoon green onions, sliced
- 2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 4 cup broccoli florets
- 2 cup carrots; sliced 1/4-inch, chopped
- 4 cup mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch
- 2 cup red bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup zucchini, sliced
- Whole wheat lasagna strips
Instructions
- Lay out enough dry, whole wheat lasagna strips in a 9 x 13-inch pan to ensure you have enough to make 3 full layers, with very little overlap on each layer. Remove the dry strips and cook according to package instructions until barely "al dente" and drain.
- Alfredo Sauce: Heat water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Add margarine, evaporated milk or half and half and pepper to the top pot and heat until margarine is completely melted, then stir in Parmesan until melted and blended. Remove top pot and set aside to cool. Divide the sauce into 2 equal portions.
Refrigerate 1 portion for use later.
- Ricotta Cheese Mix: Combine all ingredients and 1 1/4 cups Alfredo Sauce in a bowl and blend thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Set aside at room temperature.
- Vegetables: Combine all veggies and mix well.
- Assembly: Coat the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Lay out cooked lasagna strips (about 4) to cover entire bottom. Spread 1 1/4 cups of the Ricotta mix evenly over the strips. Top with 8 cups of veggie mix and spread out evenly. Lay out 9 of the mozzarella slices to cover the veggie layer.
- Repeat this layering. Top the second layer of mozzarella slices with lasagna strips and spread them evenly with 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese mix to finish.
- Cooking: Spray a sheet of foil with vegetable cooking spray and cover the baking dish tightly with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 1 hour or until the internal temp is 165 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes, covered, before cutting and serving.
- Immediately prior to serving, heat the reserved portion of Alfredo Sauce and ladle the hot sauce over each slice of lasagna as it is served.