Spinach and Béchamel Sauce Lasagna with Italian Sausage
This fresh twist on the classic lasagna recipe is a great way to get your greens in. Instead of the traditional red sauce, this low-lactose lasagna recipe calls for a velvety white and lactose-free béchamel sauce made with LACTAID® Fat-Free Lactose-Free Milk, as well as a creamy blend of spinach and LACTAID® Cottage Cheese layered with Italian sausage. It’s light, creamy, and full of flavor.
Recipe By Naomi Robinson
Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
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Servings |
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Ingredients
For the Spinach Mixture
1 pound ground sausage
1 large shallot, minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds green spinach (not frozen)
16 oz LACTAID® Cottage Cheese
4 oz parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
For the Lactose-Free Béchamel Sauce*
3 tbsp unsalted margarine
1 tbsp minced onion
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups LACTAID® Fat-Free Lactose-Free Milk, warmed
¼ tsp salt
White pepper to taste
For the Lasagna Assembly
1 pound lasagna noodles, cooked
Directions
For the Spinach Mixture
In a 10-inch skillet over med-high heat, stir and cook the sausage until thoroughly cooked (about 6-8 minutes), drain and transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Working in batches, add two large handfuls of spinach at a time, stir and cook until wilted. Transfer to a strainer, press excess moisture from the spinach mixture using a spatula.
Place spinach, sausage, LACTAID® Cottage Cheese, parmesan, and eggs into a blender or food processor and process until smooth and sausage is a fine crumble.
For the Lactose-Free Béchamel Sauce
Melt margarine over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until softened (but not browned) for about 3 minutes.
Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, whisking until flour is absorbed.
Add in the LACTAID® Fat-Free Lactose-Free Milk and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth for about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
For the Lasagna Assembly
Spread some béchamel sauce in a lasagna pan, then add noodles, ⅓ of the spinach, and ⅓ of the béchamel sauce in layers until the final noodle layer.
Top with remaining spinach. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
After initial bake is complete, turn on your oven's broiler. Carefully remove the foil from the top of your lasagna pan before moving it underneath the broiler. Broil the lasagna, uncovered, until the top is golden brown—about 2-3 minutes.
Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 piece
Amount Per Serving
Calories | 833 |
Total Fat | 38g |
Saturated Fat | 16g |
Cholesterol | 92mg |
Sodium | 945mg |
Total Carbohydrate | 77g |
Dietary Fiber | 3g |
Total Sugars | 9g |
Protein | 47g |
Calcium | 463mg |
Notes
*Sauce recipe by LACTAID®
Related Recipes
Keep exploring our recipe hub for more lactose-free recipes you can make using LACTAID® products. If we don't make it, we'll show you how to substitute a similar ingredient in your favorite recipe! Check out our simple conversion chart to help you swap traditional dairy ingredients for LACTAID® products.
