I love lasagna. Layers upon layer of pasta, meat, sauce and cheese—what's not to love? But in the summer and early fall when vegetables are at their peak, all that cheese seems overwhelming. Adding plenty of fresh vegetables (easily and perfectly sliced using OXO V-Blade Mandoline to your regular lasagna for a healthy, light summer supper.
For Garden Fresh Lasagna, I thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions and peppers and layered them with a creamy, protein-packed herbed tofu and just two layers of pasta noodles.  A sprinkling of parmesan cheese offers an initial burst of flavor.
Tips:
- Use whole-wheat lasagna noodles for added fiber.
- Omit any vegetables you don't like, and swap for what you've got in your fridge. Add spinach or any other green, additional fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, chopped and steamed broccoli or asparagus... the possibilities are endless.
- Use lowfat ricotta cheese or cottage cheese instead of tofu.
- Serve with grilled turkey Italian sausage and a green salad. (Vegetarian? Try Boca Italian Sausage.)
- A mandoline (such as the V-Blade one by OXO) makes slicing vegetables lengthwise a breeze. If you don't have one, cutting vegetables into long, vertical slices can be difficult. Feel free to cut the vegetables horizontally (into discs).
- Watching your carbs? Leave out the noodles entirely!
So how does it stack up against your favorite Italian meal?
Garden Fresh Lasagna
212 calories 5.3 g fat 5 g fiber
vs.
Traditional Lasagna
330 calories 13 g fat
Find the recipe here.
Photos: taken by me, of the finished product, plus vegetables sliced using the mandoline!
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