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Turkey Lasagna St. Louis Style

Turkey Lasagna St. Louis Style

Meghan
A twist on the classic Italian dish that uses ground turkey and the St. Louis style cheese Provel.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12

Equipment

  • food processor
  • 9x13-inch baking dish or pan

Ingredients
  

For the sauce:

  • 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 - 2 pounds lean or extra lean ground turkey (or ground beef)
  • 40 ounces homemade or store bought marinara sauce (less if you prefer a more cheesy vs. saucy lasagna)

For the lasagna:

  • 12 lasagna noodles (9 if using a shallow dish)
  • 24 ounces small curd cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
  • Parmesan cheese
  • 2 - 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Provel cheese (or mozzarella or Provolone)

Instructions
 

  • Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Brown the turkey, stirring frequently. If using ground beef, omit olive oil.
  • Drain the meat if necessary.  With ground turkey there usually is not much liquid left to drain, and the small amount that is there may lend flavor to the sauce.
  • Add the homemade or prepared sauce of your choice to the meat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour or more. While ground beef can stand up to a day-long simmer, ground turkey starts to break down if cooked too long, so avoid simmering for more than a few hours.
  • Cook the lasagna noodles as directed on the package to al dente (use the lower time of the range provided or even a minute less than the lower limit). When the noodles are done, I like to lay them in a single layer on pieces of waxed paper to cool until I'm ready to assemble the lasagna.
  • Place the cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper and parsley (to taste) in a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • To assemble the lasagna: spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13" pan then beginning layering: 3 noodles, sauce to cover, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Provel cheese, and a little Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. If your pan is not deep enough for 4 layers, 3 will suffice. For the final layer, I top with lasagna noodles, sauce, and then an extra 1/c cup mozzarella and some Parmesan.
  • If the pan is full, place it on a baking sheet lined with foil because it may spill over the sides. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. (To make ahead, assemble but do not bake, then refrigerate or freeze. If you make ahead and refrigerate, then bake for 1 hour. If make ahead and freeze, it may take up to 90 minutes or more. I do not recommend freezing gluten free rice lasagna noodles).
  • Remove dish from oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Source: Adapted from a recipe by my Aunt and my Mom
You're Gonna Bake It After All
bakeitafterall.com
Keyword Italian, Pasta, turkey