The easy way to cook a sausage and spinach lasagna

You can't beat lasagna for crowd-pleasing appeal and make-ahead convenience. This spinach and sausage lasagna is a little healthier, easy to make and is sure to please almost anyone.

• Oven-ready noodles speed up preparation time, but they never seem to tenderize properly. To remedy this, soak them in warm water before assembling the lasagna.
• You can assemble the recipe in advance through step 4, cover and refrigerate for up to two days or freeze for up to three months (thaw in the refrigerator before baking).

• Preparation time: 30 minutes
• Cooking time: 1 hour
• Serves 6
• Per serving: 400 calories, 24 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 5 g fibre, 19 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 82 mg cholesterol, 986 mg sodium.

• 1 link (25 g/4 oz) hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
• 1 jar (700 ml/26 oz) marinara sauce
• 5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 pkgs (300 g/10 oz each) frozen spinach
• 1 large egg
• 1 container (475 g/15 oz) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 50 g (1/2 c) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 300 ml (1 1/3 c) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Coat a 23 × 33-centimetre (nine × 13 inch) baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook the sausage in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, two to four minutes. Blot the sausage with paper towel.
3. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the marinara sauce, oregano and red pepper.
4. Cook the spinach according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain the spinach well and press out moisture.
5. Whisk the egg and ricotta in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the spinach, 25 grams (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan, the nutmeg and the black pepper. Mix well.
6. Place three of the lasagna noodles in a deep dish or bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak while you assemble the lasagna.
7. Spread about 175 millilitres (3/4 cup) of the marinara sauce mixture in the baking dish. Place three unsoaked noodles crosswise over the sauce. Spread about 300 millilitres (1 1/3 cup) of the spinach mixture over the noodles. Spoon 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) marinara sauce over the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 75 millilitres (1/3 cup) mozzarella.
8. Add another layer of unsoaked noodles and repeat layering with spinach mixture and marinara sauce and mozzarella two more times.
9. Lift the soaked noodles from the water, shake off excess and arrange on top of the lasagna. Spread the remaining marinara sauce evenly over the final layer of noodles.
10. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 25 grams (1/4 cup) Parmesan and 75 millilitres (1/3 cup) mozzarella.
11. Bake, uncovered, until noodles are tender and lasagna is bubbly, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for five minutes before serving. One serving is one 11 × nine-centimetre (4 1/2 × 3 1/2-inch) piece.

We've given our favourite lasagna a healthier spin by lightening up the meat and cheese layers and bulking up the spinach layer. The result is something that's just as tasty, and just as easy to make.