I just l-o-v-e lasagna, but most traditional recipes include ingredients that make it a carb and fat-laden calorie bomb.

For this version, I’ve cut a substantial portion of the fat content by using 90-percent lean ground beef, fat-free cottage cheese and low-fat part-skim mozzarella cheese. I’ve also reduced the salt content by using low-sodium marinara sauce, added fiber by using whole-grain noodles and even sneaked in veggies by adding spinach.

The result? While still not calorie-free (shucks!), the healthier ingredients improve the nutritional quality of this comfort-food favorite without sacrificing flavor.

Lasagna also freezes well, which makes it great for batch-cooking.

This recipe makes approximately six servings.

Ingredients

• 4 brown rice or whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 pound ground beef, crumbled
• 9-ounce box frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 25-ounce jar reduced-sodium marinara sauce
• 8-ounce package reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Boil the noodles until al dente.

For the filling, brown the ground beef and drain thoroughly. Thaw the spinach in the microwave oven and add to the ground beef. Add cottage cheese and marinara sauce to ground beef/spinach mixture and stir to thoroughly combine ingredients.

Spoon 1/3 of the lasagna filling into a 9 X 9-inch pan, and top with a layer of noodles. Repeat, then top with the remainder of the filling.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.

Bake in 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Nutrition information

Calories: 390 | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 34 g | Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 65 mg | Sodium: 590 mg | Potassium: 425 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 43% | Vitamin C: 20% | Calcium: 30% | Iron: 30%