Recipe: Low Carb Aubergine Lasagne
Think of a Lasagne that’s a little bit like Moussaka but more meaty and cheesy and is actually good for you…and here you have it. This delicious low-carb version uses aubergine instead of pasta and turkey mince instead of beef. Meaning it feels comforting and indulgent without any of the saturated fat and simple carbs that a regular lasagne comes with (which is totally OK every now and then with copious amounts of red wine FYI…)
Ingredients for the meat sauce:
Makes 4 servings
500g lean turkey mince (I always use 2% fat)
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red onion, diced
1 beef stock cube with 200ml of water
1 beef stock cube, dry
Method for the meat sauce:
Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and spray with fry-light or drizzle with EVOO
Gently fry off the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until softened
Add the turkey mince and cook through for 5 - 10 minutes
Add a tablespoon of mixed herbs plus 1 dry beef stock cube and stir for a further 2 minutes
Pour the can of chopped tomatoes into the pan and add the tomato puree & 200ml of beef stock and mix well
Leave to simmer for 10 minutes, checking and stirring every few minutes
Once thickened and formed into a ‘meat sauce’, remove from the heat and set to one side
Remaining Ingredients:
250g reduced fat ricotta cheese
100g reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
10 fresh basil leaves chopped
2 Medium Aubergines
Method for constructing your perfect Aubergine Lasagne:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C
Slice the aubergines length ways into 1cm thick slices and lay on foil on a baking tray
Lightly brush each side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Bake for 5 - 6minutes each side or until softened and gently browned
Combine 75g of the mozzarella, all the basil and 250g of ricotta in a small ball and mix well
Now to construct your lasagne!
Pour two heaped serving spoons of your meat sauce into the bottom of a baking dish or until the bottom of the dish is covered
On top of the sauce, create a layer of aubergine slices
Spoon your cheese mixture on the top of the aubergine slices to cover
Repeat steps 7 - 9 until you have used all your meat sauce and cheese sauce, ensuring the top layer is cheese sauce. (You will probably only get 2 -3 layers of each depending on what dish you use)
11. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 25g of mozzarella on top of the lasagne
12. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and finish baking for a further 6-8 minutes
Nutrition:
Makes 4 portions
Per serving:
373 calories
11g Fat
17.1g Carbohydrates
48.8g Protein