Backwards Lasagna

(10 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb Lasagna noodles (*use whole wheat or Gluten-Free)
• 8 cups zucchini, sliced (about 6 zucchinis)
• 10 whole plum tomatoes
• 4 TBS fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• dash sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 1lb ground turkey meat (97/3)
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup white onion, chopped (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup dry white whine
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
• 4 cups fresh spinach, washed
• dash large grain sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 cup pecorino romano cheese

How To Prepare

Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash tomatoes, zucchini, fresh parsley, thyme and pat dry.

Cut ends off the zucchini (put into compost) and cut them in half. Stand the halves up vertically and cut them down the center in 4 strips (should be 1/4-1/2” thick). Line them on baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper and 2 TBS of fresh thyme. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Cut tomatoes lengthwise in 1/2” slices, line in a single layer on your baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, a dash salt and pepper, 2 TBS of fresh thyme and chopped garlic. Bake for 30 minutes.

Finely chop white onion and saute in a large saute pan for 2-3 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil. Add ground turkey meat (seasoned with a dash of fresh pepper and sea salt) and break the meat apart with a flat spatula until the meat is in fine chunks. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes). Add fresh parsley, white wine and 1/4 cup vegetable broth, simmer on low until lasagna is ready to assemble.

Boil water in a large stock pot and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions, drain and drizzle with olive oil.

Take the roasted veggies out of the oven and spoon all zucchini into your food processors. Puree until smooth. As the processor is blending, add 1 cup of vegetable broth, a dash of salt and pepper and 4 cups of raw spinach. Continue to puree until smooth. If the consistency is too thin, add more vegetable broth.

Assemble: In your lasagna dish, ladle in a thin layer of the zucchini sauce, lasagna noodles (place them in the dish in a single layer), then browned turkey and onion (your lasagna will have about 3 layers, so spoon about 1/3 of the turkey mixture at a time), top with roasted tomato slices and a sprinkle of romano cheese (about 1/4 cup each layer). Repeat about 3 times, or until you have run out of ingredients or space!

Bake 25-30 minutes, serve warm!

Naturopathic Doctor Says:

Well, the name might be backward, but the flavor and nutrition will certainly move you in the right direction. Filled with tomatoes, this recipe will be chock full of the carotene lycopene, like any deep red plant.  One Harvard 12 year study of 51,529  people found that men who ate tomatoes 10 times a week reduced their risk for prostate cancer by almost half.(1)  Other studies show tomato’s benefits likely for other cancers as well. Low in calories, zucchini has plenty of folate, another cancer preventive vitamin. Zucchini is also an excellent source of potassium, vitamin A and C. Turkey is a low fat healthful source of protein, iron and vitamin D.   1- Giovannucci EB et al. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2002;94(5): 391-398

Recommended for the following Conditions:

 

Nutrition Information (amount per serving) [*NOTE: In this recipe, the type of lasagna noodle you choose could alter the nutrition facts, specifically carbs and fiber]:

Calories 281, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 76mg, Sodium 688mg, Total Carbohydrate 31g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g, Protein19g, Vitamin A 43%, Vitamin C 61%, Calcium 18%, Iron 18%, Vitamin K ~116%,

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