This Easy Healthier Lasagna Casserole is a unique and delicious spin on the classic comfort food dish. It features No Yolks® Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles, a rich and hearty meat sauce, and a creamy and flavorful pesto and ricotta cheese blend, then finished with loads of melty mozzarella cheese on top. It is an easy, hearty, and delicious meal the whole family will love it!
This post is sponsored by No Yolks®. The opinions and text are all mine.
Easy Healthier Lasagna Casserole
I love lasagna. It’s a classic hearty comfort dish that warms the soul. The only problem is it’s a labor-intense dish that can take hours to make – as a working mom with a busy 19-month-old and another lil’ man on the way – I just don’t have time for that!
Enter my easy, healthier, and super tasty lasagna casserole! It cuts the prep time in half but still tastes as delicious as the dish we’ve all grown to love. This dish stars No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles, combined with a hearty and delicious simple meat sauce, a creamy flavor-packed pesto ricotta blend, and melty gooey mozzarella cheese. This casserole comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like it was prepared all day!
Ingredients in this Easy Healthy Lasagna Casserole
This easy lasagna casserole uses:
- No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles, No Yolks work perfectly in this dish! At 1/2″ wide, the Extra Broad Noodles are great for casseroles and entrees, and make a great alternative in dishes that would ordinarily call for pappardelle or fettucine.
- Yellow onion and red bell pepper, adds flavor and veggie goodness to the casserole.
- Lean ground beef, I use a lean ground beef, which is lower in fat but still just as flavorful. It makes the dish hearty and filling without any added guilt!
- Garlic, spices and balsamic vinegar, amp up the flavors in the dish!
- Your favorite store-bought tomato sauce, using an already prepared pasta sauce is one of the shortcuts that makes this dish so quick to whip up. I always look for one that is made with real, natural ingredients and is low in sugar.
- Ricotta cheese and Greek yogurt, creates that creamy layer that cuts through all the richness of the meat sauce. I add Greek yogurt for extra protein and nutrients.
- Store-bought Pesto, this is another shortcut ingredient that helps speed up the prep process while also adding so much extra flavor to the dish. I combine it with the ricotta Greek yogurt blend to add brightness that makes the whole casserole sing!
- Shredded mozzarella cheese, no lasagna casserole is complete without the gooey top layer of cheesy goodness!
- Fresh basil, for a pop of freshness at the end!
More about No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles
No Yolks Noodles are the perfect pantry staple because of their delicious taste and versatility. You can use them to make a casserole recipe, like this easy lasagna casserole, or to make soup, ramen, pasta, and so much more! No Yolks Noodles are a lighter alternative to regular egg noodles and help easily lighten up dishes your enjoyed while growing up without sacrificing any flavor. Yes, please!
Where to find No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles
I purchased my No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles at my local Kroger Store. You can find No Yolks Noodles in the pantry/pasta section of your local Kroger. Find their products HERE and search for your local Kroger HERE.
How to make this Easy Healthier Lasagna Casserole
This delicious casserole comes together in a few easy steps and in under 30 min.
First, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Boil a pot of water. Once boiled, add your No Yolks noodles and cook until al dente.
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onions and peppers and cook until tender and caramelized, about 3-5 minutes. This step adds extra flavor and veggies goodness to the dish.
Move the veggies to the side of the skillet and add a touch more olive oil. Add the ground beef. Cook on both sides until nice and browned – this adds texture and flavor the meat. Then, using your spatula, break up the ground beef into chunks and cook until it’s no longer pink in the middle. Remove excess fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the juices. Combine the meat and veggies until well-incorporated.
Add in the fresh minced garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the balsamic vinegar and mix until everything is well-combined. The fresh garlic, spices, and balsamic give the meat and veggies delicious, umami, and robust flavor to help bring this dish to life!
Add the cooked noodles and sauce (saving about ½ cup of the sauce for topping) to the skillet with the meat mixture and mix until all the ingredients are well-combined.
In a small bowl, combine, the ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, pesto, lemon juice, and salt and mix until well-combined. This ricotta blend adds extra creaminess and brightness to the dish!
Now the fun part – layering our casserole! Grease a casserole dish. First, add the pasta layer. Next dollop with the ricotta blend and spread out evenly over the pasta layer. Top with extra red sauce and loads of mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. For an extra delicious, golden-brown option, I recommend broiling it for 1-2 minutes so the cheesy develops little caramelized pockets!
Top with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!
How is this Lasagna Casserole Lighter?
First of all, I used No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles, which are cholesterol free, low fat and low sodium. I love using these noodles as a lighter alternative – they are still tender and delicious so you can’t even tell the difference!
I also used lean ground beef, which contains less fat than regular ground beef. Furthermore, I used a low sugar all natural pasta sauce, which keeps this dish delicious and wholesome.
Finally, I subbed some of the ricotta cheese with Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds protein and healthy fat but still provides creamy richness.
Together, these simple swaps create a flavor-packed and nutritious weeknight dinner your whole family will enjoy!
Enjoy!
No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles help make a delicious, lightened up, no-fuss lasagna casserole your whole family will love! Hurry to your local Kroger and pick-up this pantry staple so you can make this easy, weeknight meal today!
If you make this easy and healthier lasagna casserole please leave a comment below. I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest, cuz sharing is caring!
Easy + Healthier Lasagna Casserole
This Easy Healthier Lasagna Casserole is a unique and delicious spin on the classic comfort food dish your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 8 oz No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles 4 cups cooked
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Half a medium yellow onion diced
- 1 small red pepper diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 2-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 24 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce I used a garlic and herb kind
- ¾ cup part skim ricotta
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh minced basil for topping
Instructions
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Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
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Boil a pot of water. Once boiled, add your No Yolks noodles and cook until al dente.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onions and peppers and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Move the veggies to the side of the skillet and add a touch more olive oil. Add the ground beef. Cook on both sides until browned. Then, using your spatula, break up the ground beef into chunks and cook until no longer pink in the middle. Remove excess fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the juices. Combine the meat and veggies until well-incorporated.
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Add in the fresh minced garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the balsamic vinegar and mix until everything is well-combined.
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Add the cooked No Yolks Extra Broad Enriched Egg White Pasta Noodles and tomato sauce (saving about ½ cup of the sauce for topping) to the skillet and mix until all the ingredients are well-combined.
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In a small bowl, combine, the ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, pesto, lemon juice, and pinch of salt and mix until well-combined.
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Grease a casserole dish. First, add the pasta layer. Next dollop with the ricotta blend and spread out evenly over the pasta layer. Top with extra sauce and mozzarella cheese.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. For extra golden brown option, broil for 1-2 minutes.
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Top with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!
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