Vegetarian Lasagna: Keep the Flavor, Lose the Fat

Lasagna doesn't have to be the high-fat dish many people are accustomed to. In fact, it's easy to lower the fat in this Italian dish. After all, no one said you had to use pasta noodles. It's also incredibly easy to make vegetarian lasagna using a variety vegetables. In fact, forget everything you once knew about lasagna. It's time to learn several new ways to prepare this Italian dish to be healthy, low-fat and tasty.

Make Lasagna Healthier By Ditching the Noodles
Lasagna is often prepared with white noodles. Not only are these noodles full of unhealthy carbs, but they lack flavor as well. Thankfully, there are several substitutions for traditional lasagna noodles. Why not try slices of zucchini? Zucchini is not only low in calories, but nutritious as well. Depending on the texture you like, you can add the slices raw or partially steamed before adding to your lasagna. If zucchini isn't your cup of tea, you can also use eggplant or yellow squash. You can even substitute lasagna noodles by using whole wheat tortillas. Tortillas would be the perfect addition to Mexican lasagna.

Prepare a Sauce That Tastes Meaty or Adds Protein
Many people might think that replacing meat in lasagna would be difficult, but it's actually quite easy. If you want traditional lasagna, add sautéed portabella mushrooms to a homemade tomato sauce. The mushrooms will add both a meaty flavor and texture. If you want to try something a bit different, you can prepare a homemade salsa and add black beans. The beans will add protein and will also add a different texture to your lasagna. If you don't like black beans, you can always add kidney, pinto or even chili beans.

Lower the Fat Content in the Cheese Layer
If you look at a basic recipe for lasagna, you may see ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and even cream cheese listed. Thankfully, most of these cheeses are available in low-fat versions. To create a cheese mixture that is both flavorful and lower in fat, combine part-skim ricotta, low-fat cottage cheese, fat-free cream cheese and part-skim mozzarella. Feel free to keep parmesan in the recipe because it's low in calories and fat. If you want to prepare Mexican lasagna, try using a 2 percent, shredded cheddar or a 2 percent cheese loaf. The cheese loaf will melt beautifully and can easily be combined with chopped peppers for added flavor.

Try Different Types of Vegetable Lasagna
No one said lasagna had to be traditional. For example, why not create lasagna using spinach, zucchini, low-fat alfredo sauce and a low-fat cheese mixture?

For Mexican lasagna, create a sauce using salsa and black beans. Add whole wheat tortilla in place of the noodles and a 2 percent cheese loaf melted with hot peppers.

You can even create lasagna that is simply layers of vegetables. If you want to be really creative, you can make lasagna for dessert. Layer a fruit puree, slices of melon and a low-fat cream cheese sweetened with sugar substitute. If you like, you can also add a layer of mixed berries for more texture.

The key to a successful low-fat version of lasagna is to find flavors and ingredients that trick your mind into thinking that you're enjoying high-fat lasagna. You must also remember the importance of texture. Take time to think about what each ingredient brings to lasagna. How does it taste and what texture does it have? This will help you choose low-fat ingredients that work best in your favorite lasagna recipe.