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Creamy Tomato Lasagna with Mascarpone Cheese

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Apr 16, 2010
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Luscious white sauce partners with sausage and beef in this three cheese lasagna.

Creamy Tomato Lasagna with Mascarpone Cheese

  • Prep Time 1 hr 35 min
  • Total 2 hr 25 min
  • Servings 12
  • Ingredients 26
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Ingredients

Meat Sauce

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (4 oz)
  • 1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage or links (remove from casings)
  • 1/2 lb ground chuck or lean (at least 80%) ground beef
  • 1/2 cup white wine or nonalcoholic wine
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese, softened

White Sauce

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Cheese and Pasta

  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)
  • 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (8 oz)
  • 12 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles (from 9- or 10-oz package)*

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add carrots, celery and onion. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes or until they have given up most of their juices.
  • Step 
    2
    Crumble sausage and beef into saucepan. Cook 10 minutes, breaking up and stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
  • Step 
    3
    Increase heat to medium-high and stir in wine. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wine nearly evaporates. Add 1 cup milk and cook about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until no liquid remains. Reduce heat to low. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, basil, black pepper and pepper flakes. Heat to simmer, then simmer 15 minutes.
  • Step 
    4
    Stir in mascarpone and remove sauce from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (Mixture should be saucy in order to hydrate the noodles during baking.)
  • Step 
    5
    In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly and making sure mixture does not brown. Remove from heat.
  • Step 
    6
    Gradually beat in milk with wire whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly (especially the corners), and boil 3 minutes or until thickened. (Not cooking the whole time will leave your sauce tasting floury.) Remove from heat and stir in salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (Do not add too much salt because you will be adding salty cheese.)
  • Step 
    7
    Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Step 
    8
    In medium bowl, mix mozzarella and Parmesan; set aside.
  • Step 
    9
    Spread about 1 1/4 cups of the meat sauce evenly over bottom of baking dish (it may not completely cover the bottom); top with 3 noodles. Top noodles with 1/2 cup of the white sauce, spreading it as best as you can. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese mixture. Top cheese with 1 1/4 cups of the meat sauce. Place 3 noodles on top of meat sauce. Repeat the following layers twice: 1/2 cup white sauce, 1 cup cheese mixture, 1 1/4 cups meat sauce, 3 noodles. Spread remaining white sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 2 cups cheese. You will be at the top of baking dish.
  • Step 
    10
    Tear off piece of foil large enough to amply cover top of baking dish. Spray one side of foil with cooking spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down. (Lasagna can be refrigerated up to 12 hours at this point.)
  • Step 
    11
    Bake 30 minutes (if lasagna was refrigerated, bake 40 minutes). Carefully remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer or until top is lightly brown in spots and edges are hot and bubbly.

Nutrition

510 Calories
31g Total Fat
29g Protein
30g Total Carbohydrate
8g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
510
Calories from Fat
280
Total Fat
31g
47%
Saturated Fat
15g
75%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
80mg
27%
Sodium
950mg
40%
Potassium
550mg
16%
Total Carbohydrate
30g
10%
Dietary Fiber
3g
11%
Sugars
8g
Protein
29g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
60%
60%
Vitamin C
10%
10%
Calcium
60%
60%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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