Recipes: Tomato-Basil Lasagna w/Prosciutto

So I'll be the first to admit, I have never been the most confident cook. But, this calorie counting business has forced me into it and I've learned it doesn't have to be that hard. Granted, there are lots of difficult things to cook, but I try to avoid those and there are still plenty of great recipes left! I try to make at least one new recipe per week, and usually Sam does too.

This past week, I made lasagna and discovered that although it is time consuming, lasagna definitely does not have to be difficult! Also the first time I've ever bought prosciutto, which was very easy once I finally found it at the deli counter. Sorry for the lack of pics (included one from cooking light... rest assured mine was not nearly as beautiful haha), but here's the details:

Tomato-Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto
Recipe & picture from www.cookinglight.com
20 minute prep, 60 minute bake
Serves 8

Ingredients
5 tsp minced garlic
16 oz fat-free cottage cheese
8 oz fat-free cream cheese (block style)
1 1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 egg
12 lasagna noodles
4 oz chopped prosciutto or ham
5 cups fat-free pasta sauce (can be tricky to find in store - I used Prego light smart traditional)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (fat-free if you can find it, I used regular low-moisture, part-skim)

Instructions
Preheat over to 375F
Cook lasagna noodles per instructions on package
Blend cottage cheese and garlic in food process until smooth
Add cream cheese, basil, pepper and egg and process until well blended
Spread 1 cup pasta sauce in bottom of 13x9 pan coated with cooking spray
Arrange 3 noodles on top of sauce, cover with 1 cup cheese mixture, 1/3 cup prosciutto and 1 cup sauce
Repeat to create two more layers
Place last layer of noodles on top, cover with remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella
Bake covered for 45 minutes or until bubbly, then bake uncovered for 15 more minute

Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 338
Carbs: 47g
Fat: 7g
Protein: 26g
Sugar: 13g
Sodium: 1531mg
(all are approximate - this is based on the exact ingredients I used)


The worst part about this recipe is the time it takes to bake - on a weeknight this had us eating pretty late! But it was delicious, and I really didn't notice a difference in overall creaminess or taste by using nearly all fat-free ingredients. As far as the nutrition facts, the sodium is really the only kicker on this one... but if you are eating healthy meals throughout the day it shouldn't be an issue. This one is also great leftover - Sam and I usually cook meals with 4 servings to have dinner and lunch the next day, but this one lasted us for most of the weekend.

Hope you enjoy!