Weight Watchers Classic Lasagna - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry red wine
56 ounces crushed Italian plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
16 dry whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat oil in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, cleery and garlic; cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high and add beef; cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
Add wine; cook, stirring once, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 2-3 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and paste, oregano, salt, black and red pepper; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes; stir in basil.
Preheat oven to 375.
Make the filling by putting into a medium bowl ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
In a 13x9 inch baking dish spread 2 cups meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 4 noodles on top, overlapping to fit if needed.
Spoon about 2 1/4 cups meat sauce over noodles; top with 1/2 cup filling mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat, layering with remaining noodles, sauce, filling and mozzarella, reserving 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Cover lasagna with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and bake until cheese melts and lightly browns, about 5 minutes; remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes; slice into 12 pieces.
If desired, you can make this recipe a day ahead and stop short of baking. Let the dish cool to room temperature and cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Allow 15 minutes more baking time to cook through.