Caprese Lasagna with Spicy Turkey Sausage is fresh and light, yet filling and hearty. Perfect for summer, or any time of year!
Abandon your plans for the evening and go out to get the ingredients needed for this mouthwatering summer lasagna recipe right this very minute.
Right – summer lasagna. There’s an oxymoron for you!
You don’t even have to read the rest of this pos – blah, blah, blah… See? I’m making it even easier for you to skip over the directions, print this recipe, and get on your way.
There’s just something about Caprese Lasagna with Spicy Turkey Sausage!
This fresh take on lasagna layers the classic Caprese trio of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella with spicy turkey sausage enveloped in a creamy, garlicky, white sauce, aka Bechamel.
Fresh and light, yet filling and hearty, Caprese Lasagna with Spicy Turkey Sausage is best described as summertime comfort food. You’ve got to try it!
Start the Caprese Lasagna with Spicy Turkey Sausage by boiling 3/4lb lasagna noodles in heavily salted, boiling water. I love Jovial Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles.
You’ll only need 9 noodles for the lasagna, but sometimes they break and what not, so I recommend you cook a few more than necessary.
Drain the noodles, then return them to the pot and add a drizzle of olive oil. Gently stir the noodles around to coat in the oil, which will help keep them from sticking together as they cool.
Meanwhile, remove 3/4lb hot turkey Italian sausage from their casings then add to a large skillet over medium-high heat. The sausage provides some oomph to the lasagna, and a savory flavor that I just love.
Break the sausage up as it cooks, then remove it to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, make the Bechamel.
Turn the heat down to medium then melt 2 Tablespoons butter and add 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is very fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle in 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour then whisk and cook for 1 minutes.
Next, slowly pour in 1-1/2 cups chicken broth while whisking to avoid lumps.
When the sauce is smooth, whisk in 1-1/2 cups milk, 2% milk fat or higher, until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper then switch to a spatula and stir the sauce for about 10 minutes, or until it’s thick and bubbly.
Pour the thickened sauce into a large, glass pyrex measuring cup, or bowl with a spout. This step is optional, but I think it makes the assembly of the lasagna a whole lot easier.
Which is where we go next! Generously spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick spray then spread 1/4 cup Bechamel into the bottom.
Place 3 cooked lasagna noodles long ways on top,
followed by slices of fresh Roma tomatoes,
torn fresh basil,
1/3 of the cooked hot turkey Italian sausage,
and 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese.
Drizzle 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, then repeat the layers two more times for a total of three layers. !
Cover the baking dish with foil then bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil then bake for 15 more minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly.
I call a center piece!
Ahhh, I just can’t get over that creamy Bechamel sauce! I hope I’ve shown you that it’s truly very simple to make with everyday ingredients.
Enjoy a piece, or 10 — since it’s lighter than traditional lasagnas, and packed with fresh, summertime flavors, feel free to go back for more.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb lasagna noodles, Jovial brown rice noodles recommended
- extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 lb hot or sweet Italian-style turkey sausage
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups 2% milk
- 5-6 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup torn fresh basil
- 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
For the noodles:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles in a very large pot of salted, boiling water until just under al dente. Drain then return to the pot. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil then gently stir to coat the noodles.
For the sausage:
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze sausage out of its casing then break it up while it cooks. Remove to a plate and set aside.
For the Bechamel:
- Turn the heat down to medium then, in the same skillet, melt butter. Add garlic then cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to combine and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly stream in chicken broth while whisking to avoid lumps. Add milk then whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Switch to a spatula then stir sauce until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Pour bechamel into a bowl with a spout then set aside.
Assembly:
- Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray then add 1/4 cup bechamel to the bottom and spread into an even layer with a spatula. Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom, then top with 1/3 of the tomatoes, 1/4 cup torn basil, 1/3 of the cooked turkey sausage, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers 2 more times, for a total of three layers.
- Cover baking dish with foil then bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil then bake for 15 more minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This is definitely a keeper! Made this tonight and hubby loved it.
I used the turkey sausage that comes in a 1 lb tube and added some red pepper flake to make it spicier. Also lightened it up with the 2% milk mozzarella and used skim milk and low sodium broth in the sauce. I think next time I will throw in an extra tomato or two. Great recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight. I actually used a mild sausage as hubby doesn’t do spicy well and added a little bit of italian seasoning while cooking the meat. I used a No Salt chicken stock while making the sauce. After I made the roux, I added a little parmesan cheese in it for a little more flavor; I love cheese. I used a low fat italian cheese blend. I really liked this recipe and will definately make it again; so versatile. Hubby said he would like to try it without meat. I’ll try it without meat next time and will definately up the fresh basil. Love the fact that this is considerably low calorie in comparison to traditional lasagna and has great flavor. Thanks so much for the recipe.
I made this for my family tonight. I used Sweet Italian chicken sausage and a bit of Parmesan. My family LOVED it!!!
Hi – I made this tonight and it’s delicious! One note: I used no boil noodles and they didn’t really soften at first. I ended up making a little more sauce and pouring it over the top.
I made this last night for the hubby and myself. . . It was amazing!! I followed your recipe exactly (except for I couldn’t find spicy turkey sausage at my grocery store so I had to use pork) and it turned out AMAZING!
Do you think I could make this a day in advance and then bake it the next day? Or would the tomatoes/basil get too soggy?
I think the sauce might actually soak into the noodles, and the lasagna might come out dry. I think it’d be totally fine to cook the noodles (store them in a plastic bag with some olive oil to prevent sticking,) prepare the sauce, and cut the tomatoes the day before, to make assembly the next day really quick!
This was awesome!!!
I tweaked it a little, I added TJ Traditional Marinara too, and instead of shredded mozzarella I used the mini pearls from Trader Joes. It was a big hit at my dinner!! I had a 1/4 of the pan left!! :)
This. was. AWESOME. Thanks for sharing!
We made this too — ahhhhhmazing!
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! Hubby and I loved it!! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow. This is definitely a keeper recipe! Thank you so much for sharing.
This looks UNREAL. I cannot wait to try it out!
This was amazing – I went home and made it last night and it was a huge hit with my husband! Thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks so much for sharing; this will be made as soon as my hubby is back to working days. I don’t want to be tempted to eat toooo much when I first make it. Looks delish.
Side note – LOVE your Friday Favorites, as always.