Olive Garden’s Lasagna Primavera is a Lighter Take on a Classic

I love a good, meaty and gooey lasagna, but I was in the mood for lighter fare recently when I visited my local Olive Garden.  They have a great section to their menu called Lighter Italian Fare, which I thought was code for “diet stuff with no flavor.”  Boy, was I wrong.  I ordered the Lasagna Primavera The flavors were bold, the tomatoes were fresh, and the dish was amazing.  But, could I make something similar at home?  I set off on a kitchen adventure to find out.

Lasagna Primavera Gets the Veggies in Your Diet

What makes Lasagna Primavera different from other lasagnas is two things: the pasta is folded, not stacked, and the filling is deliciously satisfying and healthy.  By folding the pasta, you make something individualized that can still be cooked in a large batch.  But the filling is what really makes this lasagna stand out.  Fresh zucchini and summer squash, as well as peppers, make this dish bright and creative.  The filling, ultimately, can be anything you want it to be, but the squash makes this summery and fantastic.

Love Lasagna But On a Diet?  Try Lasagna Primavera for a Fresh Dish

I love a good piece of lasagna, but I love a lighter dish sometimes.  This is a great way to lighten up an old favorite without losing the deliciousness of it.  You can even top it with grilled chicken, something Olive Garden does.  But don’t skip out on something you love because you don’t want all the calories.  Two pieces of folded pasta, including sauce and cheese, are a total of 361 calories and 9 grams of fat.  A nationally marketed frozen lasagna has about 1100 calories per serving, with 48 grams of fat, making these simple lasagna rolls much better for your waistline.

12 lasagna noodles

2 baby zucchini

2 baby grey (Mexican) summer squash

2 baby yellow summer squash

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

8 oz shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil.  Cook the pasta noodles until they are pliable, and mostly cooked.  Remove and place in a bowl of cold water.

While the water is coming to a boil, slice the squash on a mandolin or thinly with a sharp knife.  Set aside.

Place about a half a cup of pasta sauce into the bottom of a 13×9 pan and spread around.

Lay a noodle out on a cutting board or clean flat surface.  Top in the middle third with 6 slices of squash.

Fold the ends over the top and place folded ends down on the sauce.  Continue with the remaining noodles.

Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Ease that craving for lasagna!  Make a batch of Olive Garden Copy Cat Lasagna Primavera!