Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Butter or oil (Choose butter or oil.)
• 1 Small white onion (Diced.)
• 3 Garlic cloves (Chopped.)
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 600 g Finely chopped tomatoes (Mutti.)
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 3.5 Fresh basil leaves (Chopped; source gives 3–4 leaves.)
• 350 g Fresh spinach (Wilt, drain, and squeeze very dry; roughly chop.)
• 500 g Ricotta (Drain or squeeze if too wet.)
• 0.5 Lemon (Juice and zest.)
• 3 layers Fresh lasagne sheets (Source used 4 sheets, cutting one into thirds to fill the edge of the baking tray.)
• 125 g Mozzarella (One ball, sliced.)
• 100 g Cheddar (Approximately; grated.)
• Parmesan (For topping; a big grating.)
• Salt (A good pinch and additional salt to taste.)
• Black pepper (A good pinch and additional pepper to taste; finish with some pepper.)
• Milk (Add to the spinach-ricotta mixture to loosen; amount not stated.)
• Olive oil (For drizzling to serve; amount not stated.)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter or oil, then add the diced onion. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

2. 2

   Add the chopped garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, and chopped basil. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, until thickened and its flavor has deepened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

5. 5

   Wilt the spinach in a large pan, then drain it well. Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible with cheesecloth or a clean towel so the spinach is nearly dry. If the ricotta is too wet, drain or squeeze it as well.

6. 6

   Roughly chop the spinach and put it in a bowl with the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper, then mix to combine. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

7. 7

   In a square baking tray, spread tomato sauce over the base. Add lasagne sheets, followed by the spinach-ricotta mixture, sliced mozzarella, and grated cheddar. Add another layer of tomato sauce and lasagne sheets.

8. 8

   Repeat the layering process until the lasagne has three layers of pasta. Top with more cheese, then cover the tray with foil.

9. 9

   Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the top is golden.

10. 10

    Serve with a generous grating of Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and a final sprinkle of pepper.

Notes

The source does not specify the amount of milk, Parmesan, or finishing olive oil. It also does not give an exact amount of lasagne sheets beyond using three pasta layers (the author used four sheets, cutting one into thirds to fill the tray).

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegetarian
• comfort food
• baked
• Italian
• fall