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Spinach and pasta belong together! I enjoy lasagna but I wanted to try a different kind of sauce and I thought, "Why not try a green sauce?" Not only does the spinach provide plenty of nutrients but it also produces a nice contrast against the white layers of cheese and pasta. I would not call this a healthy meal by any means because of all the cheesy goodness but it definitely deserves to be enjoyed at a special family dinner or celebration. I have used oven-ready or ready to bake lasagna sheets to cut down on prep. time. Enjoy this green lasagna with a piece of garlic bread or a fresh tomato salad on the side.
Serves: 6 | Prep. time: 1 hr. | Cook time: 1 hr.
Ingredients:
1/2 large white onion
6 large Baby Bella mushrooms
2.5 tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
1 tsp. dry or fresh basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
15 oz. full fat ricotta cheese
1 large zucchini (thinly sliced)
1 tbsp. butter
3 large cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1.5 cups milk (whole or 2%)
2 large bunches of spinach
12 oven ready lasagna sheets (I used Barilla)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the onion and mushrooms to achieve very fine pieces. You may keep them a bit chunky if you want.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and fry off the onions and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to season along with 1 tsp. dry basil and 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (if using fresh basil, add after moving this pan off the heat). Cook till vegetables have softened and all the juices have cooked off. We want this mix to be a bit dry.
Set aside to cool.
In the meanwhile, prepare the spinach sauce:
Remove the stems of the spinach and wash thoroughly. In a large pot, add 3-4 quarts (or liters) of water and bring to a boil. In separate bowl, add an equal quantity of cold water with a handful of ice cubes in it.
Add the washed spinach leaves to boiling water and submerge completely. Keep in water for 1 minute and then immediately transfer the spinach to the bowl of ice water. This quick cooking technique, called blanching, preserves the color, flavor and nutritional value of the spinach.
Add the cooled spinach leaves to a blender and blend to form a very smooth puree (we need 2 cups of spinach puree).
In a saucepan, melt 1 tbsp. butter on medium heat and then add 1 tbsp. olive oil to it.
Add the minced garlic and once fragrant, add in the flour and whisk immediately to make a roux (you may add more butter or oil if you like).
Keep whisking for a minute and then, gradually add the milk, 1/3rd cup at a time. Keep whisking continuously to prevent formation of flour clumps. If some clumps form, it is okay. After all the milk is incorporated, use the back of a wooden spoon to smooth out any clumps.
Season with salt, pepper and dry basil leaves. Once the milk thickens, add the spinach puree, stir well and turn off the heat (this should make about 3 cups of sauce).
5. In a clean bowl, add the Ricotta cheese. To it, add the vegetables prepared in steps 1-3 and mix well.
6. In a clean skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and stir fry the sliced zucchini. Season with salt and pepper and cook until they turn soft and slightly brown.
7. Finally, we are ready to assemble the lasagna:
Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
In a 9x13 baking pan, pour 1/2 cup of the spinach sauce to cover the bottom.
Arrange three lasagna sheets. Spread 1/3rd of the ricotta mixture over the sheets. Scatter 1/3rd of the zucchini slices over the cheese and cover with desired amount of shredded Mozzarella (I used 1/4 cup).
Over this, spread 1/2 cup of spinach sauce and repeat the step above 2 more times.
On top of the third layer, arrange the last three lasagna sheets, any remaining zucchini or ricotta mixture you may have, then ladle the remaining green sauce to cover the sheets and top with remaining Mozzarella cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil cover and bake for 5 more minutes.
Remove from oven, let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
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