Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • 9 ounces no-boil lasagna sheets, refrigerated fresh pasta sheets, or homemade pasta dough
  • 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter (or olive oil)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons shallot (finely chopped (1 medium bulb))
  • 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • Red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • 8 ounces fresh spinach leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
  • ¾ cup parmesan cheese* (shredded, divided)
  • 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, divided)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 egg (slightly beaten)
  • 2 ¼ cups homemade tomato sauce

Instruction

  • Homemade Pasta: If using homemade pasta, roll out pasta sheets on the thinnest, or second to thinnest, setting, cutting them to fit the size of your pan. Bring a large stockpot full of salted water to a boil; par-cook the noodles for approximately 30 seconds, until they float. Transfer directly to an ice bath, remove, then set them to dry on a tea towel or paper towels. Let them rest until ready to assemble the lasagna. If using refrigerated pasta sheets or no-boil (oven-ready) dried lasagna noodles, use as directed...generally no need to prep!
  • Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish (glass or ceramic) with softened butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Spinach Mixture: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallot and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Add chopped spinach to skillet, stir to coat, and remove from heat as spinach wilts. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer and press to release all liquid from the spinach. Set aside to drain and cool. See notes below for using frozen spinach.
  • Ricotta Filling: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together ricotta, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg. Taste test to check for salt and spice levels, then stir in the egg. Once the spinach has drained and cooled, stir it into the ricotta mixture.
  • Assembly: Spread ¼ cup of tomato sauce in greased baking dish. Place down the first layer of lasagna sheets; top with approximately ⅓ of the ricotta mixture (for 3 layers), then an additional ¼ cup shredded mozzarella, and ½ cup tomato sauce. Continue with two more full layers: pasta, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce. Once the three layers of ricotta are set, top with a final layer of pasta and tomato sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese (~1/3 cup) and remaining parmesan (~1/4 cup) on top.
  • Bake: Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 20-30 additional minutes, until golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then cut slices and serve. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese or fresh basil as desired.