SPINACH LASAGNA

This one is my own recipe. I came up with it many years ago after we had something similar at a catered wedding reception. I looked for the recipe for years, but never found anything closely resembling it. The original dish had mixed vegetables in the cheese sauce, and yes, it was delicious. I tried duplicating it with varying success, and then one day it dawned on me to try it with spinach. I have been making it this way ever since. Back in 1997, I filled an enormous pan with it for my oldest daughter’s garden wedding. I made my own pasta for it and the amount of cheese I used was incredible. A lucky neighbour had to finish baking it; their oven must have been on for hours.

This is indeed a rich and wonderful dish. I don’t make it often, a lower fat version was up on my blog for a couple of years. I am taking it off now, because there are things that should be left alone. That or have an apple.

SPINACH LASAGNA

Cheese Sauce:

1/3 cup flour
1-3/4 cups milk
cup milk
4 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Spinach Layer:
1/2 pkg. spinach
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
Pasta:
1 batch homemade pasta uncut in sheets

or 10 to 12 lasagna noodles depending on the shape of your dish
Topping:
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

• Combine 1/3 cup of flour with 1 cup milk.

• In a large skillet melt 4 Tbsp butter. Add the flour-milk mixture to the pan and stir in the remaining milk.

• Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens.

• If lumpy, force through a sieve.

• Season sauce with salt and pepper and add a pinch of grated nutmeg.

• Stir in the grated mozzarella cheese.

• When the mozzarella melts, add the Parmesan cheese and set it aside.

• Cook the spinach, and drain.

• Squeeze out all the spinach juice, and chop finely.

• Place the finely chopped spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl

• Combine well.

• Preheat the oven to 350F.

• Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water.

• Cook until tender.

• Drain and plunge cooked pasta into a pot of ice-cold water, with 1Tbsp of oil.

• Keep the noodles here until assembly.

• Oil a large square casserole dish.

• Spoon a bit of cheese sauce into the dish.

• Place a layer of lasagna pasta in the dish.

• Spread the spinach mixture on the pasta.

• Place a layer of pasta on the top.

• Spread half of the cheese sauce on the top.

• Cover with the remaining pasta.

• Top with the remaining cheese sauce.

• Sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese.

• Bake the lasagne at 350F until the cheeses bubbles, and the top is golden brown.

• Remove from heat, cover and let the lasagna settle for 15 minutes before serving.

homemade pasta 

or commercial lasagna noodles