Spinach Lasagna

Directions

Spinach Lasagna Recipe
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 dry lasagna noodles (not no-boil)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 pound ricotta or cottage cheese (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or a combination
• 1 pound pre-shredded mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups)
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 4 cups tomato sauce , recipe follows, or your favorite jarred


• Directions
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the lasagna noodles and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic begins to brown. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and stir until the spinach dries out and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Cool. (If you don’t want to do this step, make sure you drain and squeeze out the spinach really well. You don’t want wet spinach)
• Mix the ricottat cheese, Parmesan/Pecorino, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, lemon zest, nutmeg, cayenne, and cooled spinach in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the egg. (The egg is also an option – it works without it)
• Cover the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch casserole with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Cover with 3 of the noodles placed side-to-side, but not overlapping. Top with a 1/4 of the cheese mixture and about a half cup of tomato sauce. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Cover lasagna layers with remaining noodles, dollop remaining cheese mixture on top. Drizzle with remaining tomato sauce, then scatter the remaining 2 cups mozzarella on top. Bake, uncovered, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.