Fall and with that cooler temperatures are approaching – time for comfort food! This lasagna recipe was given to me by a friend many many years ago and proved popular during my college years as much as it is now in our little family. It has changed a bit over the years just as recipes change if you make them from memory so many times. We don’t eat pasta too often but there’s a definite moment of excitement when my two-year old comes home from pre-school and discovers a bubbling dish of lasagna through the oven door!
One piece of advice – you can save yourself a lot of time by using a square dish for lasagna! I learned the hard way after making lasagna for 20 children and adults at my son’s pre-school where they only have oval dishes. Let’s say I spent quite some time breaking off corners of pasta sheets to make them fit… 🙂
Recipe tips
If in a hurry and you don’t have pasta sauce at hand, use a can of hacked tomatoes with spices added (oregano, basil, paprika, black pepper). You can up the fiber in this dish by using whole-wheat pasta. Leftover lasagna holds well in the fridge for a few days, or can be frozen in individual portions and defrosted for later use.
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
2 bunches fresh spinach fresh or 200 g (2 c) frozen
250 g (1 c) ricotta cheese
100 g (1 c) parmesan cheese, ground
Peel of 1/2 lemon, grated
1 egg
250 ml (1 c) milk
Pinch of nutmeg
Black pepper to taste
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 pack (500 g) lasagna sheets
600 ml (2 2/3 c) tomato pasta sauce (ready-made or try our sugar-free homemade tomato sauce)
200 g (2 c) grated mozzarella cheese
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C/390°F.
2. Gently heat oil in a large pan. Fry onions until transparent.
3. Add spinach and fry until spinach is wilted. Take pan off heat and leave to cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, lemon peel, egg, milk and spices. Stir well.
5. Stir in spinach and parsley.
6. Lay a large oven-proof dish (mine is approx 22 x 32 cm / 8 x 12 in) with pasta sheets. Top with half the tomato sauce, followed by 1/3 of the grated mozzarella.
7. Another layer of pasta. Top with half the spinach sauce.
8. Another layer of pasta. Top with the remaining tomato sauce, followed by 1/3 of the grated mozzarella.
9. Another layer of pasta. Top with the remaining spinach sauce.
10. Last layer of pasta, top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
11. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top starts to brown.
12. Take out of oven and let set for 15 minutes before serving.
Preparation: 20 min | Cooking time: 45-50 min | Servings: 8-10
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