spinach & ricotta lasagne

I love lasagne - all that golden cheesey crusty top with an oozy filling inside. I love beef lasagne but for something a bit lighter - well, in taste if not in calories - I also like a veggie version. The spinach makes you feel like you are eating something healthy. This version is great for freezing and the quantities given here will make enough for about 10-12 portions. I buy tin foil dishes to make it in and freeze.

Olive oil
One head of garlic crushed
3 white onions finely chopped
Roughly 2lbs of spinach (this seems to be about four bags of supermarket wrapped spinach. It may seem like a lot but spinach reduces hugely when cooked)
Cereal bowl of parmesan
Cereal bowl of mozzarella
2 lbs ricotta
Cereal bowl of parsley
4 eggs
Either homemade or bought lasagne sauce (white sauce)
1-2 packs of lasagne noodles

Wilt the spinach in a pan at medium heat with a glug of oil. I do this in batches - the spinach seems huge to begin with but does reduce down. I then leave it in a bowl to cool a bit and so the juices collect at the bottom. You want to drain the juices or else the lasagne will be too wet. However, if you want to be good, keep the juices and make a pasta sauce with them for the next night (see next post).

Saute the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Then add in the spinach and half the parsley and mix up well.

Mix in a bowl the ricotta, eggs, left over parsley and two thirds of the parmesan.

In your dish (or dishes) layer as follows:

Sauce
Noodles
Spinach mix
Mozzarella
Sauce
Noddles
Ricotta
Spinach mix
Sauce
Noodles
Sauce
Parmesan

Bake ina hot oven for 45 minutes covered with tin foil then a further 10-15 uncovered. The top should be golden brown and bubbling.

If you are freezing, make sure you let the lasagne cool completely.