Cookbook:Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

| Cuisine of The United States | Italian-American Cuisine | Pasta Recipes

Lasagna is a well known baked Italian pasta dish. This hearty, meatless recipe attempts to compose the tang of the tomato sauce with the creaminess of the ricotta and the sweetness of the spinach.

This recipe is the assembly of four different preparations into a baked dish and is presented here as such. While it might seem long, complicated and overwhelming, this recipe is fairly simple and not very involved while the result is almost guaranteed to impress.

Sauce

 * 2 cans (56 oz) San Marzano or Roma tomatoes
 * 1 head (about 12 cloves) garlic, peeled
 * ¼ cup olive oil
 * Salt

Cheese mixture

 * 2 tubs (30 oz) ricotta
 * 2 eggs

Spinach

 * 3 packages (27 oz) frozen spinach

Pasta and Assembly

 * 1 lb lasagna pasta sheets
 * ¾ lb shredded mozzarella

Sauce

 * 1) Put a thick-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil and garlic, and stir until fragrant and blisters begin to form.
 * 2) Add the tomatoes, and reduce the heat to low.
 * 3) Simmer until it has a sauce consistency and has reduced to about ⅔ the original volume (about 1½ hours).
 * 4) Turn off the heat and remove the garlic cloves to mash them with a fork. Add the garlic purée to the sauce.
 * 5) Add salt to taste, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.

Cheese mixture

 * 1) Pour the ricotta cheese onto a cheesecloth or tea towel in a strainer, and let drain for 30 minutes.
 * 2) Combine the eggs and ricotta, and beat until creamy with a hand mixer.
 * 3) Cover and reserve, ensuring it is at room temperature during assembly.

Spinach

 * 1) Thaw, drain, and press the liquid out of frozen spinach.
 * 2) Reserve until ready to assemble.

Pasta

 * 1) Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's directions, drain and place back into the pot with cold water.
 * 2) Lay the sheets on a clean, wet tea towel and roll the cloth until ready to use.

Assembly and cooking

 * 1) Ladle sauce at the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan or dish and layer lasagna sheets.
 * 2) Sparsely deposit spinach onto the noodles and apply cheese mixture with a rubber spatula.
 * 3) Add more sauce and repeat the previous step until the pan is almost full and covered with a layer of lasagna.
 * 4) Add sauce and cover with grated mozzarella.
 * 5) Put the pan onto a tray and bake at 350°F for approximately 30 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 150°F.
 * 6) Let rest for 15–20 minutes before serving.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * It is possible to prepare everything else while the sauce simmers.
 * The stem-part of the tomatoes can be pinched out, to break the tomato apart without crushing it.
 * Placing a wooden spoon transversely onto the pot before setting the lid on it allows evaporation and prevents splatter.
 * The tomato sauce also works great on pizza.
 * Using fresh spinach is not recommended.
 * Laying the lasagna sheets in alternating directions (lengthwise, widthwise, lengthwise, etc.) increases structural strength.
 * If presentation requires it, the lasagna can be broiled for a few minutes at the end of baking.