A simple lasagna recipe that pairs the rich taste of spinach with a delicious walnut pesto
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Dificult
Medium
Servings
8
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. If using fresh spinach
chop it fine. If using frozen
chopped spinach
make sure it is thoroughly defrosted and squeeze out all of the excess water.
Place the ricotta or cottage cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach
pesto
garlic
salt
pepper
half the Parmesan
and the walnuts. Mix well. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of uncooked noodles over the sauce. Spoon about 1/3 of the ricotta or cottage filling in dabs over the noodles (you can spread it a little
but not too much) and sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated mozzarella. Follow with another layer of sauce
then noodles
followed by another 1/3 of the filling
and another 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat one more time
and then finish up with a final layer of noodles. You will have some Parmesan left over.
If you are using fresh noodles
bake uncovered. If you are using dried noodles
cover the pan tightly with foil.
Bake for 50 minutes
uncovering the pan (if applicable) during the last 15 minutes
during which time you can sprinkle on the reserved Parmesan. (In the case of the uncovered pan
if the top of the lasagna becomes as brown as you like it before the full baking time is up
cover loosely with foil and continue baking
so it wont get too dark.) Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Walnut Pesto: Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender
and mix well.
Add the walnuts
and continue to blend until the walnuts are finely ground.
Keep the machine running as you drizzle in the olive oil. When you have a smooth paste
transfer to a bowl
and stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If you are not going to use the pesto right away
place in a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Smooth out the top surface of the pesto
and pour on enough olive oil to cover it completely. This creates an air-proof seal that helps preserve it well. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.
Tips
* For the 2 lbs. fresh spinach
you can substitute 2 (10-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach leaves
