This vegetarian lasagna is a lighter version of the classic, made with spinach, ricotta, and tomato sauce, and it tastes just as good!
Light Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna
YIELD: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
For the spinach:
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 8 oz/200 g fresh spinach
Tomato Sauce:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 800 g/28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Cheeses:
- 450 g/1 lb whole milk ricotta
- 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
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To make the spinach: In a large skillet heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove from the heat, drain well, and set aside to cool. Once cooled, Squeeze out the excess moisture.
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To make the tomato sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool completely.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
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Assemble the lasagna: Place 3 lasagne noodles (or enough to cover the surface) at the bottom of a 9x13 inch (20x30 cm) baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce, then top with 1/3 of the spinach, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with a second layer of noodles, tomato sauce, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella, then repeat one more time with a third layer.
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Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving, so that the lasagna noodles can soak up all the extra moisture.
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Top with chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves if you like.
2 Comments
jess
July 18, 2017 at 10:16 pmI’ve made this twice now and each time it’s delish! Absolutely top notch!
Ellen van Dijken
August 22, 2018 at 1:49 amMy kids love this! Great, simple recipe 🙂