Spinach and Tomato Lasagna
"Why this recipe works:To make a spinach lasagna worthy of its name, the first step was simple: increase the spinach. Frozen spinach tastes just as good as fresh and cuts down on kitchen time as well. For the finest, most even texture, we use the food processor to chop the spinach and to smooth out the ricotta cheese. The final secret for extra spinach flavor is using some of the spinach liquid but not enough to make the lasagna watery. We nixed the traditional creamy béchamel in favor of a fresh, herb-flecked tomato sauce but still layered in plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan for added richness...."
INGREDIENTS
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Serves 8 to 10
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Our favorite lasagna noodles are Barilla No Boil. You can thaw the spinach overnight in the refrigerator instead of microwaving it. But do warm the spinach liquid to help smooth the ricotta.
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Ingredients 30 ounces frozen chopped spinach
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 onion, chopped fine
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5 garlic cloves, minced
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1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
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Salt and pepper
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6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
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24 ounces (3 cups) whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese
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3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
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2 large eggs
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12 no-boil lasagna noodles
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12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)
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