Fresh Spinach And Sun Dried Tomato Lasagna Recipes

HEALTHIER SPINACH LASAGNA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º F. Lightly oil a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, spinach leaves and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring as needed, until the spinach is bright green and wilted. (Don't worry about the amount of spinach, it may look like a lot now, but as it cooks, it wilts down considerably. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may want to add the spinach in batches).
• In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper until well blended.
• Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange three noodles lengthwise and side-by-side to cover the bottom.
• Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with a third of the parmesan cheese and a third of the mozzarella cheese. Add half of the spinach mixture and dollop about a 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over the spinach.
• Add a second layer of noodles then repeat with remaining cheese, spinach and another 1/2 cup of sauce. Finish with a third layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
• Loosely cover lasagna with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes, uncover then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned around the edges. For a cheesy golden brown top, slide the lasagna uncovered, under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.

SPINACH AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO BECHAMEL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Grease a 13 x 9-inch lasagna pan.
• Make the cream sauce in advance as 1-1/2 cups will need to be slightly cooled before adding into the ricotta cheese filling mixture.
• FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE; melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add in the flour; stir for 1 minute.
• Slowly add in the cream and milk, then cook over medium heat whisking constantly until bubbly and thickened.
• Remove 1-1/2 cups of the sauce and refrigerate until slightly cooled.
• To the remaining sauce mix in 1/3 to 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and season with salt and black pepper to taste; set aside to spread on top of the lasagna.
• In a bowl combine the cheese filling ingredients until well combined.
• Mix in the cooled 1-1/2 cups bechamel sauce to the cheese mixture; reserve the remaining cheese sauce to spread on top of the lasagna noodles before baking.
• TO ASSEMBLE; place 4 noodles into the bottom of the greased baking dish.
• Spread half of the cheese filling over the noodles, then sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella over cheese filling, then 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (can use more mozzarella cheese and/or Parmesan cheese if desired).
• Repeat with 4 noodles, remaining half of ricotta mixture, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, then 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Top with remaining 4 noodles.
• Spread the remaining reserved bechamel sauce over the top of the noodles.
• Set the baking dish onto a baking sheet then cover with foil.
• Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree F oven (bottom rack) for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven then sprinkle 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese over the top then continue to bake for another 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly (or you may bake covered with foil for 30 minutes and uncovered for the remaining time).
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or more before slicing.

PESTO LASAGNA WITH SPINACH AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sautégarlic and onion in olive oil until onions are soft. Reduce heat and stir in the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes. Stir in spice and 1/2-1 can of tomato paste. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 1 hour.
• Thaw spinach and squeeze all of the water out. I use 1 and 3/4 packages of spinach--adjust to your taste. Mix ricotta and cottage cheese in a large bowl. Stir in spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and salt and pepper to taste. When you have the taste to your liking, stir in the egg. This will help keep the lasagna together, but you will not taste it in the final product.
• Layer as follows into a 9x13 pan: Drizzle a little sauce in the bottom. Top with noodles. Spread Spinach mix and cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella slices and 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat two more times, ending with cheese on the very top. Sprinkle the top with a little oregano and black pepper for aesthetic appearance.
• Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. This dish can be made in advance and cooked right before serving.

ARTICHOKE SPINACH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
• Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
• Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.