Spinach Lasagna Recipe Jamie Oliver Recipes

JAMIE'S CLASSIC FAMILY LASAGNE

Steps:

• Strip and finely chop the rosemary leaves and finely chop the bacon.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large casserole pan on a high heat. Once hot, add the rosemary and bacon and fry for 2 minutes, or until the bacon starts to crisp up, stirring regularly.
• Add all the minced meat, using a wooden spoon to break it up as you go. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for at least 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
• Place the coarse grater attachment in your food processor (or you could use a box grater instead) and grate the Cheddar, then tip into a bowl.
• Replace the grater with the regular blade. Trim and halve the carrots, then add to the processor and blitz to roughly the same size as the mince. Peel and halve the onions, add them to the carrot and blitz again.
• Tip into the pan with the mince while you get on with blitzing and adding the celery. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften, stirring regularly.
• Next, add the tomato purée and plum tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Fill each of the tins with water and tip into the pan. Give everything a good stir and reduce the heat to low. Leave to simmer around 2 hours, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
• While that ticks away, make your white sauce. Trim, wash and finely slice the leeks, then add to a pan along with 2 tablespoons of oil and the bay leaves. Stir well and season with a tiny pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, or until sweet and softened, adding splashes of water, if needed.
• Add the flour and stir well to coat, then gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Turn the heat up to medium, bring to the boil, then reduce to low and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring regularly.
• Carefully transfer the sauce to the food processor and blitz until smooth and silky. Add half the grated cheese and finely grate over half the nutmeg and mix well. Season to taste.
• Once the ragù is ready, preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
• Season the ragù to taste, then transfer half into freezer bags, portioning up as appropriate for your family. Allow to cool to room temperature, then pop in the freezer for another day. It's a good idea to freeze them flat so that you can reheat them quickly and easily. It's also a good idea to label and date them to avoid a game of freezer roulette in a few weeks' time!
• To build your lasagne, spoon a quarter of the ragù into a large deep ovenproof dish (roughly 25cm by 30cm) and spread it out evenly.
• Spoon over a quarter of the white sauce, then snap over some lasagne sheets, making sure they completely cover the sauce in one layer. Repeat this 3 times, finishing with a layer of white sauce.
• Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake the lasagne in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
• Remove the lasagne from the oven and leave to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Delicious served with a fresh green salad.

ROAST PUMPKIN & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Halve the pumpkin or squash, peel, deseed, then slice into 1cm slices. Toss with the oil in a roasting tin, season, then roast until tender and slightly charred at the edges. This can take up to 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. In a pan, soften the onion in the oil for 5 mins, then add the celery and garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the tomatoes and sugar, then leave to simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins. Stir from time to time. You should be left with a thick purée. Season to taste.
• Put the spinach in a saucepan with the water that still clings to it after washing, cover and put over a medium heat. Wilt the spinach for about 4 mins - you'll need to turn it over with tongs every so often to make sure it all comes in contact with the heat at the bottom of the pan. When completely wilted, leave until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the water out with your hands. Chop and put in a pan with the butter. Gently heat, tossing together so the spinach is coated in butter, then season with salt, pepper and a generous grating of nutmeg.
• For the béchamel sauce, bring the milk to the boil in a pan with the peppercorns, onion and bay leaf. Set aside for 5 mins to infuse, then strain the milk into another pan. Add the flour and butter, then gently heat, whisking all the while, until you have a thick, smooth sauce.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and assemble the lasagne. Butter a large gratin or baking dish, roughly 1.4 litres in capacity. Put a layer of pumpkin in the bottom followed by a layer of tomato sauce. Lay lasagne sheets on top of this, cutting them to fit if necessary (you don't want any overlapping). Now add a layer of béchamel followed by a scattering of spinach and half the cheese. Top with more lasagne sheets, pumpkin, tomato sauce, more lasagne and a final layer of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 40 mins, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling.

SPINACH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse in cold water; drain well., In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, egg white, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, pepper and nutmeg. Combine mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese., In a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer three noodles, 3/4 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup spinach mixture and 3/4 cup cheese mixture. Repeat layers three times., Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

QUICK MUSHROOM & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Add the mushrooms and thyme, then cook for 3 mins until they start to soften. Throw in the spinach and stir until the heat of the pan wilts the leaves. Remove from the heat and stir in the soft cheese, 1 tbsp of the Parmesan and some seasoning.
• Put a quarter of the spinach mix on the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish, lay 2 pasta sheets on top, then repeat until you have used all the pasta. Finish with the final quarter of the spinach mix, sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan, then bake for 35 mins until golden and the pasta is tender.