Ingredients
- 1 TBS salt
- 2 lbs. fresh spinach, stems removed OR 3 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 TBS garlic, finely minced
- ½ TSP black pepper, freshly grated
- 18 lasagna noodles, dried
- 1 ¾ Cups Bechamel Sauce
- 6 ounces Gorgonzola, or oher blue cheese, crumbled
Directions
1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and some of the spinach leaves. Stir quickly to make room for more spinach in the pot. Continue stirring and adding more spinach until all the leaves are in the pot. Boil until spinach is tender but not fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Drain spinach, cool, and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands. Coarsely chop spinach and set it aside. If you're using frozen spinach, boil it in lightly salted water, drain, and reserve for use in filling.
NOTE FROM MEG - I always use frozen chopped spinach and all I do is defrost it in the microwave.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and saute over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine ingredients. Taste for salt and set mixture aside.
NOTE FROM MEG - If you like garlic, definitely increase the garlic. I think I do like 3 tablespoons instead of the measly 1 recommended. But, I love garlic.
3. Cook and drain pasta. Preheat oven to 400 F.
NOTE FROM MEG - If you buy the Barilla lasagna noodles, all I do is put them in a big bowl of hot water (from the sink). I let them sit for about 10 minutes or so, while I'm getting the spinach garlic mixture ready. They will soften more in the oven while the pasta bakes.
4. With saucepan of prepared bechamel still on burner, stir in all but 1/4 cup crumbled cheese. Continue stirring until bechamel is smooth and thick.
5. Grease a 13" X 9" lasagna pan. Smear 3 tablespoons bechamel across bottom. Line bottom with a layer of pasta, making sure noodles touch but do not overlap. Spread 3/4 cup spinach evenly over noodles and drizzle with 1/4 cup bechamel. Repeat layering of pasta, spinach, and bechamel four more times. For the sixth layer, coat pasta with remaining bechamel and sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup crumbled cheese.
NOTE FROM MEG - Careful with how much spinach you put on the early layers. I always put too much in the beginning and then have to majorly cut back on the top layers.
6. Bake lasagna until top turns golden brown in spots and sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven, let lasagna settle for 5 minutes, and serve.
NOTE FROM MEG - If the lasagna was refrigerated it will need to cook about an extra 5 minutes.
Typical order of making the lasagna -
1. Defrost spinach
2. Make spinach/garlic mixture
3. Make bechamel sauce
4. While making bechamel make sure you have pasta noodles cooking.
5. Assemble lasagna
I have made this lasagna up to 2 days in advance and it's always tasted great.
Lasagna
Lasagna with Creamy Spinach and Gorgonzola. To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.
