Three Cheese Spinach Lasagna

Who doesn't love a good lasagna every now and then? This is one I've made for several years now, and I always enjoy it. It's a meatless lasagna, but the ingredients are tasty and very satisfying, and I don't even miss the meat. Plus, sometimes it's nice to save a little bit of money by not having to buy the beef. I love the flavor of this lasagna; the sauce is flavorful and blends well with the three cheeses, and it's a great way to sneak some spinach into a meal, too.

I did not take a picture of this, but we all know what lasagna looks like :).

This is also a great meal to divide into two smaller portions if you are feeding a small family of 3-4, and freeze the other half, or even double the recipe and make 4 small 8x8 lasagnas.

Three cheese spinach lasagna

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1/4 cup XVOO

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1-28 oz. can tomatoes, drained

1-6 oz can tomato sauce

1-6oz can tomato paste

Basil, marjoram, oregano to taste (you can use or some Italian seasoning)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Bay Leaf

1 small tub of ricotta cheese

1 bar of Monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup parmesan-romano cheese

I bag of frozen spinach (12-16 ounce bag), thawed

1 box lasagna noodles

D I R E C T I O N S :

In a medium sauce pan, sauté garlic and onion with some XVOO until onions are tender and clear and garlic is a golden brown. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, and stir until combined. Add herbs and seasonings, and simmer on low heat for around 30 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the lasagna noodles, and then let them cook for about 10 minutes. Drain.

In a separate bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, and half the bar of Monterey jack cheese. Stir well.

Once the sauce has finished simmering and the noodles are done, begin assembling lasagna in a 9x12 dish. Start by spreading a small amount of the sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Add one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread (or “dot”) the cheese/spinach combo over the layer of noodles. Repeat layers of sauce, noodles, and cheese/spinach mixture until you have used all the noodles or don't have any more room in the dish, ending with the last layer of noodles, then cheese/spinach, then sauce. Sprinkle remaining half bar of shredded Monterey jack cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.