Lasagne with spinach

Votes: 3

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

It's unlikely you'll find anyone who hasn't heard of the traditional Italian "casserole" – lasagna. Although the Greeks and Scandinavians, whose cuisines have long featured similar dishes, can also lay claim to the dish's origins. The British even found a reference to a dish called "loseins," which was served at the court of Richard II and whose recipe appears in an ancient cookbook held in the British Museum. However, Italians vehemently defend this claim, insisting that the version of lasagna prepared in Italy is unique to this dish. It's definitely worth trying, the subject of such heated debate.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Lasagna

450 g lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
450 g of ground beef neck
5 tbsp (75 g) butter + 2 tbsp for lasagna
0.5 cups flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
A pinch of nutmeg
1.5 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
Salt, white pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
680 gr. Ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
570 g frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 cups mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 tbsp. grated parmesan

Tomato sauce

2 cans (900g each) of pureed tomatoes
0.5 cups olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stick celery, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
4 tbsp (60 g) butter, optional
2 bay leaves

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat oven to 190°C.
Béchamel sauceMelt 5 tablespoons (75 grams) of butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue whisking and simmer the sauce over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until it thickens and becomes smooth and creamy. The sauce should be thick enough to hold up to the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly and taste. Set aside and let cool completely.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. When it's almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink. Remove from the heat and drain off any excess fat. Let cool completely.
Fill the bottom of a 33cm x 23cm baking dish with 1/3 of the béchamel sauce. Arrange the lasagna noodles, completely covering the bottom of the dish. Evenly cover the noodles with the ricotta mixture, then spread the spinach over the noodles. Cover with another layer of lasagna noodles and spread the ground beef evenly, leaving no residue. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the ground beef. Cover with another 1/3 of the béchamel sauce.

Place the final layer of lasagna and top it with the remaining béchamel sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter into 6 mm (1/4 in) cubes and arrange them on top of the lasagna.
Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place the lasagna dish on top, cover with a lid, and place it in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bubbly. Remove the lid and continue baking for about 15 more minutes.

Recipe Lasagna with zucchini, mushrooms and minced sausage.

Pair this dish with a Sangiovese red wine.

Tomato sauceHeat oil in a large saucepan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour or until thickened.

Remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce for seasoning. If the flavor is still too tart, add more butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to complement the flavor.
Pour half the sauce into a food processor and process until smooth. Repeat with the remaining sauce.
If you don't use all the sauce, let it cool and divide 1-2 portions into plastic freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.