A nice change

Whenever I make lasagna, I always make lasagna bolognese. I really think it is the best kind of lasagna. But I found a yummy-looking recipe for a spinach lasagna, and decided it was time to venture outside of my comfort zone. I changed a few things about the recipe, mainly for cost purposes, but it was still SO YUMMY! And don't settle for jarred lasagna sauce in this recipe, it is SO way and worth it to make your own.

Spinach Lasagna
makes 1 9x13 lasagna or 2 8x8 lasagnas
2 (9 or 10 oz) packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess water
4 C whole milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
salt and fresh ground pepper
6 C tomato sauce*
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
3 C grated mozzarella cheese
1 C fresh grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, whisk together rocotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper. Add spinach, and stir well to combine.
2. Spread a small bit of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch aking dish (or 2 8x8 dishes, adjust accordingly). Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture on 4 pieces of lasagna noodles and place them on the tomato sauce. (I promise this is way easier than putting the noddles down and then trying to spread the ricotta cheese on top of them in the pan) Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with 1/3 of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with the cheese.
3. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

*Home made tomato sauce for lasanga: (makes 6 cups)
1 T olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz can) diced tomatoes
1/8 t red pepper flakes
Pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1 t salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can definitely add 1/4 t dried oregano to this recipe with the redpepper flakes. I don't really like the taste of dried oregano, so I just omit it or add herbes de provence.