Ricotta and Spinach Lasagna

Making a Lasagna tastes like Sunday family lunches to me. This is a classic recipe that never goes out of style, a vegetarian lasagna that appeals to both adults and children. It's a delicious dish with delicate flavors. The vegetarian filling made with spinach and ricotta is a lighter version than the one made with meat, but at the same time it is succulent and irresistible.

Although this is a recipe that takes time to prepare, it's worth it because it's a winning combination.

I make it in the Revol porcelain baking dish because it distributes heat evenly across the surface and, being pretty and elegant, it's ideal for serving directly at the table. If you have any portions left you can freeze them or take them to work for lunch, because it's a complete dish and reheats perfectly.

Revol porcelain baking dish, Microplane Zester Premium grater and Revol slate plate

Ingredients

For the lasagna

• 250 g lasagna sheets
• 50 g grated Parmesan for browning

For the filling

• 800 g fresh spinach
• 500 g ricotta or fresh cheese like Burgos
• 400 g béchamel (2/3 of the prepared béchamel)
• 100 g grated Parmesan
• A few fresh basil leaves
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

For the béchamel

• 50 g butter
• 50 g flour
• 500 ml Milk
• Nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

For the tomato sauce

• 800 g crushed tomato
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 10 basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil

Skeppshult cast iron frying pan with wooden handle

Preparation

1. First of all let's prepare the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sifted flour and stir well; let it toast gently for a minute.
2. Add the sifted flour, stirring well with a spoon to prevent lumps from forming, and let the flour toast for a few seconds over low heat, until the mixture is golden.
3. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Pour in the milk and stir constantly with the WMF whisk until the mixture thickens. Set aside.
5. Make the tomato sauce In a frying pan with olive oil, sauté the tomato, a pinch of salt, and a dessert spoon of brown sugar.
6. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes over low heat and finally add the basil, turn off the heat and blend with the QuickChef hand blender so the mixture is very smooth. Set aside
7. Now it's time to prepare the filling. Clean and chop the spinach. Sauté in a frying pan with salt and a splash of olive oil. Sauté 5–7 minutes and add a little water during cooking if necessary. Let cool slightly.
8. In a large bowl, mash the ricotta or fresh cheese with a fork, add the now-warm spinach, the grated Parmesan, ⅔ of the béchamel, the chopped basil leaves, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper.
9. Mix the Set just enough to combine the ingredients while avoiding the mixture becoming homogeneous. Set aside.
10. If you use lasagna sheets that don't require pre-cooking or fresh pasta lasagna sheets you can start assembling the lasagna. If you use lasagna pasta that requires cooking, boil in plenty of water following the manufacturer's instructions.
11. Drain and place the sheets on a kitchen towel to prevent them from deforming.
12. In the Revol ceramic baking dish lightly greased with butter, start by filling the base of the dish with the remaining third of the béchamel and place a first layer of lasagna sheets.
13. Spread some of the spinach and ricotta mixture on top, planning carefully how many layers of filling you'll need. Spoon 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce over and place a lasagna sheet on top.
14. Continue with the remaining sheets and finish with a sheet of lasagna.
15. Cover the entire surface with the tomato sauce.
16. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
17. Place the lasagna in the oven for 20 minutes. Once baking time is finished, add a little grated Parmesan with the Microplane Zester Premium grater and brown for a few minutes. Turn off the oven, let rest 5 minutes and serve.