(with a comment at the end)
This isn't a hot weather recipe. It takes too much oven time I have written this down before. The trouble is, I made it so many times for meetings and potlucks that I got tired of it, and I haven't made it in a year. This makes two 9"x13" or slightly larger pans.
1 jar or can of spaghetti sauce (28 oz. or so)
1 (15 oz) can tomatoes, in any form, chop if necessary, and keep liquid
1 cup red wine
1 to 2 lbs. ground beef
1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pkg lasagna noodles (1lb.)
2 close-to-a-pound cartons of ricotta, or substitute cottage cheese
4 eggs
2 square pkg. frozen spinach
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 lb. shredded mozzarella
salt
pepper
other herbs, if needed
Choose a well seasoned spaghetti sauce, or make your own.
Brown and break up the ground beef, pour off any fat, and add the spaghetti sauce, wine and tomatoes.
Season if needed, and simmer for a short while (15min.) I like to add a dollop of flavorful olive oil. Don't substitute any other oil; it's just for the flavor.
Meanwhile, defrost the spinach and squeeze out the liquid. Press in a fine strainer or wring in a clean dishtowel. Mix the eggs, ricotta, spinach and nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
Divide your meat sauce and your cheese spinach mixture in halves. Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your pans. Lay your noodles on this in one layer, touching or leaving a little space between, rather than overlapping. One of my pans has curved corners, and I always have to break the corners off the noodles to fit. Top with a layer of spinach mix, and a layer of meat sauce, a good sprinkle of parmesan, and 2 or 3 handfuls of mozzarella. Repeat. Depending on your pan, you may repeat again.* Sprinkle extra parmesan and mozzarella on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350ยบ F for 1/2 hr to 45 min. Check at the half hour point. If it looks at all dry when you uncover it, pour some water around the edges, and cover again for 10 min. or so. If you can stick a knife or cooking fork into the pan without resistance, it is done. You can uncover and brown it for a few minutes if you wish. Letting it set for 15 min. will make it easier to serve.
*End with sauce as the top layer, or the top noodles may not get enough liquid to cook. Mine usually goes: noodles, spinach mix, meat sauce, cheeses, noodles, spinach mix, meat sauce, cheeses, noodles, meat sauce, cheeses. If you have deeper pans you can do 3 complete layers.
I think the hard part is making them come out even, so that's why I divide things. Actually, I mix the ricotta - spinach in 2 batches.
Maryanne in SE WI
(5/22/01)
I made a similar version to take to my friends
house as a condolence offering. Substituted sausage (well rendered
beforehand) for the ground beef.
The Barilla brand no boil noodles, imho, are the
best to use for this, they do not get soggy. Also, make sure you have
plenty of sauce for the lasagna to cook properly.
My grandmother would turn in her grave, but it
really isn't a bad quickie lasagna.
For a really fancy, Christmas dinner lasagna, try
the one with homemade spinach lasagna noodles, fresh mozzerella and basil, in
Guiliani Bugialli's Foods of Italy.
Carolyn
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