Vegetarian Ricotta and Spinach Lasagna
Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach and Ricotta
Lasagna is one of Italy’s classic baked dishes and is incredibly versatile. Different regions of Italy have their own variations of lasagna. The classic Italian lasagna al forno consists of lasagna sheets, sauce (usually ragù alla bolognese), and béchamel sauce. In Sicily, for example, meatballs and hard-boiled eggs are added to the filling, while in central Italy, mushrooms are a popular addition. Vegetarians often use vegetable ragù or, as in our recipe variation, spinach and ricotta. This ricotta and spinach lasagna with fruity tomatoes and caramelized onions has a wonderfully fresh vegetable flavor—Parmesan rounds out the savory tomato sauce. With this recipe, every day is a celebration.
Step 1 : The Preparation
For the lasagna filling, chop the onions, garlic, and spinach leaves. Heat some oil in a pot and sauté half of the onions. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Now you can season to taste with Italian herbs like thyme or basil and let the sauce simmer. For the ricotta-spinach layer, take a new pot and heat some oil in it as well. Add the spinach leaves along with the remaining onions, ricotta, nutmeg, and water.
Step 2 : Bake the lasagna
Puree the finished tomato sauce. Then you can layer the sauce, lasagna sheets, and ricotta-spinach mixture alternately in the baking dish. Finally, sprinkle Parmesan on top and bake the ricotta-spinach lasagna in the oven at 180 degrees for 35–40 minutes until it’s a nice golden brown. Molto facile!
