Tomato and Spinach Lasagna Recipe

Name: Tomato and Spinach Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 12 refrigerated pasta sheets or a box and a half of dry noodles; 32 oz ricotta cheese; 2 large eggs; 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic -chopped; 16 ounces organic baby spinach leaves; 6 fresh tomatoes sliced; 4 oz shredded mozzarella; 4 ounces butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 3 cups vegetable stock; 1 cup milk (use more if sauce is too thick); 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese; pinch of black pepper; 1 tbsp fresh basil -chopped

May 19, 2013 by Chef Dennis Littley 27 Comments

You're going to love these layers of noodles stuffed with ricotta cheese, sautéed garlicky spinach, and roasted tomatoes with a creamy Bechamel sauce. Try my spinach and tomato lasagna for dinner tonight.

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Everyone loves lasagna so I thought I’d share my spin on a spinach and tomato lasagna made with a bechamel sauce.

I made a little Bechamel, sautéed the spinach with garlic, and roasted those lovely tomatoes and came up with a delicious vegetable lasagna.

The only problem I had with this cheesy creation was my lack of patience! I just couldn’t wait long enough for it to properly set up and ended up with a lasagna that was just a little loose.

It’s hard to balance being a food blogger and photographer and still get your family fed in a reasonable amount of time.

Even though it could have looked a little better, I don’t think it could’ve tasted any better, it was a nicely balanced array of flavors.

From the sweet creaminess of the Bechamel to the roasted tomatoes and garlicky spinach. Add the flavors of whole milk ricotta, shredded mozzarella and grated Romano cheese and you end up with a culinary masterpiece!

If you’ve tried my Lasagna recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels, Twitter and Facebook

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4.88 from 8 votes

Tomato and Spinach Lasagna

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 682kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

12 refrigerated pasta sheets or a box and a half of dry noodles
32 oz ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic -chopped
16 ounces organic baby spinach leaves
6 fresh tomatoes sliced
4 oz shredded mozzarella
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk use more if sauce is too thick
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
pinch of black pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil -chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix ricotta, grated Romano cheese, eggs, sugar and pepper together until well blended and place in the refrigerator until needed.
Slice tomatoes, season with salt pepper and grated romano cheese and roast at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
In a saucepan melt butter, then add in flour. Stir mixture over low heat until it begins to smell a little like bread (as the flour cooks). Be careful not to let the mixture burn.
In another sauce pan heat the vegetable stock until almost boiling, then add it to the butter / flour mixture (roux). Mix well getting all of the roux stuck in the corners blended in.
Add in milk, romano cheese and black pepper. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, mixture will thicken as it. If needed add additional milk or water to thin out your sauce. Allow sauce to cool.
In a large skillet or sauce pan add in olive oil, garlic and spinach leaves and allow garlic to saute as spinach reduces.
When spinach is fully cooked place in colander and allow all the liquid to drain. Squeeze out any remaining liquid and set spinach aside.

Assembly

Start by placing enough bechamel sauce to cover the bottom of your lasagna pan, then add a layer of your prepared lasagna noodles*
Add a layer of ricotta cheese a little of the bechamel sauce and then another layer of noodles.
Add another layer of ricotta topped with the cooked spinach, top with bechamel sauce. then adding another layer of noodles
Add the rest of the ricotta cheese and top with the roasted tomatoes (reserve 6 slices for the top of the lasagna), bechamel sauce and a final layer of noodles.
Top the last layer of noodles with bechamel, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Top with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with romano cheese and chopped basil.
Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, allow lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

If using dry noodles, you don't have to cook them, just add a little extra sauce under and over each layer of noodles, and allow the finished lasagna to sit 6-8 hours before baking

Nutrition

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About Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

Tomato and Spinach Lasagna Recipe