Spinach Lasagna with Garlic Basil Tomato Sauce

I usually limit my blog posts to trials and tribulations with sweet treats, but when it comes to lasagna my Italian side is shouting to be heard! I've tried out tons of lasagna recipes, and this one is a major favorite. It combines two New York Times recipes and a little wisdom from my mom. Despite not being even the least bit Italian, her lasagna is the best I've ever tasted. In fact, when I called her for tips, she answered the phone "lasagna hotline"!

Yes...it's me. I suggest consuming this lasagna with wild abandon! Manners be damned. Get some sauce on your face and enjoy. I always have.

If you're carb or cheese shy...don't even attempt lasagna. Save this recipe for when you're ready to indulge. Also, if you're considering using bottled tomato sauce, go away. You can't read this blog. I won't be a party to this kind of tomfoolery. 

Simple Basil/Garlic Tomato Sauce:

I followed this New York Times recipe for "Simple Tomato Sauce." I altered the recipe a bit. 

Ingredients:

This recipe will produce about 5 cups of tomato sauce. I always double sauce recipes, because I like to serve lasagna with a piping hot side of extra sauce for anyone who wants more (It's me. I want more.). 

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 28 oz. cans of diced plum tomatoes
• 2 sprigs of basil (the recipe calls for 2, but I like a lot of basil so I added a few extra sprigs). I lieu of the basil, you may also use one a bay leaf.
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Directions:

1. Turn a large pot or straight-sided skillet to medium heat. Warm up the olive oil, add the thinly sliced garlic, and cook until they are a light gold color.  
   
2. Add the chili flakes and cook 'em up for 30 seconds.
   
3. Pour in the tomatoes, with the juices, the whole basil leaves, salt and pepper.
4. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick...and sauce like. The tomatoes should fall apart. This takes about 30-40 minutes. It will obviously take more time if you double the recipe. Be patient and continue to adjust your heat to keep the sauce at a simmer. If you use whole plum tomatoes, you can use a potato masher or wooden spoon to mash them up. 
   
5. Take the sauce off of the heat.
6. Remove the basil leaves.

Lasagna Recipe:

Again, I turned to the New York Times for my lasagna recipe. Their Italian food guidance has yet to disappoint. I put my own twist on the recipe, so the ingredients and directions below are not identical to the link above.

Ingredients:

• 12 to 16 no boil lasagna noodles
• I can hear the cries of protest from here: "No boil noodles?! Any good Italian girl boils her own noodles." Well, I've boiled my own noodles and used no boil noodles as well. They taste the same and no boil are a lot easier to handle. If you want to use fresh or homemade pasta, though, that would make a difference. Fresher is always better.
• 4 cups of tomato sauce (I always make more than is necessary just in case)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups cooked spinach, dried and chopped
• 1 and 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella
• I tried grated mozzarella this time around, but thinly sliced fresh mozzarella could also be very delicious. You'll still need about 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella to mix with the ricotta, though. 
• 1 and 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. For Dried pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook them (about 6 at a time) until they are tender but just underdone. Drain and lay flat on a paper towel.
• For no-boil pasta: Open the box and do nothing! Hooray!
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and heat a rectangular baking dish with olive oil. I like to use a large glass baking dish so that you can see whether your lasagna is bubbling when you cook it.
3. Put the ricotta cheese in a large bowl, crack an egg in the middle, and whisk it up until it is a bit fluffy. Add about 1/2 cup of coarsely shredded mozzarella to the ricotta and mix until combined.
   
4. Add a large spoonful of tomato sauce to the bottom of the dish and spread it around. I like to add a few spoonfuls so that the bottom is coated. If you've made extra sauce like I always do, you can be liberal with it. 
5. It's time to build your lasagna! Have your ingredient stations easily accessible. This is where my mom's "lasagna hotline" came in handy. She suggested that I put a layer of noodles (four in my case) in the bottom of the dish, horizontally, overlapping them slightly. Then, break a noodle in half and add each half to the end of the dish and lay it vertically. You can also use tiny noodle pieces to ensure that the far ends of the dish are covered. Structural integrity is key, people. 
6. Top the noodles with a layer of tomato sauce, 1/3 of the spinach, and 1/4 of the ricotta mixture. You can use your finger to spread it evenly. Next, add the mozzarella and the parmesan. Sprinkle  salt and pepper before adding the next level of noodles. 
   
7. Repeat layers twice, top with remaining noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover the top with cheese. Seriously. Feel free to grate some more cheese if the top is looking sparse. 
8. Bake until it bubbles and the cheese is melty and light brown on top. This should take about 30 minutes. More time is needed if you use tons of sauce and cheese like I usually do. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before you serve.
9. Serve with a side of extra sauce, crispy garlic bread, and a bold Italian table wine.  Eat with friends!