As it turned out, he just loved it! Maybe not enough to say it was better than a lasagna with meat sauce, but it was good enough to be satisfied with, and that is all I can hope for.
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| Spinach Artichoke Lasagna |
I love putting spinach into lasagna, though in past, my husband shuddered when seeing something "green" where it is highly apparent, as there just should NOT be anything green! Oh well. And I also love things like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, as witnessed by that wonderful recipe, as well as others I have enjoyed elsewhere. And, while my husband loves artichokes in things, he just can't - quite - love - spinach. He has never tasted my excellent Spinach and Artichoke Dip, for that reason. Anyway, rambling along here, I just want to say that I know what a great combo those two things are together, so why not in a lasagna together?
Ever since hubby got me a pasta machine, I have looked for ways to use it, to express my appreciation for the gift. That said, it isn't quite as great as I could wish. Its dies are plastic, not bronze, and they extrude spaghetti that is far too thick to be called spaghetti. Meaning that anything I try to extrude comes out so thick it will hardly cook through. So, of the about 10 different die cutters he got me, I use only two: lasagna noodles and angel hair pasta cutter, which comes out like regular spaghetti. But, I just love the lasagna cutter. The noodles are hardy enough, and work exceptionally well for a lasagna. No-cook lasagna noodles will work in this also, but - I have the machine, therefore I use it.
Another plus to this pasta machine is that I can make whole grain pasta. My favorite grain is Kamut Khorasan grain, which I grind in the Grain Mill he got me as well. Two birds, and all that. Plus that grain mill is a gift that keeps on giving! I use it probably 3 to 5 times a week. It gives all sorts of new opportunities for unusual flour to try out.
Okay so back to the lasagna. As this one is meatless, I didn't want to go to a whole 9 x 13-inch pan, because if he didn't like it, then it was going to be my dinner for the next week, while I'd have to make him something else! Instead, I made this lasagna in a 9 x 9-inch pan. And this is what I did . . .
Serves 4 to 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 green olives, minced
1 tablespoon pesto (or 3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced finely)
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
½ pound fresh lasagna sheets, or about 6 to 9 no-boil lasagna sheets
16 ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or use 10 ounces fresh baby spinach)
1 egg
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, lightly chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or your preference)
1 (6.5-ounce) jar mushroom pieces, drained
About 20 minutes in advance of assembling, set the olive oil and minced garlic in a small saucepan and set on a burner with the lowest heat possible. The object is to steep the garlic in the oil, without browning or burning. Keep a close eye on it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Stir the garlic and its oil into the spaghetti sauce, along with the minced olives and the pesto (or basil). Set aside. In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese and the spinach and pulse with the egg to combine. Set aside.
Grease a 9 x 9-inch oven safe baking dish. Arrange all the ingredients near to hand, then following this order shown here at right above, from bottom to topmost layer, assemble the lasagna. Make a tent of foil that covers the lasagna but does not touch the cheese (it will stick), crimping around the edges of the pan to keep in moisture. Bake the lasagna on a middle to lower rack for 18 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.
 |
| Spinach Artichoke Lasagna |
Ever since hubby got me a pasta machine, I have looked for ways to use it, to express my appreciation for the gift. That said, it isn't quite as great as I could wish. Its dies are plastic, not bronze, and they extrude spaghetti that is far too thick to be called spaghetti. Meaning that anything I try to extrude comes out so thick it will hardly cook through. So, of the about 10 different die cutters he got me, I use only two: lasagna noodles and angel hair pasta cutter, which comes out like regular spaghetti. But, I just love the lasagna cutter. The noodles are hardy enough, and work exceptionally well for a lasagna. No-cook lasagna noodles will work in this also, but - I have the machine, therefore I use it.
Another plus to this pasta machine is that I can make whole grain pasta. My favorite grain is Kamut Khorasan grain, which I grind in the Grain Mill he got me as well. Two birds, and all that. Plus that grain mill is a gift that keeps on giving! I use it probably 3 to 5 times a week. It gives all sorts of new opportunities for unusual flour to try out.
Okay so back to the lasagna. As this one is meatless, I didn't want to go to a whole 9 x 13-inch pan, because if he didn't like it, then it was going to be my dinner for the next week, while I'd have to make him something else! Instead, I made this lasagna in a 9 x 9-inch pan. And this is what I did . . .
Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna
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| How to assemble the Lasagna |
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 green olives, minced
1 tablespoon pesto (or 3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced finely)
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
½ pound fresh lasagna sheets, or about 6 to 9 no-boil lasagna sheets
16 ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or use 10 ounces fresh baby spinach)
1 egg
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, lightly chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or your preference)
1 (6.5-ounce) jar mushroom pieces, drained
About 20 minutes in advance of assembling, set the olive oil and minced garlic in a small saucepan and set on a burner with the lowest heat possible. The object is to steep the garlic in the oil, without browning or burning. Keep a close eye on it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Stir the garlic and its oil into the spaghetti sauce, along with the minced olives and the pesto (or basil). Set aside. In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese and the spinach and pulse with the egg to combine. Set aside.
Grease a 9 x 9-inch oven safe baking dish. Arrange all the ingredients near to hand, then following this order shown here at right above, from bottom to topmost layer, assemble the lasagna. Make a tent of foil that covers the lasagna but does not touch the cheese (it will stick), crimping around the edges of the pan to keep in moisture. Bake the lasagna on a middle to lower rack for 18 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.
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