Simple spinach lasagna

Over the weekend, I had my neighbors, Angelo and Fran over for dinner. I decided to make a little lasagna, and figured it would go good on a rainy summer night. I didn’t realize until I started assembling the lasagna, that I forgot to buy the ricotta cheese. Oh well, with a pound and a half of cheese, we can just make do. It came out ok. I don’t think anyone missed the ricotta. 

I think it has been decades, since I boiled lasagna noodles. I find that if you put them in dry, and then, when the lasagna is assembled, pour in a half cup of red wine, it will be just fine. The cheese melts to form a seal, and the wine, and tomato sauce cook the noodles. Here’s how I put this together.

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

Grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp. oregano

10 fresh basil leaves

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Adobo seasoning

10 oz. fresh baby spinach

Cooking spray (Pam)

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles

1/2 cup dry red wine

8 oz. Italian mix shredded cheese

8 oz. Mexican mix shredded cheese

8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation

When I started cooking, I realized that I was out of those aluminum lasagna pans. I looked around and decided to use my blue enamel coated steel roasting pan, and that worked great for a lasagna for three. 

First step is to mix the sauce. I don’t bother cooking the sauce, because it will cook in the lasagna. Put the crushed tomatoes in a bowl. Splash on a little olive oil, about a quarter cup. Smash and mince two garlic cloves and add them. Tear the basil leaves and add those with the oregano. Sprinkle in about a quarter cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and several dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Now give it a light dusting of adobo seasoning, and stir well to mix. Let that sit for about a half hour, so the flavors can blend.

While that is resting, smash and mince the final garlic clove. Heat a large cast iron pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and add the garlic. Stir until that is sizzling, and then dump the baby spinach in. Stir from the outside in, until all the spinach is just wilted, and turn off the heat.

To assemble the lasagna, spray your pan with cooking spray, and spoon a little of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the dried lasagna noodles. You’ll have to break them to cover the bottom of the pan, if you use a football shaped roasting pan like I did. Add the sautéed spinach on top of the pasta. Now add another layer of pasta. Add a thick layer of sauce over the pasta, and half of the Italian mix shredded cheese. Add a final layer of pasta, all of the remaining sauce, the wine, and then top it with the remaining Italian mix cheese, then the Mexican mix cheese, and finally the shredded Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little oregano over the top of the cheese, and bake at 380º for about forty five minutes.

Serving

We enjoyed our lasagna with sausage and peppers, cucumbers and onions, fresh homemade bread with butter, and German beer. I over-served myself on everything.