Spinach lasagna with a rich meat sauce

Yesterday, I made another comfort food dinner. I made a spinach lasagna, and served it with meat sauce. I got the idea from a good Italian restaurant up in Marquette, Michigan, Casa Calabria. Among the many things they serve, is a good lasagna, smothered in meat sauce. I’ve ordered that a few times up there. 

I don’t know why the idea never occurred to me before that.  Take a good lasagna, and smother it with a good meat sauce, and, well, it’s even better. Here’s how I made this.

Lasagna sauce

1/4 cup  of extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

2 dried red hot peppers, chopped

28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes

1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves

Spinach

1-1/4 lb. fresh spinach, rinsed

Olive oil

1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Lasagna

Uncooked lasagna noodles

1 lb. whole milk ricotta

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2-1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded basil leaves

1/2 cup of red wine

Meat sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

2/3 lb. loose Italian sausage

3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

1/4 cup of red wine

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup of torn basil leaves

1/2 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley

Shredded Italian Provolone cheese

Preparation

For the sauce inside the lasagna, heat a large sauce pan, add a quarter cup of olive oil, and then add the garlic and red pepper. Let that sizzle, on and off the heat, so the garlic just starts to turn golden, but doesn’t brown. Break up the tomatoes with your hand, and pour them into the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, and add the oregano leaves. Simmer for five minutes and turn off the heat.

Next, the spinach. Heat a very large cast iron pan until hot. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and then add the garlic. Let that just begin to sizzle. and then add the spinach and a pinch of salt. It will almost not all fit in the pan. Carefully stir the spinach, from the outside, in, until it is all wilted. Turn off the heat, and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.

Assemble the lasagna, by adding a thin layer of the lasagna sauce to the bottom of a clay baking pan, and then add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread the sautéed spinach on the noodles, and then top with another layer of lasagna noodles. Add the shredded Cheddar cheese, and then add the ricotta. Add another layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon most of the lasagna sauce over that. Add the shredded basil leaves and then add the shredded Mozzarella cheese. Pour the red wine over the lasagna, and top with the remaining lasagna sauce. Bake at 380º for almost an hour, until the cheese is browned, and the lasagna is bubbling.

While that is baking, start on the meat sauce. Heat a large sauce pan and add the olive oil. Crumble in the Italian sausage and start that browning. Add in the garlic and stir. When the sausage is nicely browned, add the red wine, let it reduce, and then add the crushed tomatoes. Bring that to a simmer, add in the basil and parsley, and let that just barely simmer, uncovered, for about fifteen minutes.

Serving

I had friends over for dinner on Saturday. We had heaping mounds of lasagna, smothered in the meat sauce and topped with shredded Provolone, along with Italian sausage, a tossed salad, and homemade Parmesan white pepper bread. Chianti was the wine of choice, and dinner was a big hit.