Olive Garden Lasagna Florentine

By Harleygirl

I took the Olive Garden recipe and added beef and sausage. Instead of adding the marinara sauce at the end I incorporated the meat with the sauce and added it to every layer. I also used the oven ready lasagna noodles, so no boiling required.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fresh spinach
• 1 pound hamburger
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 pound Fresh mushrooms -- chop coarse
• 1 cup Onion -- chopped
• 10 milliliters Garlic -- minced
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 3 cups Ricotta cheese
• 1 2/3 cups Parmesan cheese -- divide
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 16 Lasagna noodles
• 4 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese -- shredded
• 2 jars Mariana sauce and 1jar tomato-Cream sauce as desired
• Extra Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Steam spinach until tender; press out excess moisture and chop coarsely. Chop mushrooms and onions and mince garlic over medium-high heat until onions are tender; drain excess liquid and cool. Cook hamburger and sausage then drain, add to marinara and tomato cream sauce, set aside. Mix ricotta cheese, 2/3 cup Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, basil and oregano in large bowl. Add cooled spinach and mushroom-onion mixture and mix on low speed until just blended. Cook lasagna according to package directions; rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.

Spread light layer of marinara sauce mixture on the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Place four lasagna strips on top of the mixture overlapping slightly. Top with 2 c of spinach filling, then the marinara. Sauce mixture.

Sprinkle with 1-1/2 c shredded cheese and 1/3 c Parmesan. Repeat layering two more times, cover tightly with foil. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake, covered, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and keep warm at least 30 minutes before cutting. Top with extra Parmesan cheese. (Can be refrigerated a day in advance of baking if desired.)