0 Picture
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 6-ounce packages baby spinach
- 15 no-boil 7 x 3 1/2-inch lasagna noodles (from two 9-ounce packages)
- 3 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese* (28 ounces)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups coarsely grated Italian Fontina cheese (8 to 9 ounces), divided
- Herb Pesto
Details
Servings 8
Adapted from epicurious.com
Preparation
Step 1
Preparation
For sauce:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan
over medium heat. Add flour and whisk
1 minute (do not brown). Add milk and
wine and whisk until smooth. Cook until
sauce thickens and comes to boil, whisking
constantly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from
heat. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and
salt. Season sauce to taste with pepper.
DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made up to 1 day
ahead. Cover and chill.
For spinach:
Heat oil in large pot over
medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic.
Sauté until shallots soften, about 2 minutes.
Add all spinach (pot will be full). Cook
spinach until wilted but still bright green,
tossing often, about 3 minutes. Using tongs,
transfer spinach to large sieve set over
bowl; reserve pot. Press out excess liquid
from spinach. Drain 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Return drained liquid from spinach
to reserved pot. Boil until liquid is reduced
to glaze. Return spinach to pot and toss
1 minute. Remove spinach from heat.
Mix in 1 1/2 cups sauce. Season spinach to
taste with pepper.
For lasagna:
Place noodles in large
bowl. Fill bowl with hot tap water. Soak
noodles until pliable, stirring occasionally
to separate, about 15 minutes. Place large
sheet of parchment paper on work surface.
Transfer noodles to parchment in single
layer, shaking off excess water.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-
inch glass baking dish. Mix ricotta,
Parmesan, and lemon peel in medium bowl.
Season to taste with salt. Mix in egg.
Spread 1/2 cup sauce thinly over bottom
of prepared dish. Top with 3 noodles,
arranged side by side and covering most
of bottom of dish. Spread half of spinach
mixture over (about 1 1/2 cups). Sprinkle with
1/3 cup Fontina. Top with 3 noodles and half
of ricotta mixture (generous 1 3/4 cups). Drop
half of pesto over by teaspoonfuls, spacing
drops evenly apart. Continue layering with
3 noodles, remaining spinach mixture, 1/3
cup Fontina, 3 more noodles, remaining
ricotta mixture, then remaining pesto. Top
with last 3 noodles. Spread remaining sauce
over; sprinkle with remaining Fontina.
Cover dish with buttered foil.
Bake lasagna until heated through
and bubbling at edges, 50 to 55 minutes.
Remove from oven. Remove foil from dish.
Preheat broiler. Broil lasagna until top is
browned in spots, turning dish occasionally
for even browning, about 4 minutes. Let
stand 15 minutes to set up.
* Available at some supermarkets and at
specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
add your own note
Review this recipe