Three Cheese Spinach Lasagna

By calypan

Ingredients

• FOR THE LASAGNA:
• 9 dry whole-wheat lasagna sheets
• 1 lb. frozen spinach
• FOR THE BOLOGNESE:
• 3 ⁄4 lb. ground beef sirloin
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1 ⁄2 cup each chopped onion, carrot, and celery
• 8 oz. fresh button mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes, well-drained (14.5 oz.)
• 1 Tbsp. dried Italian herbs
• 1 ⁄2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 ⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 ⁄4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 can low-sodium tomato sauce, divided (8 oz.)
• FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
• 1 1⁄2 cups 2% cottage cheese (12 oz.)
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided (8 oz.)
• 1 egg
• 1 ⁄4 cup shredded Parmesan

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°.

For the lasagna, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lasagna sheets to boiling water, a few at a time. Remove cooked lasagna sheets to a strainer as they soften, after about 8 minutes. When all lasagna sheets have been cooked and removed, blanch spinach in the same water for 1 minute.

Drain spinach and let cool slightly. Remove excess water by gathering and squeezing spinach in paper towels or pressing in a potato ricer.

For the bolognese, brown beef in oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; drain. Return beef to skillet.

Mince onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and garlic for the bolognese in a food processor; add to browned meat in skillet. Cook until vegetables soften, 5 minutes.

Strain beef mixture to remove excess liquid; return to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, Italian herbs, pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Spread 2 Tbsp. tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch, 2-quart square baking dish. Add remaining tomato sauce to bolognese; stir until combined. Remove sauce from heat; set aside.

For the cheese sauce, pulse cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, and the egg in a food processor until smooth; set aside.

Layer 4 lasagna sheets over the tomato sauce in the dish, overlapping sheets and cutting ends off to fit. Reserve cut pieces for top layer. Spread ⅓ of the bolognese over lasagna sheets; top with half of the cheese sauce followed by half of the spinach.

Repeat layers with 4 more lasagna sheets, layering in opposite direction and cutting sheets to fit. Top with another ⅓ of the bolognese, remaining cheese sauce, and remaining spinach. Top with remaining whole lasagna sheet and the cut sheets. Top with remaining bolognese, remaining 1 cup mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake lasagna until topping is browned, 25 minutes.

Remove lasagna from oven and let rest 5 minutes before cutting into 6 pieces.