I knew it was going to be a busy weekend, starting with a trip to the mechanic for an oil change (not fun), followed by a stop at the mall to pick up a new kitchen gadget and then the grocery store to replenish my fridge and pantry (more fun). My Saturday morning was spent and I had to tackle a few additional chores in the afternoon (knowing I’d be out for most of Sunday), leaving me little time to get dinner on the table in the evening.
But cook I would, primarily so we could have leftovers during the week. This speedy spinach lasagna – much like breakfast pizza – is a godsend for hurried cooks. It’s hearty and, despite a few shortcuts, tastes as good as one that takes hours to assemble and bake. By using no-boil noodles and your favorite jarred tomato sauce, you shave off hours in prep and clean-up time.
Pop the lasagna in the oven and within a little over an hour, you can dig in. Pair this creamy casserole with some fresh-baked bread or a green salad – and a glass or two of wine – and you’ve got dinner made!
Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum.
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- 32 ounces ricotta (see notes)
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 24 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Melt butter in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme; sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add spinach and sauté until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, salt, nutmeg and lemon juice. Add the sautéed spinach and stir to combine. Transfer some of the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up the spinach; return to ricotta mixture. (If you're in a rush, you can skip this step.)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spread about ¼ cup spaghetti or marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce. Then spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by ¼ of the sauce and ¼ of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat and pour ½ cup water over the two layers. Repeat once more, ending with noodles, sauce and cheese. Pour another ½ cup water over everything and cover tightly with foil coated with cooking spray.
- Bake lasagna for 35-40 minutes. When the liquid is bubbling and the noodles have softened, remove foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.
- Let lasagna stand for 10-15 minutes (to allow the noodles to soak up all the extra liquid) before slicing and serving.
