WHITE LASAGNA WITH SPINACH RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan (I like using my big 5 qt dutch oven just to have a lot of room.) melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and onions and sauté until golden. Add the spinach and stir for a few minutes to marry all the flavors. Turn off heat and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add half the ricotta, the eggs, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Process for a few minutes until blended and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. (don't wipe the food processor bowl out.)
• To the food processor add the spinach/garlic mixture and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the bowl with the ricotta mixture as well as the rest of the ricotta cheese. Stir until blended and smooth.
• In a large saucepan (I like to wipe out the dutch oven a bit and use that again,) melt the 5 tablespoons of butter and then add the flour- whisking constantly until golden. Add the milk gradually, about a cup at a time, stirring well between each addition. When thick and bubbly, add 3/4 of the mozzarella and 3/4 of the gruyere. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a 9x13 lasagna pan, start by spreading a small amount of the white sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of noodles (I used 4 across for each layer,) Spread 1/3 of the spinach mixture on top of the noodles, followed by 1/4 of the sauce. Repeat 3 more times, noodles- spinach- sauce. Topping with a 4th layer of noodles, the last 1/4 of sauce and the remaining cheese.
• Cover tightly with foil, and bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the lasagna: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a pot; season the water with salt. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and lay the noodles flat on a baking sheet. Set aside.
• For the zucchini: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Put the zucchini slices in a bowl, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the slices to the grill pan and cook on both sides until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• For the spinach: In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a sieve set over a bowl to drain excess liquid; set aside.
• For the alfredo: In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to form a roux, and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly add the hot milk and cream, whisking until smooth, and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the Parmesan, artichoke hearts and pesto. Set aside.
• For the ricotta mix: In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, Parmesan and egg yolk and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the layers: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• To assemble the lasagna: Spread 1 cup of the alfredo sauce on the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Add a layer of 3 lasagna noodles. Add 1 1/2 cups alfredo sauce and spread evenly. Scatter the spinach evenly on top. Add a layer of 6 mozzarella slices. Add a layer of 3 lasagna noodles. Add 1 1/2 cups alfredo and spread evenly. Add the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Add a layer of 6 mozzarella slices. Add a layer of 3 lasagna noodles. Add 1 1/2 cups of alfredo and spread evenly. Add a layer of 6 mozzarella slices. Add the zucchini slices. Add the remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Spread the remaining alfredo evenly over the top of the noodles. Top with the remaining 6 slices of mozzarella.
• Bake until browned and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Allow the lasagna to sit for 10 to 20 minutes before serving. Top with lots of torn fresh basil.