Spicy Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

Spinach is extremely nutritious and versatile. I incorporate it into dishes whenever I want to increase nutrition by adding vegetables. No-boil lasagna is a time saver but it makes this lasagna dry. If you decide to use it, soak it in hot water for 10-15 minutes first.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 pound spicy turkey or chicken sausage, meat removed from the casings
2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup non-fat, skim milk
2 cups shredded skim mozzarella
1 15-ounce container of low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
3/4 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cook the lasagna three or four minute less than the package directions indicate. Reserve one cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage until thoroughly cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Sprinkle the sausage with flour and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the milk, scraping all the browned bits of sausage from the bottom of the skillet. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until a thickened sauce forms. Add the spinach. Continue cooking an additional minute until spinach has wilted and set aside, adding a little of the reserved pasta water if the mixture becomes to dry.

In separate large bowl, mix half the mozzarella, the ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, egg, and parsley. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and press a layer of the noodles in the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of 1/2 of the chopped spinach and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a layer of noodles, then add the sausage mixture, another layer of noodles, and all the ricotta cheese mixture. Press another layer of noodles and top with the remaining spinach. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top of the spinach and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 40-45 minutes. Remove the aluminum and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand at room temperature, 15 minutes before slicing.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Zucchini with Sage or Sweet Potato Mash.

Wine Pairing

Rose, Pinot Noir