Name: Tomato, spinach and three-cheese lasagne
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: ***For The Tomato Sauce; 2tbsp olive oil; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 x 400g tins Italian whole cherry tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1 tsp caster sugar; 3 sprigs parsley; ***For The Filling; 250 g ricotta cheese; 2 tbsp basil, chopped; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley; 1 tbsp olive oil; 350 g spinach, washed; A little grated nutmeg; 250 g lasagne sheets; 2 x 210 g balls of mozzarella, cut into small cubes; 75 g parmesan, grated; ***You Will Need; A baking dish 25.5x15x5cm

Tomato, spinach and three-cheese lasagne

Sheets of lasagne layered with a rich tomato sauce, herbed ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan – you won’t believe it’s meat-free.

PREP TIME 1 hour | COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 minutes | TOTAL TIME 2 hours 20 minutes | SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

For The Tomato Sauce

2tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins Italian whole cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp caster sugar
3 sprigs parsley

For The Filling

250 g ricotta cheese
2 tbsp basil, chopped
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
350 g spinach, washed
A little grated nutmeg
250 g lasagne sheets
2 x 210 g balls of mozzarella, cut into small cubes
75 g parmesan, grated

You Will Need

A baking dish 25.5x15x5cm

METHOD

HEAT the olive oil in a medium saucepan and gently sweat the onion for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, caster sugar, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until thick and well reduced.

TO make the filling, place the ricotta in a sieve and leave to drain for 10 minutes, then place it in a bowl, add the basil and parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper.

HEAT the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the spinach, and season with a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover the pan and allow the spinach to wilt, stirring occasionally. Tip the spinach into a colander and leave to drain. When cool, squeeze as much excess moisture from the spinach and roughly chop. Set aside.

HEAT oven to 180C, gas 4. To assemble the lasagne, put a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Cover with a sheet of pasta and spread with tomato sauce. Place a third of the spinach over the sauce and sprinkle with a little mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with another sheet of pasta. Put half the ricotta mixture on this layer.

REPEAT with a layer of pasta, tomato sauce, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan, then another layer of pasta, topped with the remaining ricotta. Make one more layer of pasta, tomato sauce, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan, and end with a top layer of pasta, tomato sauce, and parmesan.

COVER the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until piping hot and the top is crusty and golden. Remove from the oven, leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

FOOD TEAM TIP: If you have a glut of tomatoes and want to use them for the sauce, then replace the tinned tomatoes with 8 large tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped.

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