I'm a big fan of all things pasta. I'm a big fan of artichokes, spinach, and mushrooms. I'm a GIANORMOUS fan of cheese. So there's no possible way for this recipe to go wrong, for me at least.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a 'healthy' recipe, though the term 'healthy' is relative. There's plenty of fat from the cheese, and the noodles and cheese (AND sauce, in this case) are termed as processed foods. So, I'm not promoting this as a healthy alternative to 'regular' lasagna, but as a super tasty vegetarian lasagna (NOT vegan). Anywho.
SPINACH ARTICHOKE LASAGNA
1-2 handfuls fresh mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1 can (13 oz) artichoke hearts
15 oz ricotta cheese (any variety works, park-skim, skim, whole milk, etc.)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or romano, for an extra strong flavor)
2 large eggs
3 cloves garlic, chopped up finely
4 cups marinara sauce
1 pkg no-boil lasagna noodles
1 tsp crushed red pepper
salt
pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Saute the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter or oil for about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Set aside.
Mix together the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 mozzarella in a large bowl.
Drain the artichoke hearts and roughly chop them. Mix in the artichoke, spinach and mushrooms in with the cheese mixture.
And here we have the marinara. Shout out to Lois - go ahead and hit me for not making my own. I haven't quite mastered making my own marinara yet and I was in a hurry anyways. So, I mixed these two jars together for my marinara. Moving on...
Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Layer ingredients in the following order - 1 cup marinara...
... 1 layer of noodles...
... a scoop or two of the cheese mixture... and repeat... a couple times... there we go...
... and end with a final layer of noodles, a final layer of marinara, and the remaining mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top. Make sure the noodles are covered with the marinara, because one time I made this and the noodles on the edges of the pan were a tad bit... well, crunchy... ugh.
Cover loosely with foil, bake for 45 minutes at 375, then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes. Smell that lasagna? Mmmm...
Then, pair with some green beans, salad, sweet potato hash, have your boss over for dinner (extra credit for work heh) and a friend so that you don't have to talk about work, and EAT IT ALL.
