Vegetarian spinach and cheese lasagna

Receta en español aquí

This is a delicious meatless lasagna, easy to prepare and perfect as main dish. The combination of spinach, tomato sauce and cheese is simply irresistible.

Vegetarian spinach and cheese lasagna

Ingredients (4 servings)    Baking dish 30x21 cm

No-boil lasagna noodles, the number depends on the size of the baking dish, I've put 12

300 g fresh spinach, chopped

200 g grated cheese

Tomato sauce

700 g ripe tomatoes

1 medium onion

½ green Italian pepper

2 cloves of garlic

Salt, basil, oregano and black pepper to taste

Extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil béchamel sauce

300 ml of whole milk

20 g wheat flour

20 g extra virgin olive oil

Nutmeg, black pepper and salt to taste

Directions

First of all boil the spinach and set aside: Place spinach in a pot with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes. Then drain the spinach and set aside.

Next prepare the tomato sauce:

Peel the tomatoes and cut into dices. 

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and cloves of garlic, chopped; cook until soft and translucent. Then add the chopped green pepper and stir well.

Add the tomatoes, cut into dices, salt and the spices (black pepper, basil and oregano). Let it simmer 30 minutes.

When the tomato sauce is done blend with a handheld blender.

I've used no-boil lasagna noodles, if you not: boil the lasagna noodles following the package directions.

Preheat oven to 400 ºF (200 °C).

Now prepare the béchamel sauce:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet, dump in the flour and stir it quickly into the olive oil until the mixture turns to a golden color, do not let it brown. In this way the flour has been cooked and lost its raw taste.

Pour little by little the milk and stirring often until the sauce has thickened.

Season with salt, nutmeg and pepper to taste. Stir a little a more before removing from the heat.

Assembling the lasagna.

Grease the baking dish with a little extra virgin olive oil and put down a first layer of lasagna noodles. Pour over it some tomato sauce and spread a few well drained spinach and grated cheese.

Put another layer of lasagna noodles, again tomato sauce, spinach and cheese, cover with another layer and repeat the process.

Finally add a the last layer of lasagna noodles, pour the remaining tomato sauce all over and cover  with  the bechamel sauce and grated cheese.

Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) around 25-30 minutes or if you are using no boil lasagna noodles these are done.  You can cover the lasagna with a sheet of aluminum foil the last baking minutes if you see the lasagna starting to brown.

Once removed from the oven let the lasagna rest, allowing to sit for fifteen minutes  and enjoy!