Carrotspinachbeef Lasagna Recipes

SPINACH AND BEEF LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a dutch oven or large skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant then add in chopped spinach. Sauté until spinach begins to wilt, about 4 minutes. Remove with a spoon and set aside in a bowl.
• In the same dutch oven, turn heat up to medium/high, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the diced pancetta. Cook until it begins to crisp up about 4 minutes. Add in the ground beef, 1 tsp of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper and cook until beef is browned and cooked through. Reserve 2 tbsp of the juice, drain the beef and set aside in a bowl. Mix in the 1/2 cup of basil into the spinach mixture.
• In the same dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the chopped onions. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the rest of the minced garlic, 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, and sauté for a minute. Add in the can of fire roasted tomatoes, 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, 1 tsp oregano. Mix all together, lower the heat and cover, to allow the flavors to meld while you make the bechamel sauce.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 5 tbsp of butter. Once fully melted, slowly whisk in the flour constantly stirring so no lumps remain. Slowly add the milk while whisking continuously and grate some fresh nutmeg into the sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn't burn. Taking a wooden spoon dip it in the sauce, run your finger on the spoon (careful it's hot) and if the sauce doesn't run together, then it's ready.
• Going back to the red sauce, using an immersion blender, smooth out the sauce. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Add in the bechamel sauce and stir to combine, it should now be a pink color. Turn heat off.
• In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs and then add the ricotta cheese and mix until combined, set aside
• In a rectangular baking dish, spoon a thick even layer of the tomato bechamel sauce onto the bottom of the dish (1/3 of the sauce). Then add a layer of lasagna sheets side by side. Using a spatula smooth half of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, followed by half of the spinach mixture. Add another layer of pasta, followed by the beef, and then 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon another layer (1/3) of the tomato bechamel sauce, followed by another layer of pasta sheets. Smooth the rest of the ricotta over the pasta sheets and add the rest of the spinach over that. Add the final layer of pasta sheets, followed by the tomato bechamel, the rest of the mozzarella, and freshly grate parmesan over the top. I like to take a few pieces of butter and disperse them over the top so it gives you that golden brown top.
• Cover with foil and place in the oven. If your lasagna is full to the brim, you can grab a baking sheet, cover with foil, and place the dish on top of that for any spillover. Bake for 35 minutes, then remove foil and low broil for 10 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with a spatula.

SPINACH & GROUND BEEF LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in pan over medium-high heat. Add tomato sauce (reserving a tablespoon) and oregano. Simmer until heated through. Remove from heat.
• In a bowl, mix spinach, ricotta cheese and 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese together. Set aside.
• Fresh lasagna noodles are preferred, but you can use oven-ready noodles too. In a 9x13 pan, spray lightly with vegetable oil. Add the remaining tomato sauce (mixed with a little water) to the 9x13 pan.
• Start the first layer of lasagna noodles, topped by a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Follow with the meat mixture, then lasagna noodles. Another sprinkling of mozzarella cheese, topped by the spinach mixture and lasagna noodles. Finish the top layer with the remaining cheeses.
• Bake covered at 375 F for 45 minutes, then uncover and broil until golden on top (about 10 to 15 minutes).
• Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

BEEF, SPINACH AND MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and saute mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Add mushrooms, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Add ground beef and cook just until meat is no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Add marinara sauce, turn heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• While the sauce simmers, combine spinach, ricotta and parmesan in a large bowl and mix well.
• Take out a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the bottom with about 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce. Evenly space 3 no-boil lasagna noodles on top of the sauce layer. Top noodles with about half of the spinach mixture, spreading it into an even layer. Top with about 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Top this sauce layer with 3 more noodles, followed by the ricotta spinach mixture, followed by the remaining noodles. Pour all of the remaining sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
• Bake for 30 minutes (you may want to put your baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips), then uncover the lasagna and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until sauce is slightly bubbly.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.