Spinach Pesto And Fontina Lasagna Recipes

SPINACH, PESTO, AND FONTINA LASAGNA

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk 1 minute (do not brown). Add milk and wine and whisk until smooth. Cook until sauce thickens and comes to boil, whisking constantly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and salt. Season sauce to taste with pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• For spinach:
• Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add all spinach (pot will be full). Cook spinach until wilted but still bright green, tossing often, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer spinach to large sieve set over bowl; reserve pot. Press out excess liquid from spinach. Drain 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Return drained liquid from spinach to reserved pot. Boil until liquid is reduced to glaze. Return spinach to pot and toss 1 minute. Remove spinach from heat. Mix in 1 1/2 cups sauce. Season spinach to taste with pepper.
• For lasagna:
• Place noodles in large bowl. Fill bowl with hot tap water. Soak noodles until pliable, stirring occasionally to separate, about 15 minutes. Place large sheet of parchment paper on work surface. Transfer noodles to parchment in single layer, shaking off excess water.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2- inch glass baking dish. Mix ricotta, Parmesan, and lemon peel in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Mix in egg.
• Spread 1/2 cup sauce thinly over bottom of prepared dish. Top with 3 noodles, arranged side by side and covering most of bottom of dish. Spread half of spinach mixture over (about 1 1/2 cups). Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Fontina. Top with 3 noodles and half of ricotta mixture (generous 1 3/4 cups). Drop half of pesto over by teaspoonfuls, spacing drops evenly apart. Continue layering with 3 noodles, remaining spinach mixture, 1/3 cup Fontina, 3 more noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, then remaining pesto. Top with last 3 noodles. Spread remaining sauce over; sprinkle with remaining Fontina. Cover dish with buttered foil.
• Bake lasagna until heated through and bubbling at edges, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove foil from dish.
• Preheat broiler. Broil lasagna until top is browned in spots, turning dish occasionally for even browning, about 4 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes to set up.
• Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

PESTO LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in the olive oil until tender. Add spinach and stir. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto. In a large bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• In a 3 quart greased baking dish, layer the noodles then the spinach mixture, followed by the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Repeat the layers ending with noodles on top. Spread the Alfredo sauce over the top and sprinkle with parmesan.
• Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes.

SUPER-FAST SPINACH, PESTO AND CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Blend ricotta and Parmesan in medium bowl. Season cheeses with salt and pepper; stir in egg. Blend spinach and pesto in another medium bowl.
• Brush 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with oil. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce in prepared dish. Arrange 3 noodles side by side atop sauce. Spread 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese mixture over in thin layer. Drop 1/3 of spinach mixture over by spoonfuls. Repeat layering with sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and spinach mixture 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and 1 cup sauce.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover lasagna with foil. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Fontina cheese. Bake lasagna until heated through, sauce bubbles and cheese on top is melted, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.

LASAGNA WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400*. Rinse spinach and place in a saucepan with water still clinging to its leaves. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted. Drain, refresh under cold water, squeeze out all excess liquid. Chop finely. Cook lasagna sheets in plenty of boiling salted water, until tender but still firm to the bite, drain, and pat dry with kitchen towels.
• Brush a 12x8-inch ovenproof dish with a little of the melted butter. In a bowl, combine the spinach, Fontina (or Gruyere), Parmesan, Ricotta, cream cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Cover the base of the dish with a later of lasagna sheets and spread with 3 tablespoons of the spinach mixture. Repeat layering until all the lasagna is used, making no more than 6 layers. Finish with the remaining spinach mixture. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter, then cook for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

EASY SPINACH LASAGNE WITH PESTO AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish or lasagne pan.
• Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on bottom of dish.
• Mix together Ricotta, egg, and pesto until thoroughly blended.
• Layer noodles, ricotta and pesto mixture, spinach, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup pasta sauce.
• Repeat layers using remaining ingredients.
• Bake 1 hour at 350°F.

SPINACH LASAGNA WITH WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. If using fresh spinach, chop it fine. If using frozen, chopped spinach, make sure it is thoroughly defrosted and squeeze out all of the excess water.
• Place the ricotta or cottage cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, pesto, garlic, salt, pepper, half the Parmesan, and the walnuts. Mix well. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of uncooked noodles over the sauce. Spoon about 1/3 of the ricotta or cottage filling in dabs over the noodles (you can spread it a little, but not too much) and sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated mozzarella. Follow with another layer of sauce, then noodles, followed by another 1/3 of the filling, and another 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat one more time, and then finish up with a final layer of noodles. You will have some Parmesan left over.
• If you are using fresh noodles, bake uncovered. If you are using dried noodles, cover the pan tightly with foil.
• Bake for 50 minutes, uncovering the pan (if applicable) during the last 15 minutes, during which time you can sprinkle on the reserved Parmesan. (In the case of the uncovered pan, if the top of the lasagna becomes as brown as you like it before the full baking time is up, cover loosely with foil and continue baking, so it wont get too dark.) Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
• Walnut Pesto: Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender, and mix well.
• Add the walnuts, and continue to blend until the walnuts are finely ground.
• Keep the machine running as you drizzle in the olive oil. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• If you are not going to use the pesto right away, place in a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Smooth out the top surface of the pesto, and pour on enough olive oil to cover it completely. This creates an air-proof seal that helps preserve it well. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.