Background: The use of ricotta makes this a lasagna typical of Naples or further south.
The etymology of the word lasagna starts with the Greek lasanon which means ‘chamber pot’! The Romans borrow it as lasanum to humorously refer to a ‘cooking pot’. Later, the Italian word lasagne (plural of lasagna) came to refer to a dish cooked in such a pot — flat sheets of pasta layered with minced meat and tomatoes topped with grated cheese. Soon, the word lasagna was applied to the pasta itself. — Wikipedia
- Preparation time : 15 minutes
- Cooking time : 30 minutes to 35 minutes
- Total time : 45 minutes to 50 minutes
- Serves: 4
- You can make it either veggy or non-veggy
Ingredients
235g bag Spinach for Cooking
250g pot ricotta
145g pot Green Basil Pesto (from the chiller cabinet)
190g pack cooked skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced
300g pack fresh lasagna sheets
500g pot Napoletana sauce (from the chiller cabinet)
250g Grated Mozzarella
25g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- For the meat Version add in some diced chicken.
- If making a veg only version use Portabello Mushrooms and Aubergine (cook the aubergine slightly before adding to the dish).
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Place the spinach in a colander over the sink, then pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it. Leave to cool then squeeze out all the moisture with your hands. Chop roughly and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the pesto until combined then add the chopped spinach and mix again.
- Scatter the base of a baking tin or lasagna dish with half the chicken slices, top with half the ricotta, spinach and pesto mixture, and layer with 4 lasagne sheets.
- Pour over a third of the tomato sauce, sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella, then add the remaining chicken and the ricotta mixture. Top with 4 more lasagna sheets. Repeat with more tomato, lasagna and mozzarella. Top with the rest of the tomato, and sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella and Parmigiano.
- Place in the oven for 45–50 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve with green salad leaves such as Mixed Leaf Crispy Salad.
Cook’s tips
- The lasagna can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead.
- Replace the fresh pasta with dried lasagna sheets, if you prefer.
- To save time, substitute defrosted frozen chopped spinach for fresh.
Here it is!
If you use a harder veg, either cook a little longer or fry the veg first. For example, aubergine.
Please change the title of this. I was Googling for a spinach and ricotta lasagne recipe and clicked on this. No use to a vegetarian. Perhaps titling it Spinach Ricotta and Chicken Lasagne would avoid irritation!
Just leave out the chicken. I have done it as a veg only dish that way with no issues.
Sounds good to me. Ignore the whining vegetarians who think everyone has to cater to them. It’s their responsibility to use their brain and remove the chicken from the list of ingredients.