This is delicious. I mean it. I would go as far as to say it’s damn delicious. It’s the best thing I’ve made in a while. I shouldn’t be surprised though, since it contains everything I love: pasta, cheese, Rao’s sauce, artichoke hearts and spinach. It couldn’t be bad even if it wanted to. I’m begging you, give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed. And the best part is you will probably have some leftovers! Who doesn’t love leftovers?
Canned or frozen artichoke hearts?
I don’t know if it is just me, but I swear that frozen artichoke hearts taste more “artichokey” than the canned variety. Like much more “artichokey”. That’s why, for this recipe I use the frozen kind when I have them on hand. The canned variety will still give you a delicious lasagna, but if you can find a bag of frozen artichoke hearts, buy them! My local supermarket unfortunately does not sell them, but I can usually score them at Trader Joe’s and Wegmans.
Boil or no boil noodles?
I believe in boiling my lasagna noodles. Now I know it adds work. I also know that people swear they can’t tell the difference. Well, I’ll let you know that my Italian husband knows the difference. The first time I made this, he said, “Pretty tasty, but what’s up with the noodles?” Can’t sneak anything by that man. Of course, you do what works for you, but if you have the time and energy, give the traditional noodles a chance.
Splurge on the sauce
I can’t say enough about Roa’s sauce. I know it is quite a bit more expensive than some of the other brands, but I promise you it is worth it. If you wait for it to go on sale, you can score a pretty decent deal. My local Costco also sells it and their price is quite fair. I really believe that using a delicious sauce is key when making Italian food. While I wish I could say that my homemade sauce was amazing, I have to admit that it is average at best (that’s why it’s not posted here); only the best makes it to the blog! So, if you haven’t tried Roa’s, throw a jar in your cart (and don’t look at the price!). I know you’re going to love it.
Get cooking!
Your whole family is going to love this recipe. I know mine is addicted. If you’re looking for some other delicious pasta dishes, I make all of these monthly: Mushroom Ravioli in Cream Sauce, Cacio e Pepe (pasta with freshly ground pepper and cheese) Pasta with Mushrooms, Chickpeas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ravioli with Almost Homemade Sauce. Now that the weather is warming up, I’ll be adding Pasta Primavera to my rotation. This Baked Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Spinach is a nice alternative to pasta and easier than it sounds. As always, don’t forget to let me know how your Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna
Equipment
- Food processor
- Oven
Ingredients
- cooking spray of choice
- 12 lasagna noodles (if using no boil noodles adjust quantity appropriately)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, halved
- 3 or more cloves of garlic
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- 1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts rinsed and drained or 1 12 oz bag frozen artichoke hearts thawed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 jar of favorite pasta sauce (I swear by Rao’s)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Coat a large baking dish (I use an 8 X 11 glass Pyrex dish) with cooking spray of choice. Bring a large pot (make sure noodles will fit without being broken) of salted water to boil and cook lasagna noodles according to package direction. Drain and let cool. If noodles are too hot to handle when you’re ready to start building your lasagna, run them under cold water.
- Meanwhile, drop garlic cloves through food processor tube with machine running (this will help to mince them evenly). Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, add onion and pulse for three second intervals until finely chopped. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Transfer garlic and onion to pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
- Add spinach and artichoke hearts to food processor work bowl. Pulse in three second intervals until finely chopped, scraping down sides as needed. In a large bowl, beat egg. Add ricotta, parmesan or Romano cheese and seasoning. Mix to combine. Add the sauteed garlic and onions and chopped spinach and artichoke hearts to ricotta mixture and stir together, combining completely.
- Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce along the bottom of your baking dish. Arrange four noodles, overlapping as needed so that the bottom of the dish is fully covered. Top with a generous amount of sauce. Use a spatula to evenly spread about half of the ricotta-veggie mix over the noodles. Add four more noodles, cover generously with sauce and spread out the rest of the ricotta-veggie mix. Sprinkle with about half the mozzarella cheese. Top with the last four noodles and cover completely with sauce. Evenly sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. If you like browned cheese, broil on high for 4-5 minutes paying close attention so that you don’t burn all that hard work! Let cool slightly before serving. Leftovers stay well for a few days or can be frozen.
Notes
I prefer frozen artichokes to canned for this recipe, but they can be hard to find. My local Trader Joe’s and Wegmans carry them.
