Fresh spinach, jarred artichokes, and the simplest homemade tomato sauce make this vegetarian spinach lasagna healthy. The next day lasagna tastes better!
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce) – 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoe – ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil – 2 tablespoons olive oil – 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced – ½ teaspoon salt – ¼ teaspoon red pepper flake Spinach artichoke mixture – 2 cups (16 ounces) low fat cottage cheese – 2 tablespoons olive oil – 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 smallish red onion) – ¼ teaspoon salt – 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
– 1 cup jarred or defrosted frozen artichokes, drained (simply omit for a classic spinach lasagna), quartered if necessary – 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic – Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Remaining lasagna ingredient – 9 no-boil lasagna noodle – 2 cups (5 ounces) shredded fontina cheese or low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella – Garnish: sprinkling of additional chopped fresh basil
Start with a 425-degree oven. For the tomato sauce, drain the tomatoes in a mesh sieve or fine colander for a minute. Put drained tomatoes in a food processor.
Basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes. Pulse the mixture 10 times until the tomatoes are spreadable. Pour the sauce into a bowl for later (2 cups).
Clean and return the food processor. Blend half the cottage cheese (1 cup) in the processor for 1 minute. Put the mixture in a big bowl.
You'll need the food processor bowl later, so don't rinse it. Medium-heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and ¼ teaspoon salt AFTER oil shimmers.
For 4–5 minutes, stir often to tenderise and translucent onion. Thirty seconds to fragrant garlic. Spinach: Add several large handfuls to the skillet after artichoke. To wilt spinach, stir often. Reuse spinach.
Stirring for 12 minutes shrinks the spinach and dehydrates the pan. Pulse 12–15 times in the food processor to finely chop spinach artichoke.
Bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Fold remaining cottage cheese. Put salt and pepper on. Make lasagna. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce in a 9-inch square baking dish. Overlapping 3 lasagna noodles.
Share half the spinach mixture with noodles. Top tomato sauce with ½ cup of shredded cheese. Add 3 more noodles and spinach mixture. Add ½ cup shredded cheese. For this layer, skip tomato sauce.
Add three more noodles and cover with tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese. Cover the lasagna with foil or parchment, but not the cheese.
Remove the cover, rotate the pan 180 degrees, and cook for 12 more minutes until spotty brown. Slice and sprinkle chopped basil on lasagna after 15 minutes of cooling.