Mushroom-Spinach Lasagna

Believe it or not, I sometimes have no idea what I want to eat. There are so many options, so few I've already tried, and so many yet to do. I get into ruts and trying to avoid them just for the sake of variety, become stumped. That's when a good friend comes in. She might live vicariously or simply use me as a guinea pig. Either way, it's a great thing to have suggestions. My friend's request/suggestion of a spinach lasagna caused me find and try a recipe I remembered reviewing from magazines past.

If you've got any suggestions for recipes I should try, don't hesitate to pass them along. I don't mind being your guinea pig.

The original recipe calls for prep in a different sequence. I changed it up to limit the number of dishes that would be dirtied. Remember, I'm the dishwasher as well as The Cook. While I opted to roast my own bell pepper, don't hesitate to buy a 7-oz jar of them if that works for you. Just click the link below to get details.

Mushroom-Spinach Lasagna

adapted from Cooking Club of America
click to print

VEGETABLES
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 roasted red bell pepper

SAUCE

1/2 c minced shallots, about 2 large
1 tsp dried sage
2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. brown button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 c butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 c lower-sodium vegetable broth, I used Better Than Bouillon
2 c whole milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 c shredded Gruyère cheese

LASAGNA

12 lasagna noodles
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook and stir garlic 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add spinach; cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing to coat with oil.

Note: I squeezed the moisture from the spinach but neglected to break it up before adding it to the skillet. You might want to break up the spinach as you add it to the skillet.

Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Place in bowl; cool. (Spinach can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Cook and stir shallots and sage in 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes or until shallots are slightly softened.

Add mushrooms; cook 7 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

If you wonder where the liquid could possibly come from, you'll be surprised, as I was, that it comes from the mushrooms. As the mushrooms become softened, they'll release moisture. Continue cooking until the moisture is essentially gone.

Add butter to skillet; stir until melted. Whisk in flour; cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

Slowly add broth, whisking until mixture boils.

Add milk and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; return to a boil.

Remove from heat; stir in Gruyère cheese until melted. (Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated or 1 month ahead and frozen.)

This step went along pretty quickly. No wonder gruyere is a fondue cheese! Anyway, once the cheese was completely melted, I tasted the sauce. I immediately forgot what I was doing and where I was as the sauce was so scrumptious! I commenced to consuming a ridiculous quantity, which fortunately did not affect the outcome of the lasagna.

At least 15 minutes before you are ready to assemble your lasagna, soak the noodles in hot water for 15 minutes.

And if you haven't prepped your roasted red bell pepper yet, get on it now.


Heat oven to 350°F.

Spray 2 (8-inch) pans with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in each pan; top with 2 lasagna noodles, broken to fit as necessary.

Divide spinach evenly over noodles; cover with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Top with 2 noodles, broken to fit as necessary.

Spread with bell peppers; cover with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Top with 2 noodles, broken to fit.

Spread with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.


Wrap one dish with plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. Defrost in the refrigerator 2 days; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.

Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until lasagna is bubbling and cheese begins to turn golden brown.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


I like lasagna and this one did not fail to please. While lacking the height of any lasagna I'd prepared before, it allows for each serving to be a CORNER piece! How great is that?! Did you hear me? Every piece is a corner!

Aside from the corner piece benefits, the highlight of this lasagna is without a doubt the sauce. It kicks ass around the entire block. It is silky smooth (outside of the mushrooms of course), creamy, hearty and savory, so good in fact that I wouldn't mind a glass to slurp on as a type. As I taste-tested it repeatedly once the Gruyere was melted, I imagined using the sauce in other dishes. Say, tossing some ziti in it and baking it, hell even twisting it up with spaghetti, or even making a truly homemeade greenbean casserole. Can I get a hell yeah?

There were a couple of things that caused me to fret a little bit, but those worries were all for naught and whether you know it or not, I've already covered them.

Cost:

• garlic: $0.25
• spinach: $2.98
• bell pepper: $1.50
• shallots: $1
• mushrooms: $5.29
• broth: $0.26
• milk: $0.90
• Gruyere cheese: $10.49
• lasagna noodles: $1
• Parmesan cheese: $0.70

Total: $24.37, but I'll swing that up to $25 even to cover flour, salt and pepper, and that sort of thing. That makes each of the eight servings about $3.13. While the most expensive lasagna per serving I've made yet, there's no doubt in my mind about my doing this one again. You'll see.

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