A Good Lasagna

I love lasagna but don't make it very often....but we've had a taste for it recently and so I decided to make my favorite one which is very similar to the one my mom used to make.  She used spinach, yes, but instead of ricotta she mixed that spinach with cottage cheese. I've subbed in fresh mushrooms for her canned and use three cheeses for topping instead of just mozzarella. Oh yes...and a little fresh basil in the sauce and ricotta filling!


Meat Sauce:
2 Tbl olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
10 medium white or brown mushrooms, chopped
28 ounce can tomato puree
About 10 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup grated parmesan

In a large skillet, saute the onion garlic and ground meat in the olives oil until the onion softens and the meat loses its color.  Add the salt, pepper, basil, oregano and mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms soften.  Add the tomato puree and simmer the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the fresh basil and parmesan.  Let cool a bit while you make the ricotta filling.

Filling and putting the lasagna together:

10 ounce bag of fresh baby spinach, steamed until wilted
2 cups full fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
About 10 fresh basil leaves, torn
One 9 ounce package "no-boil" lasagna sheets
3 cups grated cheese, either mozzarella or a combination of mozz, provolone and asiago

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, parmesan, egg, black pepper an the fresh basil.

Spread about 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Lay about 4 sheets of the lasagna over. Break up a sheet or two to fill in any gaps.
Next, spread half of the ricotta filing over, followed by more lasagna sheets.
Add just under half of the remaining sauce, followed by the rest of the ricotta. Now, one more layer of lasagna sheets and then the last of the sauce.  Cover the pan with the 3 cups of grated cheese.
Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350F oven for about 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 or 15 to brown up the cheese. 
Let rest about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!!