Turkey-Spinach Lasagna

I thought I would take a pause from all the yummy sweetness I've been blogging about (for the past month and half) and share this yummy lasagna with you. How does that sound?

This lasagna has quickly become a favorite dish in our house. I made this once when we had a few friends over for dinner, and everyone raved about it! It is now Matt’s most requested meal, and I’m happy to make it for him because I love everything about this recipe. I love using ground turkey as opposed to ground beef… I love the combination of cheeses… I love that it calls for spinach (that’s my favorite part)… I love that it's easy to prepare and assemble… and I love that it’s a tasty choice for leftovers! Basically, this lasagna is the complete package, and I hope I've convinced you to work this into your menu (sometime soon) because I think you'll really enjoy it.:)

Ingredients

Yields 8 to 10 servings

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ¼ lbs ground turkey

2 jars Bertolli® Tomato & Basil Sauce

1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese

1 (10z) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 ¾ cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

3 tbsp whipping cream

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp ground black pepper

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups shredded mozzarella & provolone cheese

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add turkey; sauté until brown, breaking up into coarse pieces, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Note: I suggest seasoning your meat while cooking to add extra flavor. I season mine with garlic powder, basil and oregano, but you can obviously season to your liking.) Add tomato sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Grease a 13x9inch glass baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, cream, basil, oregano, and pepper.

To assemble…

• Spoon 1 cup sauce over bottom of baking dish.
• Place 3 noodles over sauce in single layer.
• Spoon 1 cup sauce over noodles.
• Spoon 1 cup ricotta mixture over sauce.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella/provolone cheese over ricotta mixture.
• Repeat layering with 3 noodles, 1 cup sauce, 1 cup ricotta mixture, ¼ cup Parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella/provolone cheese.
• Arrange remaining 3 noodles over cheese.
• Spoon 1 cup sauce over noodles.
• Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella/provolone cheese over lasagna.
• Dollop remaining ricotta mixture atop lasagna.
• Spoon remaining sauce around ricotta dollops.
• Tightly cover baking dish with foil.

Bake 50 minutes; uncover and continue baking until noodles are tender and lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered with foil, at 350°F for about 45 minutes.) 

Source: adapted from Epicurious