When it comes to lasagna I want there to be a lot of flavors, a lot of meat, and a lot of veggies. While it’s not a one pot meal, it’s a one pan meal and I want to get everything in there! This recipe was created with that in mind. There’s a depth of flavor thanks to the sun-dried tomatoes and Italian sausage and great health benefits thanks to the spinach and mushrooms. If I can add in some nutrients to a dish I’ll do it and this one is no different.
I love too that you can make this with gluten free noodles if you're thinking you've sworn off lasagna, don't! I can't tell you how many nights I go to my freezer and am so thankful for recipes like these in there because it frees up so much time in the afternoon to be with the family. If you opt to make them in loaf pans you may appreciate that you aren't left with a lot of leftovers too!
While you can make this recipe in a 9x13 I made it with the idea of freezing and giving the lasagna away to those who could use a good warm home cooked meal. With this recipe you’ll be able to make about 6 loaf pans of lasagna which can each serve as a dinner for two adults and maybe some kids depending on their ages!
This recipe makes a lot! While it may take a little bit of time you’ll have a lot of dinners with several to gift so it’s all worth it!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
½ onion, diced
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 small zucchini, diced
2 lbs. Italian sausage, ground
½ onion
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 cup red wine
½ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
32 oz Ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1 egg
1 cup parmesan
16 oz shredded mozzarella
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
6 aluminum loaf pans
The first step is to defrost the spinach overnight in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook place the spinach in a colander and squeeze it with paper towels allowing all the water to come out.
Next, saute half a diced onion, mushrooms and zucchini with salt and pepper in 2 tablespoons of butter for 5-6 minutes. Allow the water to come out of the vegetables and set aside.
Make the sauce. Saute the sausage in a dutch oven with ½ diced onion until browned and then add in the tomato paste through sun-dried tomatoes. Allow to simmer to reduce about 10-15 minutes.
In a bowl combine ricotta, spinach, egg, and 1 cup parmesan.
To assemble place 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of each loaf pan, 1/3 cup of vegetables, 1 noodle, 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and then ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella. Repeat with ½ cup of sauce, vegetables, lasagna noodle, ricotta and mozzarella until your pan is complete.
At this point cover and freeze until you’re ready to eat, or bake at 375 covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 20 minutes. If you are cooking from frozen allow to defrost the night before in the refrigerator and you may need a longer cook time if it's still super cold in the middle!