Traditional Italian Spinach Lasagna

This is a dish I make only once a year. We invite friends to dinner. If there are any leftovers, I freeze them in single serving size bags and put those into a large freezer bag. This is labor intensive, and an all day affair for me. I like that the crosswise sections make me think of the Italian flag.

• Ready In: 6 hrs
• Serves: 18
• Yields: 1 Large Lasagna

Ingredients

• 4  onions (chopped)
• 4  garlic cloves (mashed)
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 3  lbs sausage
• 2  teaspoons fennel seeds (ground)
• 2  tablespoons dried basil
• 2  tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
• 1  tablespoon dried oregano
• 1  tablespoon Italian parsley
• 3  quarts tomatoes
• 15  ounces tomato sauce
• 6  ounces tomato paste
• 10  ounces fresh spinach
• 16  ounces ricotta cheese
• 4  eggs
• 1  cup parmesan cheese
• 1  lb mozzarella cheese (cut into large pieces)
• 3  ounces romano cheese or 3  ounces parmesan cheese or 3  ounces asiago cheese, etc

Directions

1. Saute the onions and garlic in a heavy iron pot in olive oil, until translucent, then remove from pot, and set aside.
2. Put sausage in pot with ground fennel and brown.
3. Add basil, oregano, and parsley.
4. Stir in onions and garlic, as well as tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste.
5. Let simmer gently about 2-3 hours.
6. Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions, and hang to dry.
7. Beat together eggs, ricotta and parmesan cheese, set aside.
8. Build lasanga:
9. Barely cover bottom of large, deep lasagna pan with sauce.
10. Place a layer of noodles lengthwise over sauce.
11. Place all of spinach over noodles.
12. Cover this with a layer of noodles shortwise.
13. Spread ricotta cheese mixture over noodles, and cover this with a lengthwise layer of noodles.
14. Put one half of remaining sauce over noodles and cover with shortwise noodles.
15. place mozzerella cheese over noodles into a somewhat solid sheet and cover with lengthwise noodles.
16. Pour remaining sauce over top.
17. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly.
18. Grate hard cheese over top as soon as you pull it from the oven.
19. Serve with Italian bread and a salad.