Spinach-Ricotta Pinwheel Lasagna

Submitted by Chris Reynolds

"I found this recipe in USA Weekend."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 8 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• salt and pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded fontinella cheese or 1 cup Fontina cheese

directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Add lasagna noodles to 2 qts of piping hot salted tap water in a 9x13 baking dish. Soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain, stack and halve lengthwise to create 24 strips.
2. Add 5 garlic cloves and 2 tbsp oil to a Dutch oven on medium-high heat until garlic startes to sizzle. Add tomatoes and 1/2 C water (more or less for a sauce that is neither gloppy nor thin). Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.
3. Put basil and remaining 3 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When garlic starts to sizzle, add spinach. Saute until warm, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ricotta and 1/2 C Parmesan.
4. To assemble -- spread 2 C tomato sauce in the 9x13 baking dish. Working 6 noodles at a time, spread a generous 2 tbsp of spinach filling on each lasagna strip. Roll up lengthwise to create a pinwheel shape. Place folded end down in dish. Repeat to make 4 rows of 6 noodles. Drizzle remaining 2 C of sauce over all, sprinkle with fontinella and remaining 1/4 C of Parmesan. Cover with a cooking-spray-coated sheet of aluminum foil.
5. Bake until bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil, and leaving pan on upper-midde rack, broil until golden, 3-5 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let rest 5 minutes. Serve with remaining tomato sauce.