Description
This Spinach Artichoke Lasagna is a deliciously creamy and cheesy lasagna layered with a vibrant tomato sauce, sautéed spinach and artichokes, and blended cottage cheese. It features no-boil noodles for convenience and a perfectly baked golden bubbly top with fresh basil garnish, making it an impressive yet easy main dish perfect for a family dinner or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Tomato Sauce
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Spinach Artichoke Mixture
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low fat cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 smallish red onion)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 cup jarred or defrosted frozen artichokes, drained, quartered if necessary
- 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Assembly and Topping
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 2 cups (5 ounces) shredded fontina cheese or low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella
- Garnish: sprinkling of additional chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Prepare Tomato Sauce: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drain excess juice from the diced tomatoes using a fine colander or mesh sieve. Transfer the drained tomatoes to a food processor bowl. Add fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse about 10 times until the tomatoes reach a smooth, spreadable consistency. Set the sauce aside in a bowl; you should have approximately 2 cups.
- Blend Cottage Cheese: Rinse the food processor. Pour half the cottage cheese (1 cup) into it. Blend for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Transfer this to a large mixing bowl. Leave the food processor bowl in place for later use.
- Sauté Aromatics and Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped red onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until translucent and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook Artichokes and Spinach: Stir in the artichokes, then add spinach in batches, cooking and stirring frequently until fully wilted. Continue cooking for about 12 minutes until most moisture evaporates and the spinach significantly reduces in volume.
- Process Spinach Artichoke Mixture: Transfer the cooked spinach and artichokes to the food processor and pulse 12-15 times until finely chopped but not puréed. Add this mixture to the bowl with the blended cottage cheese. Add the remaining cottage cheese and mix well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Layer three lasagna noodles on top, overlapping as needed. Spread half of the spinach mixture evenly over the noodles, then add ½ cup tomato sauce, followed by ½ cup shredded cheese. Repeat with three noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and ½ cup shredded cheese—skip the tomato sauce in this middle layer. Top with remaining three noodles, spread the remaining tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Bake Lasagna: Cover the lasagna with parchment paper or foil, making sure the foil does not touch the cheese. Bake covered for 18 minutes. Remove cover, rotate pan 180 degrees, and bake uncovered for an additional 12 minutes until the top is spotty brown and bubbly.
- Finishing Touches: Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes to set. Garnish with additional chopped fresh basil before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Draining the canned tomatoes well before making the sauce is crucial to prevent a watery lasagna.
- Blending half the cottage cheese makes it creamy without losing texture.
- Cooking the spinach mixture thoroughly helps evaporate excess moisture for a less soggy lasagna.
- Use no-boil noodles for a convenient assembly and perfect texture after baking.
- Letting the lasagna rest post-baking helps it set and slice cleanly.
