Lasagna is a delicious one pot baked meal. It is versatile and you can use your creativity to make it interesting. It is so simple, easy and quick to assemble and bake. You can bring your leftovers to good use by converting it into lasagna. If you have small portions of meat, vegetables, sauces and cheese lying in your fridge then just combine and arrange them in layers with lasagna sheets and you can have a hot piping meal in a short time.
Leftover lasagna freezes well. If you are too tired and not in the mood to cook you can just re-heat and you will have a lovely meal in minutes. Lasagna is wonderful as a main dish at a pot luck meal, wonderful to serve a large crowd and even better to serve your family a fulfilling meal on weekends when you want to spend quality time with your loved ones. It is ideal for working people, bachelors and a satisfying meal or as a snack for children when they return hungry from school or college. It is a real relief for working mothers as you do not need much effort to put a meal together.
Spinach and mushroom taste amazing in lasagna. Well, these two veggies are among our favorites. Believe me, the lasagna turned out fabulous as always and there were no leftovers! If you are planning to make this mouth watering spinach & mushroom lasagna this week end, then please bake an extra casserole to avoid disappointment. You may not have any leftovers!! Enjoy… 😀
Ingredients :
- 6-8 Lasagna Pasta Sheets
- 1 bunch Spinach (picked, washed,drained)
- 12 Button Mushrooms (sliced)
- 4 cloves Garlic (peeled & minced)
- ¾ cup grated Mozarella + Cheddar or Pizza Cheese
- 1 ½ cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 cup thin Bechamel Sauce/White Sauce
- 1 cup sliced Onions
- 1 tsp. dried Italian herbs of your choice or a mix
- Black or White Pepper powder to taste
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
Procedure :
Cook the lasagna pasta sheets according to the packet instructions and set aside.
Heat oil in a wide pan, lightly sauté minced garlic for a few seconds.
Add the sliced onions, sauté until the onions are soft.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté till the mushrooms are lightly cooked.
Add the chopped spinach and cook till the spinach is wilted.
Add some salt and let the mixture cook till the moisture in the vegetables has almost dried up.
Switch off the heat and mix dried herbs.
It is time to assemble your spinach and mushroom lasagna…
Brush some oil in the glass baking casserole.
Spread enough tomato sauce on the base of the dish so as to coat evenly.
Then spoon some white sauce over the tomato sauce.
Arrange a layer of cooked lasagna pasta sheets over the sauce. It does not matter if the sheets overlap but there should be no gaps. Make sure the sheets cover the entire casserole.
Spread the spinach – mushroom mixture evenly on the sheets.
Then spread over some tomato sauce & white sauce in a thin layer.
Sprinkle some grated mozzarella- cheddar cheese mixture.
Repeat layering by arranging lasagna sheets, sauce, cheese in this order. Finish off with lasagna sheets. Top with remaining sauces and grated cheese. Sprinkle with dried herbs & pepper powder.
Cover the assembled lasagna with foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 30 mins. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 20 mins. or till the cheese is lightly brown and bubbling. You will see that the edges will start to curl away slightly from the sides of the casserole.
Remove the casserole with the prepared lasagna from the oven when done and allow it to rest before slicing into serving portions. Serve hot.
Leftovers if any, may be refrigerated and can last for a week. Make sure it is well covered with a lid or cling film. Bring to room temperature, re-heat and then serve.
Tips & Suggestions :
- The number of lasagna sheets to be used depends upon the size of your casserole.
- Feel free to use your favorite cheese or any combination.
- Puneites can buy imported cheese from Dorabjee super market or from custom notified shops.
- ABC Farms manufacture all types of cheese and have outlets in Pune.
- You may use fresh herbs or dried herbs. Herbs are easily available in Pune.
- Try and use fresh ingredients to bring out a good flavor in the final preparation.
- You can use store bought marinara sauce, tomato sauce/puree/paste or make your own.
- Bechamel Sauce/White Sauce is optional. Click here to make your own.
- Always keep a box of lasagna sheets and a batch of sauces handy so that you can prepare lasagna at a short notice.
- You can use various combination of vegetables to make it unique and special. Try and use seasonal vegetables. In this case, fresh spinach is better than frozen or canned.
- To retain & keep the layers intact, allow the lasagna to rest awhile before slicing into portions.
