I think in my past life I was Italian. Either that, or Italian mothers figured out way before the rest of us how to get a good dinner on the table and still attend all their kids' soccer practices and games. Because seriously, every time I think about a cook-ahead meal that can make everyone happy and be ready for us when we walk through the door, there's a marinara sauce involved. Here's a favorite example: Spinach Lasagna. This recipe is from my mom and grandmother, who have been making it for as long as I can remember. It's incredibly easy because you don't have to precook the lasagna noodles.
Spinach Lasagna
10 oz frozen cooked spinach, thawed and drained (put some muscle into wringing that baby dry - no one wants soggy spinach)
15 0z ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked (Note: I made this for a long time using whole wheat lasagna noodles, because I really do like whole wheat pasta. But, I have to admit it's better with regular lasagna noodles, and I've gone back to using those. The regular noodles soak up the liquids better and you have a firmer lasagna, which we like. Also, for my husband - a man who likes his meat red and his bread white - the whole wheat noodles combined with the spinach and no meat made it too much like health food and not enough like good food for him)
26 oz jar marinara sauce (Not to be too Jessica Seinfeld-ish, but I have found that if you blend a jar of marinara sauce with a can of drained cooked carrots, you don't change the flavor at all but you get one more veggie in the dish. Luckily DH doesn't read this blog, or else he'd be all squeamish about this recipe being too healthy again).
11x7 casserole/lasagna pan. The size is important because it fits the noodles perfectly and the liquid-to-noodles proportions are just right. If you don't have one this size, pick one up at Target. It's a brilliantly useful size for all kinds of casseroles.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix ricotta with 1 cup mozzarella, egg, spinach, water, and seasonings (mix well so that the spinach is evenly distributed and not clumpy). In an 11x7 casserole pan layer 1/2 cup marinara sauce, then 3 noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat: 1/2 cup sauce, 3 noodles, and remainder of cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and the last cup of mozzarella. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for one hour. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Happy eating!
