mom's spinach lasagna

Oh, this lasagna.

This lasagna is easy, tasty, inexpensive. It is easily doubled and I often make two at once - one to eat immediately and one to stash in the freezer for some future lazy day. It's my go-to dish to bring to cold-weather potlucks, new parents, anyone who needs a little food-pick-me-up. It freezes well and reheats beautifully. I've been meaning to blog this recipe for ages but somehow hadn't gotten around to it...I was reminded to when I made it for a friend (and also our freezer) and also gave the recipe to another friend to make ahead for her freezer to prep for a new baby. I got the recipe from my mother, which is why I consider it my mother's spinach lasagna. But, she got from someone else, who likely clipped it from a magazine some 20-odd years ago or more. (Basically, I have no idea where this recipe originated.) And...apologies, but I have no photo of the finished product. Use your imagination, it looks much like any other lasagna.

mom's spinach lasagna

1 15 oz. container of ricotta
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 egg
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
32 oz. pasta sauce
9 lasagna noodles
just under 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, spinach, salt, oregano, and half the mozzarella.

In a 13x9 baking dish, layer 1/4 of the sauce, followed by 3 lasagna noodles and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat. Top with 1/4 of the sauce, 3 more lasagna noodles, the remaining sauce and finally the remaining shredded mozzarella. (Got that? From the bottom - sauce, noodles, ricotta, sauce, noodles, ricotta, sauce, noodles, sauce, mozzarella.)

Finally, pour the water carefully around the edge of the pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until bubbly.

Mixing the ricotta mixture.