Description
This Spinach Artichoke Lasagna is a wholesome and delicious vegetarian dish featuring layers of tender no-boil noodles, creamy cottage cheese mixture, sautéed spinach and artichokes, and a flavorful homemade tomato basil sauce. Baked to perfection with melted fontina cheese on top, it’s a comforting meal perfect for family dinners or entertaining guests, and it tastes even better the next day.
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
Cottage Cheese Mixture
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low fat cottage cheese
Sautéed Vegetables
- 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
- 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 oven to 425°F. Drain the diced tomatoes in a mesh sieve to remove excess juice. Transfer tomatoes to a food processor bowl; add basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse about 10 times until a spreadable sauce forms. Set aside in a bowl.
- Blend Cottage Cheese: Rinse the food processor bowl. Blend half the cottage cheese (1 cup) until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl; keep the processor bowl for later use.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped red onion and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook stirring often for 4-5 minutes until tender and translucent. Add garlic and cook while stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook Spinach and Artichokes: Add artichokes and a handful of spinach to the skillet. Stir and toss frequently until spinach wilts, repeating with remaining spinach. Continue cooking for about 12 minutes, stirring often, until spinach volume is greatly reduced and little moisture remains.
- Process Vegetable Mixture: Transfer skillet contents to the food processor bowl. Pulse 12 to 15 times until finely chopped but not puréed. Combine with the whipped cottage cheese in the large bowl. Add remaining cottage cheese, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce, overlapping edges. Spread half the spinach mixture over noodles. Top with ½ cup tomato sauce and sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Second Layer: Add 3 more noodles, top with remaining spinach mixture, and sprinkle with ½ cup shredded cheese. No tomato sauce on this layer.
- Top Layer and Final Cover: Place final 3 noodles on top. Spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over noodles, then sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Bake: Cover lasagna with parchment paper or loosely with foil (avoid foil touching cheese). Bake for 18 minutes. Remove cover, rotate pan 180 degrees, and bake for another 12 minutes until cheese is spotty brown and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Remove lasagna from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with additional fresh chopped basil. Slice and serve.
Notes
- This healthy vegetarian lasagna features fresh spinach and jarred artichokes combined with a simple homemade tomato sauce for rich flavor.
- Using no-boil lasagna noodles simplifies assembly and cooking.
- The dish can be prepared ahead and tastes even better the next day.
- Yields one 9-inch square lasagna, serving 8 to 9 people.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 8 servings)
- Calories: 384 kcal
- Sugar: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 758 mg
- Fat: 18.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 7.5 g
- Protein: 20.8 g
- Cholesterol: 38.1 mg
