PASTA & SPINACH PINE NUT RICOTTA LASAGNE
This recipe has been adapted from ‘Delia on line’. You could replace the Spinach and pine nuts Ricotta with other toppings of your choice. Low fat ingredients can be used as an alternative to full fat.
Sauce:
1½ pints (850ml) milk
2 oz (50g) plain flour
2 oz (50g) butter
1 bay leaf
2½ oz (60g) Parmesan cheese
Salt and Freshly milled black pepper
Lasagne:
1 1b 5oz (600g) Young leaf spinach
8oz (225g) Ricotta cheese
2 oz pine nuts
12 fresh Lasagne sheets
Knob of butter
7 oz (200g) Forgonzola, shropshire blue of cashel blue cheese (crumbled)
7 oz (200g) coarsely grated Mozzarella cheese
Preparation:
Place the butter; milk, flour and bay leaf into a pan
Over medium heat continue to whisk until sauce has thickened
Turn the sauce down to lowest simmering point and gently cook for 5 minutes
Now stir in 2 oz (50g) of Parmesan
Remove it from the heat then take out the bay leaf
Place cling film over the sauce to stop it producing a skin
Turning your attention to the spinach, take off the stalks and wash the spinach thoroughly
In the pan add the knob of butter and spinach leaves with added salt if required
Cook the spinach for approximately 2 minutes turning the leaves until tender
Remove the spinach taking squeezing out any excess water
Finally chop the spinach, place in a bowl and add the Ricotta cheese with approximately 5 fl oz (150 ml) of the sauce
Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg
Mix together all the ingredients then add in the Gorgonzola
Place the pine nuts in a small frying pan, tossing frequently so that they don’t burn
Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a quarter of the sauce into the bottom of the dish with a third of the spinach mixture
Add a few pine nuts then add the pasta so that it fits the dish
Repeat the process this time adding a third of the grated mozzarella and pine nuts
Repeat again, finishing with a layer of pasta, the rest of the sauce and the remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella.
Place the Lasagne on the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven, mark 4, 350°F (180°C)
bake for 50-60 minutes
Remove from the oven
Let it settle for 10 minutes before serving
Sounds delicious!!
It is delicious!
Wow! It’s a great recipe.
You could perhaps replace the Ricotta with minced beef or minced soya if you’re a vegetarian or fancy a really healthy option.
Totally agree. Very good ideas.
Do you have any favourite Autumn recipes for us?
Most definitely… watch this space.