Skinny Spinach Lasagna Recipe

My family loved this spinach lasagna recipe I made last night for dinner. Preparation was so quick and easy and takes less than an hour to cook in the oven. I love dinners with minimal prep that I can throw in the oven and do something else. Yesterday I made it after the girls napped, then let my husband take it out of the oven while we had a short play date with a friend and her two boys. It's so nice to get out of the house late in the afternoon and before dinner. It was a rainy day so the park and a walk weren't options. It was also nice to have some girl time.

Skinny Spinach Lasagna

(serves 12)

via 

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

6 ounces fresh spinach

2 lbs. ricotta cheese (I used 1 lb. whole milk and 1 lb. nonfat)

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 24 ounce jar of spaghetti or marinara sauce 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme; saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach; saute until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, salt, and nutmeg. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Transfer some of the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up some of the spinach pieces (totally optional, but makes for a really nice texture).
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a little bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the spinach mixture, ¼ of the tomato sauce, and ¼ of the cheese. Repeat and pour ½ cup water over the two layers. Repeat once more, ending with noodles, sauce, and cheese. Pour ½ cup water over the whole thing again and cover tightly with oiled foil.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes; when the liquid is bubbling and the noodles have softened, remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving so that the lasagna noodles can soak up all the extra moisture.

The water really helped with the consistency of this dish. It was delicious. Next time I will add in another vegetable and maybe a little less ricotta (it was a little too much for my liking). And, I love that this dish is not loaded with fat and calories as other lasagnas usually are. Enjoy!