Spinach, Ricotta & Ground Beef Lasagna - A Step-by-Step Guide

One of the most perfect comfort foods in the world is a nice homemade lasagna.  If you don't like lasagna well then you may as well just bring your lasagna hater mouse right on up to the 'x' on your screen right now because this is a special post... for special people... with special step-by-step pictures.. strictly for lasagna lovers only.

How to make the perfect lasagna:

You will need:

6 fresh lasagna sheets (2 per layer)
4 cups of smooth ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 small pack of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and strained to remove excess water)
2 lbs extra lean ground beef
7-8 cups of tomato sauce (plus extra for plating) *refer to previous recipes*
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
3 heaping cups of grated mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan 

Salt and Pepper
EVOO

Preheat oven to 375.

In a pan, heat up some EVOO and cook your onions until they are transparent (a couple minutes), add in your ground beef and cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a spatula as it cooks.  Once all the meat has browned it is done.  Add in 2 tablespoons of your tomato sauce and some salt and pepper and then set mixture aside.

In a bowl, mix together your strained spinach, your eggs and your ricotta cheese.  Add some salt and pepper and set aside.

In a proper lasagna baking pan, put a generous layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan and then top with your first layer of lasagna sheets.  Add some more tomato sauce and then evenly distribute your ground beef (*note* you can't go wrong by adding more tomato sauce as you go along - there is no such thing as too much for this recipe).  Add another layer of lasagna sheets on top of the beef, add more tomato sauce (obvi) and then add your spinach and ricotta layer (*note* always put the meat on the bottom layer since it is heavier than the cheese layers).  Add another layer of lasagna sheets - and more tomato sauce.  Top the whole thing with your grated mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 minutes.  Broil for 2 minutes after baking to let the cheese bubble and slightly brown (don't burn!). Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cut it into individual portions, serve & enjoy!

Tip: You can make the lasagna ahead of time and right before you are ready to eat it you can finish the final bake and broil steps.  It's also a great recipe to make extra to freeze and store!

xo Chef Natty