Beef and Spinach Lasagna and Giveaway Winner

When I was growing up, Lasagna wasn't popular yet in the Philippines (or maybe just in our province). It was only in college when I first tried it, and I have loved it since then. I love it so much that it didn't take long before I started making it myself even though all I had in the boarding house was an oven toaster. I guess it's the layers of goodness in lasagna that makes me so into it!

Since then until now, lasagna has been one of my favorite pasta dishes. Thu hubs as well as Clarise and Cherlin love it too, so I often make it. I have long been wanting to post my Beef and Spinach Lasagna recipe, but I always don't get the chance to take pictures of it. My lasagna doesn't last long and before I could take a photo, it's all gone! But last week, I was lucky enough to do it! I was able to cook earlier than usual so I had time to take pictures just before dinner time.

So here it is...my Beef and Spinach Lasagna that's always a big hit! I included the procedure on how to make lasagna roll ups in case you want to roll lasagna noodles into individual servings.  Check it out...

Ingredients:
*Makes 4-layer lasagna in a 13"x9" rectangular dish

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 - 26 oz. can Hunt's Garlic & Herb spaghetti sauce
• 1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp ground dried basil
• 1 tsp ground dried oregano
• 1 bundle fresh spinach, trimmed and washed
• 1 egg, beaten 
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 12 lasagna noodles
• salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Blanch spinach for 30 seconds in a pot of boiling water. Remove the spinach from the pot with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain well, squeezing and using paper towels to get out as much moisture as possible. Chop and set aside. 

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook beef in ¼ cup water until water has evaporated. Drain any oil from beef. Push beef into one side of the pan. Add olive oil and saute garlic until light brown. Add onion. Mix with beef and garlic and saute until onion becomes translucent. 

3. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain well then lay out on waxed paper to prevent from sticking. 

5. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, egg, milk, ricotta, Parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella cheese until well combined. 

6. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
If making layered lasagna:
Spread ¼ of the meat sauce into a greased 13"x9"x2" baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread another quarter of the sauce on top of the noodles. Top with 1/3 of the spinach and cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. 

If making lasagna roll ups: 

Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a greased 13"x9"x2" baking dish. Using a spatula, spread about 1/3 cup of the spinach and cheese mixture over each lasagna sheet and then top with about 1/3 cup of meat sauce, leaving about ½" of each end uncovered. Roll up each sheet tightly and place it seam-side-down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the lasagna rolls and sprinkle with remaining mozarella cheese.

7. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

And the lucky winner of PiTCC's 1st Anniversary Giveaway is:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

...Barbara of Spanish4Kiddos! Congratulations Barbara...and thanks to everyone who joined! I really appreciate it!