Five Cheese Spinach Lasagna From Scratch

NOTE: If you would like to make everything from scratch, please see each section in the article above

STEP #1 - Spinach Prep / Removing Water

• Short How-To Video-Removing The Water
• Begin with the spinach, we need to remove the water or the lasagna will not be a great texture.

  _Microwave the spinach on high for 3 minutes. Then allow it to cool. Stick in refrigerator

  Place a cloth towel in the middle of a bowl. Add microwaved spinach in the middle and pull each corner of the towel together.
  
• The key is to squeeze / remove 80-90% of the spinach water
  
• Add the prepped spinach to the food processor and pulse a few times to start. Then using a fork, arrange the spinach to help the food processor chop.

  _Add in the ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese, pinch of salt and pepper and combine.

Making Homemade Ricotta Cheese

• Learn how to make your own Ricotta Cheese

STEP #2 Making the Sausage Filling Layer

• Using a sausage you enjoy. I used bratwurst. Remove the sausage from the casing and place it in a clean food processor. Add cottage cheese along with the remaining ricotta cheese.

  If you dislike cottage cheese, the texture will be very different once combined with the sausage. You can in place of the cottage cheese use more ricotta cheese. You can scale back the amount of ricotta cheese added to the spinach/cheese blend, or you could buy more while shopping for the lasagna.

  The recipe can be changed slighting on the amounts of each cheese. Little more, little less...
• The Tomato Sauce
• Visit this post and learn how to make some great Tomato Sauce

  https://butter-n-thyme.com/peak-of-the-season-tomato-sauce-techniques/

  (other tomato sauce recipes on our website, just use the search box at the top of your screen lookup tomato)
• Watch How-to Video on Tomato Sauce - Recipe link in the description

Building The Lasagna

• Layer 1

  Using a casserole dish, begin with a layer of tomato sauce. You do not need to use a lot on this layer. Just enough to cover the base of the casserole dish.
  
• Layer 2

  Next, add a layer of pasta. I often enjoy using store-bought, oven-ready lasagna sheets.

  Fresh will work. My suggestion is once you roll out the fresh pasta, allow it to air dry until it firms up some. Maybe even overnight. (If overnight, lay each pasta sheet flat)
• Layer 3

  - add a layer of the spinach/cheese mix ( use half )
  
• Layer 4

  sprinkle on red pepper flakes(or not if you do not like a little spice) followed by a layer of 6 sliced pieces of swiss cheese (or select a cheese you like)
  
• Layer 5

  Add more pasta sheets & then a layer of the sausage/cheese filling
  
• Layer 6

  Another layer of pasta, then more tomato sauce (be generous with the tomato sauce on this layer)
  
• Layer 7

  More spinach (this layer level make it thicker if you have a lot of spinach still in your bowl.

  The solution before starting for even layers would be to split the amount up into two bowls before you begin splitting them between the two layers.
  
• Layer 8

  Finish the layers in this remain order< more sliced swiss cheese, more pasta sheets (4 sheets on the top layer, more tomato sauce (try to keep some sauce for plating((everyone wants more sauce))),

  Grate some fresh mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the top layer of tomato sauce.

  Also, slice large/thick slices of the mozzarella cheese and place around the top layer. Then finish with sprinkles of parmesan cheese.
  

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil, making sure to secure the top.

  Place on a cookie sheet to make sure there's no mess in the oven.
• Bake for one hour, then remove the cover and raise the oven temperature to 425.

  Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, OR until golden brown and delicious
• WARNING

  If you decide to use your oven broiler to brown the top, it will only take a short few minutes, NOT 15 minutes plus...