Goat Cheese Spring Lasagna

I’m not trying to be dramatic, but I cried when I took a bite of this…it was that good. I’ve never been team veggie lasagna but that has now changed. I love all things creamy spinach, so I set out to replicate that and added peas on a whim; they ended up being the star of the show. This dish is somehow decadent, yet fresh. It’s perfect for that time of year when you want it to be spring, but you still need a winter jacket.

Serves 6.

·      ½ cup heavy cream

·      2 tablespoons olive oil

·      1 yellow onion- diced

·      2 cloves garlic- chopped

·      1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

·      ½ cup fresh basil

·      ½ cup fresh mint

·      10 ounces frozen spinach- defrosted

·      8 ounces frozen peas

·      ½ cup heavy cream

·      16 ounces whole milk ricotta

·      4 ounces goat cheese

·      4 ounces grated parmesan

·      1 lb lasagna noodles

·      4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

·      Salt

·      1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.     Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook an additional minute. Set aside to cool.

3.     In a mixing bowl set goat cheese aside to soften.

4.     Using paper towels squeeze defrosted spinach to remove all excess water. Add cooked onion mixture, spinach, peas, basil, and mint to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine, while slowly adding cream. Process until smooth.

5.     To the mixing bowl with goat cheese add ricotta, parmesan, egg, and black pepper. Stir until well combined.

6.     Fill a large bowl with 4 cups of boiling water. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and lasagna noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 15 minutes. Drain.

7.     In a 9 by 12 inch casserole dish spread ¼ inch layer of the cheese mixture. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, followed by 1/3 of the spinach mixture. Repeat each layer twice.

8.     Using your hands, crumble the mozzarella over the spinach layer. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.

9.     Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.