Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Recipe

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Boil a kettle of water (an electric kettle works great here).

In the meantime, heat a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. After adding the artichoke hearts and olive oil, cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the artichoke hearts break up, get sticky, and begin to brown around the edges. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and stir for two to three minutes, until the spinach has wilted a lot. You don’t need to wash the saucepan before putting the food in a big bowl.

To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter over medium-low heat in a pot. Along with the flour, whisk the mixture while cooking for one to two minutes, or until it is smooth. Slowly add the half-and-half while mixing all the time. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat while whisking all the time. Immediately lower the heat and keep simmering, whisking every now and then, for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to the consistency of gravy. Add a lot of salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Put half of the béchamel into the bowl with the artichokes. Mix everything together, then let it cool for about 15 minutes. While the mixture cools, put the lasagna noodles in a big dish or pan with high sides. Pour hot water over the noodles and let them soak for about 15 minutes, until they are softened but not soggy. Add the egg, cottage cheese, and Parmesan to the artichoke mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and then stir everything together.

Place the lasagna in a baking dish or pan that is 8 inches square. Cover the bottom with enough béchamel to make a thin layer. Lay out one layer of lasagna noodles, about three noodles. Let the ends of the noodles rise up around the pan’s edges. Cover half of the noodles with the artichoke filling.

Place another layer of lasagna noodles in the pan and press the ends of the noodles against the pan’s edges once more. Lay out half of the béchamel sauce on top of the noodles. Once more, use the rest of the lasagna noodles, artichoke filling, and béchamel to make more layers. End with the béchamel. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top in a thin layer. (If you’re not going to bake the lasagna right away, you can cover it and put it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.)

It should be baked for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and crispy and the sauce is bubbling around the sides (especially in the corners of the pan). (Add more time if you bake straight from the fridge.) Before cutting, let it cool for at least 30 minutes so that the slices don’t fall apart when you move them to plates.