Healthy Beef Lasagna With Spinach and Basil

Ready for the best lasagne you've ever made? This beef, spinach and ricotta lasagne needs no white sauce, tastes delicious and is jam-packed with veggies, what's not to love about it? Creamy, hearty and so yummy, the whole family will enjoy it. It comes with a warning: expect sauce and cheese on chins- this isn't a meal to eat in your Sunday best!

Why you're going to love this recipe

When it comes to weeknight meals, my love for lasagne is completely founded. You can make this Beef, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne during the day and then finish it off at dinner, you can make it all in one hit, or you can make it and freeze it - it's the ultimate in family friendly dinners.

• kids love pasta, and this lasagne is the ultimate pasta recipe
• no stirring of bechamel, meaning you've got more time at dinner!
• sometimes the ugliest food tastes best
• fork only food
• extra hidden veggies, serve it with veggies as well!
• freezer friendly
• 3 cheese, mozzarella, paremesan and ricotta
• expect sauce and cheese on chins and fingers sneakily wiping the plate clean

What goes into the recipe

don't forget to scroll to the recipe card for amounts and full method

• beef mince- I use 5 star. It is the best quality mince you can buy and is ideal for a dish like this one, because you don't need any extra fat! Mince is such a family friendly ingredient, we use it all the time, like in these teriyaki meatballs, or in this beef mince curry.
• chopped tomatoes- I use the finely chopped tomatoes from Mutti, they are our favourite.
• dried pasta sheets- feel free to swap for fresh, it doesn't change the cook time. I like these Barilla ones, they are much cheaper than fresh sheets and are always in th pantry, ready to go!

• ricotta cheese- there are 3 cheeses in this lasagne and they all serve a purpose. The ricotta helps to helps white sauce, and when combined with the parmesan, it makes a really delicious creamy layer. If you have leftover ricotta, these tarts are awesome!
• frozen spinach- sure, you can use fresh, but to be honest, this is the quickest way to make this lasagne.

• mozzarella cheese- for stretchability, brownability and stringy bits of cheese that end up on chins!
• parmesan cheese- for extra flavour and deliciousness

How to make this recipe

• Chop the onion. (Image 1)
• Grate the zucchini.(Image 2)
• Fry the onion and garlic until soft and starting to turn golden. (Image 3)
• Add the mince and brown. (Image 4)

• Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, grated zucchini and basil. (Image 5)
• allow this to cook while you get the spinach and ricotta layer ready! (Image 6)
• Combine the ricotta, defrosted frozen soinach and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. (Image 7)
• Mix well. (Image 8)

• Put a ladle full of sauce on the bottom of your dish. Smear it around (this helps the lasagne to not stick to the bottom on the opan and also allows the bottom sheets to cook well). Top with a layer of lasagne sheets. (Image 9)
• Top the lasagne sheets with half of the meat (Image 10)
• then cover with lasagne sheets. (image 11)
• Top with half of the spinach ricotta mix, then cover with lasagne sheets. (Image 12)

• Continue layering, finishing with a spinach and ricotta layer.Mix together the parmesan and mozzarella. Sprinkle all over the top of the lasagne. (Image 13)
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. (Image 14)

Cover

Expert Tips and FAQs

This lasagne is super simple to make, if you need extra help, have a look at the video!

What type of beef mince should I use?

I use 5 star mince, which is the highest quality available. If you use a lesser quality mince, your lasagne may end up oily.

Do I need to strain ricotta for lasagne?

No! The spinach and parmesan cheese need the moisture from the ricotta to stay in it, so that it remains moist and delicious.

How can I cut the perfect lasagne slice?

The perfect way to serve lasagne in restaurant quality (non collapsed) slices is to leave the lasagne to rest after coming out from the oven. I know, it's hard, especially when it smells this good, but it makes a big difference to how it looks on the plate!

Why do we cover lasagne with foil when baking?

If you don't cover the lasagne, it will end up dry! The foil helps to retain the moisture in the dish, ensuring it cooks evenly. We take the foil off to brown the top.

Can I assemble the lasagne in advance?

Yes, in fact doing this up to two days before is fine, so long as you keep it in the fridge until baking. This is a great way to prep dinner in advance for busy evening.

Can I freeze lasagne?

Yes! Either fully assembled and unbaked, or baked, in a dish, or even in slices. I often freeze slices of it for busy evenings, or for when I want a quick dinner for the kids.

More pasta dinners?

• One pot mexican chicken pasta

• One pot sausage and veggie pasta

• One Pot Healthy Turkey Bolognese, instant pot, slow cooker, stove

• Roasted veggie and bacon pasta bake

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Meat sauce

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion finely diced
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 750 grams beef mince
• ▢ 1 zucchini grated
• ▢ 400 mls passata
• ▢ 400 grams diced tomatoes
• ▢ ½ cup basil torn leaves
• ▢ 2 packs lasagne sheets

Spinach and ricotta layer

• ▢ 500 grams ricotta
• ▢ 250 grams spinach I used frozen
• ▢ ½ cup grated parmesan

Topping

• ▢ 1 cup grated mozzarella
• ▢ ½ cup grated parmesan

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

• In a pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions and garlic.

• Cook until the onion is soft.

• Add the beef mince and brown.

• Add the zucchini, passata, diced tomatoes and basil.

• Allow this to cook while you get the spinach and ricotta layer ready.

• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, and grated parmesan.

• Mix well to combine.

• Layer time! Place 2 tbsps of the mince mix on the bottom of your dish (this helps with removing it from the pan!)

• Top with as many lasagne sheets as you need to cover the bottom.

• Add half the hot mince mix.

• Top with lasagne sheets.

• Add half the ricotta and spinach mix and spread well.

• Top with lasagne sheets.

• Add the remaining mince.

• Top with lasagne sheets.

• Add the remaining ricotta and spinach mix and spread well.

• Top with mozzarella and grated parmesan.

• Cover your dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

• Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more.

To freeze, chop into slices and freeze flat on a tray.

If you have any extra meaty sauce leftover, use it on pasta or add some mozzarella and make toasted sandwiches!

Serving: 1 slice | Sodium: 235 mg | Sugar: 6 g | Fiber: 3 g | Cholesterol: 166 mg | Calories: 627 kcal | Trans Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g | Fat: 38 g | Protein: 52 g | Carbohydrates: 19 g

This post was originally published in June 2019, and was fully republished on 12/8/2021 to contain new photos, process shots and video.

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Source: https://kidgredients.com.au/beef-spinach-and-ricotta-lasagne/