Sunday's Supper

No soup today, but what I do have to share, YOU MUST MAKE!!!! It's beyond good!
I am trying to incorporate into my diet as many vegetables as I possibly can that contain vitamins that are good for my eyes, like carrots, sweet potatoes, any yellow or orange squash and lots of deep green leafy vegetables. Now you know how much I enjoy Design Sponge and I especially love reading the recipes they showcase, so when I came across this lasagna recipe, I couldn't wait to give it a try.

Doesn't it look good??? Well, it really is!.
The recipe is from a brand new cookbook The Yellow Table, A Celebration of Everyday Gatherings. Love the title. Design Sponge has featured 2 of her recipes in the past, sadly neither of which I've tried, but I will now. One of the things that drew me to this recipe is the vegetable packed sauce.

There are carrots, celery, onions, fresh basil and tomatoes. I added mushrooms and thought they made a nice addition. The ricotta is mixed with 8 cups of freshly sauteed spinach. So you can see, this recipe covers just about all the  vegetables that I'm looking for. You can find the original recipe here on the Design Sponge blog. As per usual, I did make a few changes, nothing earth shaking, but those will be highlighted in red.

Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 pound lean ground turkey (I used fresh chicken sausage and a full pound)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground  black pepper
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (I used 2 large carrots)
2 ribs celery, diced (3 ribs of celery)
1 small onion, diced (1 large onion)
8 oz. small portobello mushrooms, sliced, sauteed with vegetables4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juices(and 1 small can of tomato sauce)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I omitted the vinegar)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
8 packed cups baby spinach
8 ounces fresh ricotta (15 oz. of ricotta) 
8-10 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, added to the sauce

In a heavy-bottomed, large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it’s browned and no more pink remains, 6-7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the turkey to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; do not clean the pot.

Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pot and place over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes with your hand (or a wooden spoon) and add them, along with the juices, to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and sugar then taste the sauce, and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the turkey and ¼ cup of the basil. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add about 4 cups of the spinach and sauté, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper then use tongs to transfer the spinach to a colander to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining 4 cups spinach. Let cool slightly.

Transfer the wilted spinach to a medium bowl, add the ricotta and the remaining ¼ cup basil and stir to combine. (I also added garlic powder to the mixture) Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the mozzarella and Parmesan and set aside.

Spread a thin layer of turkey-tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch ceramic or glass casserole dish. Arrange 1 layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce (it’s OK if they overlap a bit). Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded cheese mixture. Spoon half of the sauce over the cheese. Repeat the layers — noodles, ricotta, cheese, and sauce — then top with the remaining cheese. (If you prefer to make 3 layers instead of 2, just create thinner layers and add an extra layer of noodles.) Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. If you want, broil the lasagna for 30 seconds to make the top a little bit crispy!

This recipe would work well as a vegetarian lasagna, just omit the meat.

I have not served the lasagna yet, but just to prove that I have taken a bite ;), here's a picture showing a hole of missing lasagna!!!

Based on this recipe, this might be a cookbook that I need to add to my library. If you love lasagna and you love vegetables, you'll love this version!!!