Creamy spinach and ricotta lasagne

If you are a lover of creamy Italian dinner dishes but would rather not include the meat, then this recipe is for you. This iron-packed dish is the best option for vegetarians or anyone looking to enjoy pasta without that heavy, meaty taste. The mix of parmesan and ricotta cheese in this tasty meal will have everyone running back for seconds! This classic dish – with a bit of a twist – is the best to serve up to the whole family. Yum!

Ingredients

• 70g unsalted butter
• 50g plain flour
• 800ml milk
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 800g spinach
• 200g ricotta cheese
• 1 whole nutmeg , for grating
• 300g fresh lasagne sheets
• 100g parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Melt 50g of butter in pan.
2. Whisk in flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Continue to stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Discard stems from spinach. Wilt in covered pan with the remaining 20g of butter. Drain once completely wilted. Cool. Squeeze of liquid.
4. Chop spinach. Add to bowl. Stir in ricotta. Pour in a ladleful of the white sauce. Grate nutmeg. Season.
5. In baking dish, layer lasagne sheet, white sauce, spinach mixture and grating of parmesan. Finish with final layer of lasagne sheet. Add more parmesan to top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and lightly bubbly. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Serve.