Spinach & Sausage Lasagna with a Zesty Secret

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I was recently reminiscing about a pizza that I used to order from a little wood-fired place. The kind of place with whipped ricotta and house-made pesto and unique combos. My go-to order was a pepperoni pizza with lemon zest tucked under the cheese.

It’s bright, unexpected, and unforgettable.This beautiful pizza-memory came rushing back to me while I was making lasagna the other day, and I thought… why not? A little zest in the ricotta. Turns out it's bright, unexpected, and unforgettable too.

Lasagna is a labor of love, no doubt. My kitchen is small and gets quickly overtaken - steam fogging the windows, a baking sheet hogging valuable counter space, onion peels everywhere. It’s chaos. The noodles inevitably stick or tear. The ricotta dollops too heavy on one side of the pan and the sauce spills over the edge or splatters your shirt. But somehow, once it’s layered and baked and bubbling, it all comes together beautifully.

It’s messy. Then it’s magic.
(…Are we still talking about lasagna?)

What You'll Need

1 box lasagna noodles
1-20 ounce jar marinara (I used Rao's)
3 links italian sausage
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
16 ounce part-skim ricotta
1 egg
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
2 big handfuls fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest only

What You'll Do

Boil the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, then drain and lay out on a foil lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup!) drizzled with olive oil so they don't stick. 

Sauté: In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion for 3-4 minutes until softened, then add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove Italian sausage from casings and add to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and fully cooked. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Wilt the spinach: Add the chopped spinach to the pan and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Make the ricotta mixture: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, black pepper to taste, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, lemon zest, and sautéed spinach. Mix until well combined.

Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara. Layer noodles, then ricotta mixture, cooked sausage, a sprinkle of mozzarella, and a layer of marinara. Repeat the layers, finishing with noodles, remaining marinara, mozzarella, and the rest of the parmesan.

Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top. Let it rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

*Of our family of four we only have 3 lasagna eaters, so once it's cool, I like to cut it into 4 or so big sections, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to freeze and thaw sections as needed!

If you make ANY of the dishes we’ve shared here in past emails I’d love to see it!

Cheers!

Alli

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