Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Okay, quick poll: Who loves lasagna?? *Raises hand* Great. Now that we've gotten THAT out of the way, we can move on to today's recipe! Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods, don't you agree? Ooey, gooey, cheesy, and indulgent. Mmm.

This recipe offers a delicious, meatless twist on lasagna that's so tasty and FILLED with good (and good for you!) ingredients like spinach, mushrooms, tons of cheese, and an absolutely wonderful homemade creamy mushroom sauce!

I actually made this a few days ago and ran out of good daylight for photos, so I apologize in advance. Funnily enough, a friend of mine called me as soon as I took the last photograph, so I invited him to come over for a plate, which he scarfed down in no time (compliments to the chef?)

I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Damn Delicious, and divided it in half because there's no way I could finish a standard 9x13 lasagna by myself! However,  I'll provide the original recipe for you guys.  Also, though this is a meatless recipe, it could easily accommodate whatever meat you'd like to add--some Italian sausage, chicken, ground turkey...

Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 (15-ounce) package whole milk ricotta
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, dived
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk, at room temperature (I used a combination of almond milk and heavy cream)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and nutmeg until fragrant, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup mushroom sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat with a second layer. Top with remaining noodles, mushroom sauce and cheeses.

Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbling. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until top is browned in spots. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Nutrition Facts-- Servings: 12 • Size: 1/12 of lasagna • Calories: 357 • Fat: 18.3 g • Carbs: 27.8 g • Fiber: 2.7 g • Protein: 21.4 g • Sugars: 6 g