This recipe is based upon a stuffed manicotti recipe in Sunset Magazine’s December 1991 issue. I’ve made the stuffed manicotti many times, but it’s time consuming. I was looking for something more simple using the feta I love. This lasagna turned out surprisingly well. It’s a hit! Take note that I eyeballed every bit of this, I didn’t  measure anything. Feel free to do the same. One thing that I tried to keep in mind was that I didn’t want runny lasagna, so I was careful about the amount of liquid used. Another thing to keep in mind is that the spinach cooks down so the dish is a little more compact than the thick slices of hearty lasagna I usually make.

Spinach Feta Lasagna, Eggplant au Gratin, and garlic bread.

Spinach Feta Lasagna

1/2 lb. dried lasagna noodles

24 oz. tomato pasta sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion

1 bell pepper

3/4 cup (about 5 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup (1/2 lb.) ricotta cheese

1/3 lb. chopped fresh spinach leaves

Ground pepper

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook eleven lasagna noodles (about 1/2 lb.) according to the package directions for al dente. Do NOT overcook. Drain. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 24 oz. tomato pasta sauce. Simmer for awhile so it’s somewhat thick. Use a spatter guard.

Meanwhile, saute onion and bell pepper together in olive oil until soft. Let cool.

In a large bowl, stir together feta, ricotta, spinach, pepper, and onion-bell pepper mixture. You may need to use your hands as it will be quite dry. Do not squeeze, just stir together.

In a greased 9 x 13″ pan, place 5 lasagna noodles across the bottom. Distribute all  the cheese, spinach, onion mixture across the lasagna noodles. Place a layer of six noodles across the cheese mixture. You may press down a little now. Spoon pasta sauce evenly across the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Yummy goodness!

Cook the lasagna noodles, saute the onions with bell pepper (I used yellow bell peppers), simmer the pasta sauce using a spatter guard, and chop the raw spinach leaves.

Mix feta, ricotta, and spinach.

Place a row of lasagna noodles across the bottom of a greased 13 x 9″ baking dish.

Distribute the feta, ricotta, spinach mixture across the lasagna. Place another layer of lasagna.

Spoon pasta sauce evenly across the top.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Spinach Feta Lasagna