Ted & Liz's Spinach Lasagna

A long time ago, when I was in college, a couple of friends of mine taught me how to make the best spinach lasagna that I've ever had. Part of what made it so amazing was how simple and clean the flavors were, and how easy it was to make. Since then, I've made a few changes, but not many. Most of the time I make my own sauce rather than relying on store-bought (I don't like how sweet they usually are), and occasionally I'll mix browned ground pork into the sauce, too.

YIELD 8      ACTIVE TIME 20      TOTAL TIME 1:50

INGREDIENTS
1 box Lasagna noodles
1 lg jar Spaghetti sauce
1 lb spinach, fresh, cleaned and trimmed
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS
Coat the bottom of a deep 9" x 13" pan with 1/2 cup sauce. Layer uncooked lasagna noodles on bottom to cover, overlapping slightly. Pour 1/3 of remaining sauce over noodles. Layer half of spinach, half of mushrooms, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 ricotta, and 1/3 Parmesan cheese, in that order. Top with another layer of noodles. Add 1/3 of sauce over noodles. Layer the rest of the spinach and mushrooms, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 ricotta, and 1/3 Parmesan. Add another layer of noodles and remaining sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake at 450F for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before cutting into. Best served with a salad and garlic bread.

NOTES
A deep dish is essential, but if you only have a regular cake pan, be sure to place an old cookie sheet on the bottom of the oven to catch any sauce that bubbles over. Always use the freshest ingredients you can find.