Microwave Spinach Lasagna for National Lasagna Day

According to various food calendars today is National Lasagna Day. Why they would give a traditional oven baked dish a day in the middle of the summer is beyond me. Who wants to turn on their oven for an hour or so at the end of July? Not me.
I happened to have a little boxed set of cookbooks setting by my computer and one of the books was Microwave Main Courses Quick & Easy. May be there is a lasagna in there, Yes! This book was published in 1987, that might be before no boil lasagna noodles were available. I would definitely use them for this dish.

Spinach Lasagna

"This cheese-rich version of lasagna is made with spinach filling and is a good choice when you need to plan and prepare ahead. It can go directly from the refrigerator to the microwave, completely assembled."

15-1/2 ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles

1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese

10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the spaghetti sauce with the water, oregano, basil, parsley and salt. Pour one third of the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch square microwaveable dish. Lay half the lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread 3/4 cup ricotta cheese, half the spinach and 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the noodles. Pour half the remaining sauce over the top. Layer the remaining lasagna, ricotta, spinach and mozzarella over the sauce, in that order. Pour the remaining sauce on the top and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with a double layer of transparent wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight. Microwave on Medium (50 percent) for 25 to 35 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Let the dish stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

The boxed set is titled No Nonsense Cookbook Trio and was available from Avon. It contains three slim volumes by Irena Chalmers, Microwave Main Courses Quick & Easy, Muffins & Quick Breads and Cookies For Holidays & Every Day.

1 comment:

~~louise~~ said...

What a brave soul you are to attempt any kind of lasagna in this heat. I must say though, the recipe looks fairly easy. I love the addition of spinach.

Maybe National Lasagna Day has something to do with Garfield. It's his favorite dish you know...

GREAT post!