Classic Italian Lasagna

Here it is-the much anticipated Giada de Laurentiis lasagna! Well, much anticipated in our house by me, anyway. This recipe uses both the marinara sauce that I used on Tuesday in the manicotti and the Bechamel sauce that I posted today. It was every bit as good as I had hoped.



salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
15 dry lasagna noodles (about 12 oz.)
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey; you could also use ground sausage or chicken)
1 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
2 1/2 c. Bechamel Sauce (previous entry)
1 1/2 c. Marinara Sauce (previous entry on 9/29/09)
1 1/2 lbs. whole-milk ricotta cheese (I used a 15 oz. container)
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I only used one pkg.)
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the vegetable oil (the oil will help prevent the lasagna noodles from sticking together). Cook the lasagna until almost al dente, about 6 minutes (the center of the pasta should remain somewhat hard so that it won't overcook and become soggy when baked). Drain, then rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and help remove any excess starch. Cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent the pasta from drying out. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper, saute until the beef is brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess fat. Let cool completely.
3. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the bechamel and marinara sauces to blend. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (I didn't think it needed anymore salt or pepper so I did not any additional).
4. In another medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs and 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper. Spread the butter over a 9"x13" baking dish. Spoon one-third of the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 5 lasagna noodles atop the sauce, overlapping slightly and covering the bottom of the dish completely. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the spinach.
5. Arrange 5 more lasagna noodles top the spinach, then top with the ground beef. Spoon one0third of the remaining sauce over, then sprinkle with 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 5 sheets of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.
6. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Place the baking dish on the baking sheet. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the top is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Make 6 main-course servings (these servings are very large and I cut ours into 9 pieces, and serve a green salad with it).



NOTE: The lasagna can be made up through step 5 one day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Uncover before baking.