Pesto White Lasagna with Sausage, Spinach and Zucchini

Last night I attempted my own version of a white lasagna. Borrowing from several recipes, I ended up with the most delicious white lasagna I have ever tasted. Not too wet, not too dry, with a delicate pesto flavor and a little kick from Italian sausage.

This picture doesn't really do the lasagna justice- I should have taken a photo of a sliced piece. Oh well, next time!

This lasagna contains spinach, zucchini, Italian sausage, and onion. However, you could substitute chicken and other vegetables. Next time, I think I'm going to try it with chicken and artichoke hearts...maybe even sun dried tomatoes.

Warning: this recipe is a little time consuming. I would recommend doubling it and making two batches at once, one for the freezer.

Here's what you need:

9x9 baking pan

Filling:

1 package no boil lasagna noodles (If you're short on time, soften noodles in boiling water).

1 package fresh spinach

1/4 to 1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp pesto

1 medium sized zucchini, sliced medium thin

1/2 medium sized white onion, chopped

3 Italian sausages (in casings)

1 tsp minced garlic

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Seasonings

Sauce:

3T butter

3T four

3 cups milk

Splash of white whine

1 tsp (generous) pesto

1/8- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Seasonings

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Submerge spinach until just wilted (30 seconds), remove promptly and place in a bowl of cool water. Remove spinach from bowl, squeeze out excess water, and chop. Add to a small bowl with cottage cheese and 1 tsp pesto. Stir, lightly salt and pepper, and set aside.

3. In a frying pan, brown Italian sausage. Once cooked, remove and set aside to cool.

4. Saute onion and garlic in pan used to brown Italian sausage. When onion is semi-soft, add zucchini, a little bit of olive oil, and salt and pepper (or my favorite: Garlic Salt & Pepper seasoning). Saute until zucchini is fork-tender. Remove mixture and place in bowl.

5. Slice Italian sausage into thin disks. Return to frying pan and brown. This adds a nice flavor.

6. Meanwhile, begin making white sauce. Over medium heat, melt butter. Once butter is melted, add flour, whisking constantly until fully incorporated. Slowly add milk one cup at a time, until mixture is smooth. Turn heat up to medium high until mixture starts to boil. Continue whisking. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, until mixture reaches desired thickness (about 10 minutes). Add a splash of white white to thin sauce, if desired. Add plenty of salt and pepper, Parmesan, and pesto. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

7. Layer noodles, sauce, cottage cheese mixture, zucchini mixture, sausage, and shredded mozzarella in pan, finishing with a final layer of noodle, sauce, and cheese. Cover loosely with foil.

8. Bake in oven for 35 to 50 minutes, until bubbly. Remove foil for last 5 or 10 minutes. This will produce a nice golden, brown color on the top.