The Recipe: Sweet Pepper & Spinach Lasagna

from The Good Neighbor Cookbook by Sara Quessenberry and Suzanne Schlosberg

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1/2in pieces
1 tsp kosher salt
2 (10-ounce)packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
5 cups Toasted Garlic Marinara or store-bought marinara sauce
1 (9-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles (16 sheets)

Preheat oven to 375° F

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes (decrease the heat, as necessary, to prevent scorching). Squeeze the spinach of any excess water and add to the skillet along with the black pepper, crushed red pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and the Parmesan.

In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom. Top with a layer of 4 lasagna sheets, another 1 cup sauce, one-third of the cheese mixture and one-third of the vegetable mixture; repeat this layering twice. Top with the remaining lasagna sheets, sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are tender and easily pierced with a knife, 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.