Ingredients

• 12  dried regular or whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1  recipe Lemon-Parsley Pesto (see recipe below) or 1 cup purchased pesto
• 1  egg, slightly beaten
• 1  15-ounce container ricotta cheese
• 1  8-ounce package shredded Italian blend cheese or mozzarella cheese (2 cups)
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon ground black pepper
•   Nonstick cooking spray
• 2  cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2  of an 8-ounce package fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1  28-ounce can whole Italian-style tomatoes
•   Fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a 4-quart or larger pot cook
noodles according to package directions until just tender. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.

2. Prepare Lemon-Parsley Pesto; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded Italian blend cheese, salt, and pepper; set aside.

3. To assemble lasagna, lightly coat the inside of a 9-inch springform pan or 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 4 of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the pan, trimming and overlapping as necessary to cover bottom of pan with 1 layer of noodles. Top with spinach. Spoon half of the ricotta cheese mixture over spinach, spreading evenly. Spoon one-third of the pesto over ricotta layer, spreading evenly. Top with another layer of noodles, trimming to fit. Top with mushrooms. Spread remaining ricotta cheese mixture over mushrooms. Spread half of the remaining pesto over ricotta layer. Top with another layer of noodles and remaining pesto. Drain tomatoes. Slice, quarter, or halve tomatoes and place on top of layers.

4. Place springform pan in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining Italian blend cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Carefully remove sides of pan. Top with parsley leaves. To serve, cut lasagna into wedges. (For 13x9x2-inch pan, bake, covered with foil, in a 375 degrees F oven for 40 minutes; uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through.) Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Lemon-Parsley Pesto: In a food-processor bowl combine 4 cups fresh spinach leaves (about 8 ounces), 1/2 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts, 2 cloves garlic quartered, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and process until nearly smooth. (If desired, use a blender and add 2 to 4 tablespoons water with the spinach leaves.) Makes about 1 cup.

Cooking Club Directions: Prepare lasagnas as above for each member except do not add tomatoes and do not bake. Cover each pan with plastic wrap (if freezing, also wrap in aluminum foil). Package remaining cheese in a resealable plastic bag or a resealable freezer bag for each member. Refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 3 months.

Test Kitchen Tip: It is possible to make up to a quadruple batch of ricotta mixture at one time.

Reheating and Serving: Thaw lasagna, if frozen, in the refrigerator 48 hours before baking. Place thawed or refrigerated lasagna on a foil-lined baking sheet. Remove plastic wrap; top lasagna with tomatoes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In springform pan, bake, covered with foil, for 60 minutes; uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes more or until heated through. (For a 13x9x2-inch pan, bake, covered with foil, for 40 minutes; uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through.) Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Carefully remove sides of pan, if necessary. To serve, cut lasagna into wedges. Makes 8 to 10 servings.