27/05/2019 Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine - Pinch of Yum

creamy tomato lasagna florentine

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Get your face right in there.

You’re like, wait, though, isn’t that too close? PUH-LEEZ. You and I both know that a person can never be
too close to those browned lasagna edges that are the perfect amount of chewy, and that’s exactly why we
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like to hang out together and get wild about all the foods.

This creamy tomato lasagna florentine is layer upon layer of saucy tomato tang and garlic sauteed spinach
nestled into a creamy blanket over the sauce, soaked up on all sides by thick and chewy lasagna noodles for a
perfectly clean slice of comfort food. And it is giving my whole self a hug today. Correction: this week. I’ve
been eating pan after pan after pan, hot out of the oven for dinner, leftovers reheated in the oven because it’s
the only way I’m satisfied with the reheating of a piece of lasagna (cold lasagna centers. WHY.), and
deliciously thick and pasta-sticky right out of the pan in the fridge a few hours after dinner, taking to my
sauce-drip-stained 9×13 of delicious layers with a straight up fork. I’m usually not grossly in love with
lasagna, but new lines have been drawn.

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27/05/2019 Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine - Pinch of Yum

This week the Crazy Train is coming by our house and we are hopping right on that thing. In the next four
weeks, we’ll be hitting up Galveston, San Fran, Seattle, Kansas City, and potentially a small mountain town
somewhere on the West Coast where we’re going to hide out and work for a week “on location” – a term
which makes it sound way more fancy that what it would actually be which is us wearing sweatpants for 7
days straight. If you have an opinion on whether or not it’s a good idea to time this over the middle portion of
our kitchen remodel, hop on over to this post and leave a comment to help a clueless girl out. And to those of
you who already weighed in, 1) why can’t you all just agree and make the decision easy for us? and 2) the
fact that you’re willing to leave us sound remodel advice on the internet is reason #825 why I luv your self.

While we’re in and out and on the road, and because this is the way the Crazy Train rides, our house will be
undergoing major demolition and re-building for the start of our semi-big-deal kitchen remodel. I’m talking
like T-7 days. Can I just say one thing really quick? NEW FRIDGE. In between travel and remodel, we’re
going to try to keep living at home. *cringe* I sense that this is a bad idea on some level but the Crazy Train
won’t stop now, and since we’re going to be gone for a few days here and there, I’m telling myself I’ll be
glad to keep close (like ultra close in your face) tabs on the progress. Do you guys mind if I do a series of
posts on the best snacks in wrappers to eat while living in a kitchen construction zone? Things ’bouta get
interesting.

In between the travel and the remodel, I’m going to squeeze in a few training sessions with our newest Pinch
of Yum intern wait YES I SAID INTERN who will be starting this week. Someone pinch me. It’s weird
enough to me that we technically own and operate a little business that is headquartered in our spider-webby,
boxes-everywhere, dusty unfinished basement, but now a real live an intern? It gives me the giggles. In a
totes professional way.

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27/05/2019 Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine - Pinch of Yum

Last week I made this lasagna florentine so many times that I could cry. Okay, truth: I did cry. This moment
brought to you by self-induced lasagna florentine perfectionism, impatience, and a head cold. I made so
many tweaks to the filling and every time I cut into it, it would still be soupy. A few tears were shed
somewhere between globbily gloopy lasagna attempts #800-#900. And I will now be accepting the Most
Ridiculous Person of the Year award.

What I learned, though, is that if you don’t need your lasagna to hold together with awesome sliceability, and
you’re more the kind of person who is okay with scooping it out with a spoon and straight into your mouth or
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I guess a plate if you’re normal, then you are in for a real lasagna treat when you make it the Super Saucy
Way which basically just means you use a little more filling and you boil your noodles prior to baking.

This pan of hot melted cheese I MEAN LASAGNA, while not at all clean and tidy like lasagna is supposed
to be, was actually my favorite – it was so saucy, so soupy at first, but absolute lasagna perfection the next
day with just the right amount of moisture and a clean(er) sliceability once it was completely cooled.

Showing the Semi-Failed Lasagna Florentine in THREE.

TWO.

ONE.

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27/05/2019 Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine - Pinch of Yum

Hey, that was kind of a fun bonding experience. Maybe we should do that more often.

Because of, like, the massive MESS that was involved with these first few attempts, I felt like it couldn’t
quite be called a “lasagna”. It was somewhere between soup and casserole and melted cheese explosion, so I
kept tweaking the recipe so it would be all that’s wonderful about those first few messy attempts except in a
clean, sliceable form for those of us who take a lasagna out of the oven and want to eat it now now now and
maybe even serve it to guests without needing bowls.

That being said, I put some extra notes in the recipe about how to get this kind of saucy wonderfulness that is
lasagna florentine because I know some of you are down with this kind of delicious food messery, and if
that’s you, we are of the same food spirit.
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27/05/2019 Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine - Pinch of Yum

Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go back to trying with all my inner-goddess–green-smoothie-extra-
doses-of-lasagna-and-Advil strength to kick a cold that has made itself comfy riiight here in my face. *pouts*
*eatz more lazanyaz*

Your turn! Go get out your 9×13 and get yourself cozy with a bubbly pan of creamy, tomato-saucy,
vegetarian comfort food.

PS. After I finished testing and perfecting this recipe, I was digging through my archives for something and I
found an almost identical recipe for a spinach lasagna posted about 6 months ago. Oh my gosh. Seriously, I
just forgot about it? Just pretend you don’t know that.

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27/05/2019 Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine - Pinch of Yum

PSS. If you are only going to try one of my two almost identical recipes, this one is better because of the –
wait for it – cottage cheese. I know. It sounds weird, but the texture of the cottage cheese when it’s run
through a food processor is so creamy and wonderful and it stays creamy and wonderful in this lasagna
florentine unlike ricotta which can sometimes get (hate to say it) dry and grainy and chunky, especially if
you’re using good ol’ store bought ricotta. Nunnathat here – just creamy, velvety layers of spinach and
cheese which we all likey.

creamy tomato lasagna florentine

★★★★★
5 from 22 reviews

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Yield: 9 1x

PIN RECIPE DESC R I P TION

This Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine is so deliciously comforting and simple. Noodles, tomato
sauce, and a creamy spinach layer!

INGR E D I ENTS SCALE 1x 2x 3x

1 tablespoon olive oil

2–3 cloves garlic, minced

4–5 cups fresh spinach

2 cups 4% cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup ground flaxmeal (see notes)

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1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (mine was salty – if you’re using a non-salted variety, add an
additional 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt)

a very tiny dusting of nutmeg

a squeeze of lemon juice

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

4 cups tomato sauce (DeLallo Tomato Basil. DO IT.)

12 no-boil or oven ready lasagna noodles (see notes)

2 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

INST R U C TIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium high heat.
Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and stir around until just barely
wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Blend the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth and creamy.
Transfer to a bowl and mix with eggs, flaxmeal, oregano, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, lemon
juice, and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach and set aside.

To assemble lasagna, spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray and spread a few spoonfuls
of sauce around in the bottom of the pan. Arrange 3 noodles, top with about 1 cup sauce, 1 cup
creamy spinach mixture, and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Repeat for three complete layers. Top
it all off with the last three lasagna noodles, 1 cup sauce, and 1 cup Mozzarella cheese. Cover
with greased foil so the cheese doesn’t stick and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for
another 10 to brown the cheese. Remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes before
slicing and serving.

NOTE S

For the soupy messy version that I sort of loved (pictured in the post), just use regular lasagna
noodles and boil them prior to baking. Also, add another cup of the cottage cheese mixture +
another egg to help it bind together. This will be a mess, as you can see, but it is reeeeally
yummy, especially the next day when it holds together a little better.

The flaxmeal adds a nice flavor/texture and helps the lasagna hold together, but I don’t think
it would be essential if you didn’t have any on hand.

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View the freezer meal version of this recipe here.

You might also like our full freezer meals post.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

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ABOUT LINDSAY

A little thing about me: I ♡ FOOD. I also love food photography. I wrote
an ebook that can help you learn your camera and I also teach food
photography workshops in our Minneapolis studio.

Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram. I WANNA SEE!

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