For a Fast Meal, Freeze Ahead

This tasty Italian classic is loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and is great as a freeze-and-reheat meal. You can also make this lasagna in a snap since the recipe calls for oven-ready noodles and frozen spinach. The dry noodles will absorb liquid during cooking, keeping the lasagna from being runny. Because this dish is great for leftovers, you can make it on a day when you have time to cook and freeze individual servings for later.

Ingredients: Yield: 12 servings   • 2 tsp. oil • 1 small onion chopped • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced • 2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained • ¼ tsp. nutmeg • 1 ½  cups part-skim ricotta cheese • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese • 1 egg • 1 tsp. dry oregano • 1 tsp. dry basil • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 3 cups low fat prepared marinara sauce • 12 pieces dry oven-ready lasagna noodles • ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese • Fresh chopped parsley or basil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to turn opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Remove and spread the mixture into a shallow dish to allow it to cool, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

Set aside one-half cup of marinara sauce for the top of the lasagna. In a 9 x 13-inch glass-baking pan, pour a thin coating of marinara sauce. Cover it with three uncooked lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with one third of the spinach, followed by one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering process, beginning with the sauce, three times. Pour the reserved half-cup of marinara sauce over the top and sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the noodles are cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Let it cool and cut it into sections. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and basil, if desired.