INGREDIENTS
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided.
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1 lb lasagne noodles broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 5-oz bag baby spinach (approx. 1/2 bag)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 cups jarred marinara sauce
- 2 1/2 cups low moisture Mozzarella, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, divided
DIRECTIONS
- 1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a straight sided 12 x 17-inch baking sheet with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- 2.Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil along with garlic and pepper flakes to the hot pan. Cook, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach and salt and cook, stirring often, until spinach is almost completely wilted (another minute). Remove spinach mixture to a strainer and press firmly to remove any excess liquid. Place spinach in a medium bowl. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, slice up spinach into chopped pieces. Add ricotta cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.
- 3.Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet and bring it back to medium heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the pan along with sausage and cook, undisturbed until sausage is beginning to brown on the first side, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break apart the sausage into bite sized pieces. Continue to cook, stirring often and breaking apart as needed, until sausage is lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Add onion to the pan and cook until onion is fragrant and beginning to soften, another 3 minutes. Remove from heat..
- 4.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Be sure it is large enough pan to allow the pasta to swim freely. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes stirring often to avoid clumping. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- 5.While pasta is cooking, add marinara to the pan with sausage and onion and mix well. Add the pasta water, pasta, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to same pan and stir to combine.
- 6.Spread entire mixture on the prepared 12x17-inch baking sheet. Dollop the pasta with the ricotta-spinach mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan cheeses. Bake until pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbly, and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and servings. Serve with extra warm marinana if desired.