We love lasagne! But, when I think of lasagne, I think of it as being a weekend meal because it does take a little bit more time. On a busy weekday however, preparing something like lasagne isn't really an option. That being said, this recipe is a great solution, allowing us to enjoy one of our favourite meals on any day. The smell of the house was fantastic, and the cheese gets all gooey. Is there really anything better?
9 whole wheat lasagne , uncooked
6 cups fresh spinach
1 cup light ricotta
1 ½ cup light cottage cheese
2 cups marinara (either your favourite jarred or homemade)
1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella (I used bocinccini pearls instead – I hate grating!!)
½ cup water
In your slow cooker, spray lightly with olive oil.
Begin layering the lasagne with a large spoonful of the sauce on the bottom. Then add a layer of lasagne noodles (break them up if you need to fit them in). Add some of the ricotta cheese, followed by some of the cottage cheese, and then the spinach. Continue to make about 3 layers (depending on the size of your slowcooker) in the same order; sauce, noodles, ricotta, cottage cheese, spinach. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Add about ½ a cup of water to the slowcooker once your lasagne is layered, to prevent it from burning. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Let it stand for about 15 minutes after it is cooked to allow everything to “settle”, and any excess liquid to be absorbed.
