Cheesy White Lasagna with Spinach + Crispy Prosciutto
Description: Winter always puts me in the mood for cozy dinners and comfort food, and this lasagna definitely fits the bill for both. This recipe has layers of alllll the cheese but it’s also perfectly balanced by the crispy, salty prosciutto and the brightness of the spinach and fresh basil. This recipe uses oven-ready lasagna noodles for extra ease.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk (whole milk recommended)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 box oven ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles
- 6 ounces prosciutto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese until fully melted. Set aside.
- Coarsely chop the spinach. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the Italian shredded cheese blend, and chopped spinach.
- Spread about 1/4 of the cheese sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a single layer of lasagna noodles.
- Spread a thick layer of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with another 1/4 of the cheese sauce.
- Tear about 1 oz of prosciutto into bite-sized pieces and spread evenly over the sauce.
- Repeat the layering process (lasagna noodles, ricotta mixture, cheese sauce, prosciutto) until you have 2-3 complete layers, or until your baking dish is nearly full.
- Top the final layer of noodles with the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining shredded Italian cheese blend and arrange the remaining torn prosciutto pieces on top.
- Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and beginning to brown. For extra browning, you can briefly broil the top for a minute or two.
- Let the lasagna stand for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving to allow the layers to set.