This recipe makes one large lasagna, but you can easily make two smaller versions in eight-inch baking dishes. Enjoy one for dinner tonight, and freeze the other for later. Or add sausage to one (see variation below) and keep the other meat-free.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　32 ounces ricotta cheese (4 cups)

　　2 large eggs

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

　　6 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (page 364) or store-bought tomato sauce

　　12 no-boil lasagna noodles (8 ounces)

　　4 cups shredded fontina cheese (1 pound)

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together ricotta, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, and add to ricotta mixture; stir well to combine.

　　

Step 2

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles on top. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over noodles, followed by one-third of the remaining tomato sauce; sprinkle with one-third of the fontina cheese. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with fontina. (At this point, the lasagna can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.)

　　

Step 3

Cover with aluminum foil; bake 30 minutes (40 minutes if previously frozen). Remove foil; continue baking until golden brown on top and sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes more. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares and serving.

　　

Sausage Variation

Step 4

Remove casings from hot or sweet Italian sausage (you will need about 1 pound for a large lasagna and 8 ounces for a small one). Cook in a medium skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Follow recipe above, layering sausage in thirds after the tomato sauce.

　　Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2010 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine’s editors.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.