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Ahhh.. Lasagna, my favorite pasta dish of all. When I had my first taste of lasagna, I vowed to learn how to cook it and I did, and eversince I’ve been making lasagna whenever there is a special occasion; I never fail to make this every Christmas. It’s a great treat for my family…it’s quite hard to do but the end result will make up for all the trouble. I have tried and still trying different lasagna recipes and this year for Christmas dinner I will make this recipe from Giada, I’ve seen her make this on her show, Everyday Italian; it looks yummy plus I’ve never tried adding spinach before, hope I could find some in the grocery… I suggest you do this the day before, so you can save time and you won’t be too frazzled on Christmas  just cover the assembled lasagna with aluminum foil and put it in the fridge. Take it out of the refrigerator half an hour before putting it in a pre-heated oven.  Happy Cooking!

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Bechamel Sauce
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
Salt and white pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Make the Bechamel sauce:  In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover with foil and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

Have a Yummylicious :)  Christmas!