Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 carrots cut into 1/4-inch dice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces ground turkey thigh

1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes

3 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces)

1 9-ounce box no-boil lasagne noodles (12 noodles)

1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella

 

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

 

To prepare the sauce:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a heavy Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 40 minutes and up to 1 hour, until the vegetables are very soft and turning brown. (If your vegetables seem to be browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside. Add the ground turkey to the pan and let sit for 2 minutes to brown before stirring and breaking up the meat, for 2 to 3 more minutes, until cooked through. Return the vegetables to the pan and combine with the turkey. Add the tomatoes, crushed by hand or pulsed with a stick blender, and simmer for 10 minutes.

 

To prepare the ricotta mixture:

While the vegetables are cooking, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, garlic, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

 

To assemble the lasagne:

Brush a 9-by-13-inch pan with oil. Start building the lasagne with a layer of about 1 cup sauce, followed by three noodles, spaced an inch apart. Layer about a quarter of the ricotta mixture on the noodles, followed by 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Build three more layers, with a final layer of noodles, sauce and a generous 1/2 cup mozzarella on top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes, broiling for the last few minutes if you like a browned crust. Let the lasagne sit for 20 minutes before serving.

 

Serves 8