Traditional Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

Make the Bechamel Sauce

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour with the help of a flour sieve: in this way you are sure that there are no lumps. Mix quickly with a whisk, until the mixture is smooth. The mixture of butter and flour is called roux and it should be a nice golden color.
2. Heat the milk, without bringing to a boil. Pour the milk slowly over the roux, while stirring with a whisk. Season with salt and grated nutmeg to taste.
3. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency. The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.

Make the Filling

1. Boil the spinach in a pot with very little salted water for a few minutes, until tender. If you are using frozen spinach, when water start boiling, cook for 5 minutes.
2. Drain and let them cool, then squeeze to remove excess water, finally chop with a hand immersion blender.
3. In a bowl, combine the chopped spinach with the ricotta, half of the grated Parmigiano, a pinch of fine salt, freshly grated black pepper and nutmeg to taste. Mix all the ingredients until you get a creamy mixture.

Make the Layers

1. Place 2-3 tablespoons of béchamel on the bottom of a baking pan, then lay down the first layer of lasagna sheets and cover them with the spinach and ricotta filling.
2. Cover with some bèchamel and finish with 2-3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano.
3. Keep making the layers as described above, till you finish all the ingredients.
4. End the last layer with plenty of Parmigiano cheese to create a crispy crust during cooking.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes. Let spinach and ricotta lasagna cool for 10 minutes before serving.