Make Passover vegetable lasagna with spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella. Sheets of matzo in place of traditional lasagna noodles make it perfect for Passover. It’s a Jewish holiday favorite but delicious any time of year!
Ricotta spinach mixture: In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta with egg, salt, pepper, garlic, chopped fresh basil, ¼ cup of the parmesan, and drained spinach. Mix until well combined.
Sauce on bottom: Spread ⅓ cup of the sauce at the bottom of an 8x8 inch square baking dish into an even layer.
Make first layer: Place 1 sheet of matzo in the baking dish. Dollop with a heaping ⅓ cup ricotta spinach mixture, and spread as evenly as possible. Spread ⅓ cup sauce on top, and then sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat to make 4 layers total: Repeat this process three more times layering in this order: matzo, ricotta mixture, sauce, and then mozzarella. Always use ⅓ cup of each filling.
The top: Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
Bake: Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, but use a slightly bigger piece, and tent the foil so that it doesn’t touch the cheese. Bake for 35 minutes. Then, uncover, and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
Garnish lasagna with extra chopped fresh basil on top.
Notes
Be sure to squeeze the defrosted spinach out well in a tea towel or cheese cloth to get all the excess water out.
Make ahead: Assemble matzo lasagna ahead of time, and bake later in the day or the next day. Store assembled lasagna covered in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before baking. Leave out on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking so it’s not so cold going into the oven. Be sure not to put a cold glass casserole dish in a hot oven, or it may break.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: Can be frozen baked or unbaked. I recommend freezing the unbaked lasagna so that it is less likely to get mushy. To freeze, tightly wrap the matzo lasagna in a double layer of plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the lasagna in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the plastic wrap so that you don’t accidentally bake with the plastic wrap on. Do not put a frozen casserole dish straight into a hot oven as the dish may break from heat shock, especially if it’s made of glass. However, if you use a disposable aluminum pan, then the frozen lasagna could go straight into the oven, but would take considerably longer to bake or heat.
How to reheat: Microwave single servings covered until warm and sizzling.