Lasagna Primavera

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for foil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
2 pkgs (10oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 pkg (10oz) frozen peas
1/2 lb carrots (4 to 5), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15oz) part-skim ricotta
1 large egg
1 pkg (9oz) no-boil lasagna noodles (12 to 16 noodles)
1 lb part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add flour and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let flour mixture darken); whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach, peas, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.
2) In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper.
3) In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of vegetable sauce. Layer noodles, half the remaining vegetable sauce, another noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan; repeat.
4) Cover dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Review: I hate frozen spinach, so I used the big package of baby spinach that’s found at Costco. I think we buy one of those every week! I think it may have been too much, as my deep lasagna pan was filled to the top. Which meant it bubbled over something fierce the entire time it cooked. Oh, the house stunk from the smell of burning primavera sauce. Gross. The lasagna was super yummy and rich, which made up for the smell. And we were able to freeze some portions for lunches on the rare days when we don’t have leftovers. Ah, now off to scrub the oven. Thank goodness I discovered the awesomeness of Bon Ami today. :)