Polenta Lasagna

Prep Time3

Cook Time30

Total Time3 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Italian

Keyword: Polenta

Servings: servings

Calories: 628kcal

Heat oven to 425ºF and place parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a large stock pot, add 6 cups boiling water (from the kettle) and 1 tbsp salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then slowly pour in 2 cups polenta, stirring constantly. Continue stirring frequently until polenta thickens, 8 to 12 minutes. Add 4 tbsp butter and stir until melted. Then add the spinach and stir until it's wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in about half of the grated Parmesan.
Pour polenta onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a wet (or greased) silicon spatula, spread the mixture into a thin, even layer to cover the entire pan, all the way to corners. Sprinkle half of the remaining grated Parmesan on top. (Save remaining parmesan for the final assembly.) Put in the oven and bake until polenta is firm and cheese has melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled, about 90 minutes.

About 30 minutes before assembly, make the marinara. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large dutch oven or sauce pot. Add half of the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and stir well. Add the 1 tsp oregano. Add about ½ tsp salt, some black pepper and mix well. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring ocassionally, and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat.
Prepare the ricotta filling. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, parsley, basil, egg, black pepper, nutmeg and about ½ tsp salt. Add half of the minced garlic. Mix until well combined and set aside.

When ready to bake the lasagna, heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9x13" baking dish.
Cut cooled polenta in half, creating 2 pieces roughly the size of the baking dish. Using a large spatula, gently place one half in the buttered baking dish.
Then, build the layers from there. From the bottom, layers are: polenta, ricotta, marinara, mozzarella, polenta, ricotta, marinara, mozzarella. Then top with the remaining Parmesan.
Place baking dish on top of a rimmed sheet pan in case the lasagna bubbles over. Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes. If you like, you can broil lasagna for 2 minutes after baking until cheese starts to bubble and develop brown spots.
Remove from oven and let lasagna stand for about 15 minutes to firm up before serving.