Spinach lasagna, extra noodley with a crunchy goat cheese crust

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 15 lasagna sheets, without pre-cooking
• 1 kg leaf spinach, frozen
• 50 g margarine or butter
• 40 g wheat flour
• 1 liter milk, 1.5% fat
• 2 tbsp, leveled vegetable broth, instant
• nutmeg
• pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 tsp Citrovin concentrate
• 1 tsp, heaped sugar
• 350 g cheese (goat cheese), semi-hard, or Emmental or Gouda
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp oil, type as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

Place frozen spinach in a plastic colander, place the colander in a bowl to catch the liquid, and thaw in the microwave for 20-25 minutes at approximately 150 watts, turning three times. Room temperature also works, but it takes about three hours. Squeeze the thawed spinach until no more liquid comes out and roughly chop it on a board. For the béchamel sauce, melt the margarine/butter in a medium saucepan, whisk in the flour, and sauté for one minute. Slowly add the milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, bringing to a boil and stirring frequently to prevent lumps from forming. Remove the pan from the heat. Season the sauce with instant broth, nutmeg, pepper, lemon, and sugar. It should be well seasoned, as spinach and pasta absorb a lot of flavor. As the sauce cools, a skin will form on top, so stir occasionally until ready to use. Coarsely grate the cheese. In a separate bowl, mix 1/3 of it first with the breadcrumbs, then with the oil. This will give the surface of the lasagna a crusty, crispy texture. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the bottom of an ovenproof dish (approx. 22×30 cm) crosswise with 3 lasagna sheets and spread half of the spinach evenly over them. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese over them. Place 3 lasagna sheets crosswise on top and press down lightly. Spread one-third of the béchamel sauce evenly over them and cover with 3 pasta sheets. Repeat the process: spinach, cheese, pasta, sauce, pasta. Finally, pour the remaining third of the sauce over the top. Cook the lasagna on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Then remove from the oven, sprinkle with the cheese, breadcrumbs, and oil mixture, and bake for another 15 minutes until the surface is golden brown. Let the lasagna rest for a quarter of an hour before serving. This will firm up the lasagna and bring it to a pleasant temperature. This recipe yields 4-6 servings, depending on your appetite.