Neither my husband or I are lovers of tomato sauce.  Because of this, we rarely eat lasagna…at least the traditional form.  I came across this recipe and was terribly excited at the concept of a “white lasagna” (a lasagna that layers the noodles with a cream sauce instead of the traditional tomato).  This recipe pairs a creamy garlic sauce with spinach, broccoli, and peas for a fresh and clean twist on the Italian classic.  White lasagna is the perfect way to transition the comfort-food lasagna we crave in Winter into a fresh vegetable lasagna for Spring.

When I came across the recipe last year, I was excited to try it, and I have to say, I was not at all disappointed.  Since then it has become a staple in our house.  While the recipe is great, I made one small change; the original recipe called for carrots, but I like the idea of staying entirely green and therefore substituted chopped broccoli.  Ironically, even though the idea of this Spring lasagna is a fresh taste of green, all the vegetables are frozen.  The meal, therefore, is easy to prepare, freeze, and make any time of year.   And the key here is that the lasagna freezes great.  I am always on the lookout for recipes that freeze well.  (Mrs. Wardwell, this one’s for you.)  Unfortunately, my list tends to be limited to soups and stews and the ever-so-boring casseroles.  This lasagna, however, is a nice addition to the freeze-ahead list.  I would even suggest this dish as a great choice for entertaining.  The lasagna has an elegance about it; it certainly seems more refined than the thick and heavy tomato-meat combination.  Paired with a nice salad and some good bread, this would make a great meal to serve a crowd.  And all the work can be done weeks in advance!  (If you are not planning on feeding this meal to a crowd, try making two smaller lasagnas instead of one large.  Eat one that night and freeze the second for a homemade meal some hectic night later in the month – it’s the same amount of work, but yields two meals.)

Recipe: White Spring Lasagna