Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne

White Sauce
225g butter
16 Tbs plain flour
2L milk, warmed
1/2 tsp salt
White pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan and then remove from heat. Add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook over a low heat for 1min, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat. Gradually add the milk and stir until smooth. Return to a medium heat and stir until boiling. Lower the heat and stir for 1min. Flavour with salt and pepper.

1kg Spinach

500g ricotta cheese

2L white sauce (as above)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Nutmeg

2 Tbs grated parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Lasagne sheets

Wash spinach and drain. Put spinach in boiling water and cook for 2mins. Strain water off and refresh the spinach under cold water. Squeeze out most of the water. Chop it up and set it aside. Place the ricotta in a bowl and combine with 1.5L white sauce, 1 cup grated cheese, nutmeg, parmesan, salt and pepper and spinach. In a lasagne dish, layer spinach-rocotta mix with lasagne sheets (plenty of spinach-ricotta mix per layer). Cover the top layer with the remaining white sauce, sprinkle with 1cup shredded cheese and bake in a moderate oven for 45mins, or until golden brown.

From The Kinglake Cookbook, Chris Owen

*Can be bland (need lots of pepper, maybe relish to serve?)