Spinach Ricotta Lasagna

Over the years I've tried a couple of different vegetarian lasagnas, but don't remember any of them being as good as this.

Ingredients:
- 400-500 g (~ 1 lb) lasagna plates
- 600 g (1.3 lb) frozen spinach
- 250 g (9 oz) ricotta cheese
- bread crumbs
tomato sauce
- olive oil
- 3 medium/small onions, chopped
- 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs) canned diced tomato
- 140 g (5 oz) tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- fresh thyme
- salt & pepper
- 2 bird chillies
eggplant
- 1 eggplant, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
béchamel sauce
- 25 g (1 oz) butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 4-5 dL (approx. 2 cups) milk
- ground nutmeg, salt & pepper
topping
- Gruyère (vieux), grated

The tomato sauce was made first by sautéing the onions in oil, then adding the rest of the ingredients and letting it simmer gently while preparing the rest.

The eggplant slices were brushed with mixture of oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper; then baked in oven at 250 C (480 F) for 10-15 minutes.

The frozen spinach was thawed on medium heat in a small saucepan - nothing added.

For the béchamel sauce, nothing was changed over the other recipe: the butter was melted, the flour was stirred in to make a thick paste, then on medium heat the milk was patiently added in portions with constant stirring - and finally seasoned to taste.

Like before alternating layers of tomato sauce, lasagna plates, spinach, béchamel sauce, eggplant, and ricotta cheese. Tomato sauce as bottom layer - béchamel sauce followed by bread crumbs as top layer.

It was baked in the oven at 225 C (450 F) for 10 minutes, then at 175 C (350 F) for an additional 20 minutes.

Was served this time with freshly grated Gruyère (vieux) on top.