I feel like I should introduce this recipe by saying, "Welcome to my love affair with pesto and slow cookers." Pesto is from heaven, and the convenience of just dumping things in the slow cooker in the afternoon without a mad rush to get dinner ready is .... well, also from heaven.
26 oz. spaghetti sauce
10 oz. lasagna noodles
8-11 oz. pesto
15 oz. ricotta cheese
12 oz. baby spinach
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
16 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
1 15-oz. can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/4 c. water
In a 6-quart slow cooker, spread about 1/4 c. pesto on the bottom. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking as needed. Spread about 1/3 of the pesto and about 1/3 of the ricotta cheese onto the noodles. Cover with about 1/3 of the spinach. Pour the tomatoes evenly over. Top with about 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the parmesan. Repeat layers (except for the tomatoes) two more times. Cover with spaghetti sauce, making sure the sauce goes all the way to the edges so the spinach and noodles don't dry out. Pour about 1/4 c. water into the empty spaghetti sauce jar and shake. Pour over all. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low 5-6 hours.
I have yet to become a fan of pesto. I don't know what it is about the stuff because I like all the individual ingredients. Maybe this is a recipe that I should try it out on again. Looks delish!
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