Ravioli Vegetable Lasagna - Spinach, Artichoke, Asparagus - Yum! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 -6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
14 ounces water-packed artichoke hearts, drained well
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken)
1/2 cup cream or 1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and black pepper
2 cups grated provolone cheese or 2 cups Italian cheese blend
24 -28 ounces fresh ravioli, large package, such as Contadina brand, choose your favorite filling, such as wild mushroom or 4 cheese
1 lb thin asparagus spear, trimmed of tough ends

Preparation

NOTE - orginal recipe did not give ounce measurements for the spinach or the artichokes - I assume sizes may vary by brand. Orginal recipe just says 2 packages of frozen spinach - she used the small box size on tv. Original recipe stated 2 cans of artichokes. Zaar won't let you put in packages or cans without giving an ounces amount.
Bring a pot of water to boil for ravioli.
While water comes to a boil, drain defrosted frozen chopped spinach by wringing it dry in a kitchen towel, working over a garbage bowl or your sink.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and saute garlic in oil 1 minute, then sprinkle spinach into the garlic oil. Add artichoke heart pieces to the pan and turn to combine and heat through. Season vegetables with and remove from heat to a bowl. (NOTE -- I didn't not use the full amount of artichokes - since, I cut the recipe in half, I was only using one can of artichokes, but it seemed like a lot so I used about half the can. So use your own judgement when adding the artichokes.).
Place skillet back on the heat and melt butter. Whisk flour into butter and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk stock into flour and butter and let it bubble. Whisk in cream and Parmesan. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and thicken 1 to 2 minutes.
When water boils, salt water, add ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Ravioli should be less than al dente, still a bit chewy -- it will continue cooking when combined with sauce and vegetables. Place a colander over ravioli as it cooks and add asparagus to it. Cut thin, trimmed asparagus into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Steam the chopped asparagus while pasta cooks, 2 to 3 minutes, until just fork-tender, but still green. Remove asparagus and add to bowl with spinach and artichokes. Place colander in your sink and drain ravioli.
Drizzle a touch of extra virgin olive oil onto the bottom of a medium oval casserole or a rectangular baking dish and brush pan to coat evenly.
Arrange a layer using 1/2 of cooked ravioli in the dish. Layer 1/2 of the cooked vegetables over the ravioli. Next, add a few ladles of sauce, then vegetables, then top casserole with the last of the ravioli. Dot top of \"lasagna\" with any remaining sauce and cover liberally with gratedprovolone or 4 cheese blend.
Brown cheese 8 inches from broiler, 5 minutes. NOTE - this is the part of the recipe that didn't work for me. By the time I assembled the ingredients, they were cold so I ended up having to bake the dish in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.
This was supposed to be a 30 minute meal, but I think it took longer. Maybe after I've made it a few times, it would only take 30 -- either way it was still an easy recipe to make.
I think this could be easily made ahead and reheated or frozen. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but it is yummy the next day.