Italian
Spinach Lasagna
Lasagna noodles are layered with marinara, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella, then baked until the cheese browns. There is no meat in the sauce, only a well-seasoned cheese filling.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Squeezing the spinach dry keeps the ricotta layer from weeping into the pan.
- An egg binds the ricotta so the slices hold together after a rest.
- Boiled noodles are flexible and finish cooking in the sauce at 375°F.
- A rest after baking lets the cheese set so the first square does not slide apart.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F.
- 2
Boil the lasagna noodles in a large pot of water with the 1 tbsp kosher salt until flexible, about 8 minutes. Drain and lay them flat so they do not stick.
- 3
Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the marinara sauce and take the pan off the heat.
- 4
Mix the spinach, ricotta, egg, 1 tsp kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and half of the parmesan in a bowl.
- 5
Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, half the ricotta mixture, a handful of mozzarella, and more sauce.
- 6
Repeat with noodles, the rest of the ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce. Finish with noodles, the remaining sauce, the rest of the mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan.
- 7
Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until the cheese is browned and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
- 8
Rest 15 minutes before cutting.
Pro tips
- Press the thawed spinach in a clean towel until almost no green liquid comes out.
- If the top browns too fast, tent it with foil for the last few minutes.
- Use a marinara you like on its own. The bake will not fix a sauce that tastes harsh.
Easy substitutions
- Frozen spinach
- 1 lb fresh spinach, wilted and squeezed dry
- Ricotta cheese
- Cottage cheese, drained
- Lasagna noodles
- No-boil noodles, and add 1/2 cup water to the sauce
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate, covered, up to 4 days. It also freezes well, tightly wrapped, up to 2 months.
Reheating
Cover and warm at 350°F until the center is hot, about 25 minutes. Add a spoon of water if the edges look dry.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 426
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Moderate · Oven, Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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