This spinach lasagna is layered with a creamy spinach ricotta mixture, marinara sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection. This hearty vegetarian lasagna has a creamy texture and is bursting with flavor.
My family loves this tasty lasagna! My husband and son are not even big spinach fans, but they can not get enough of this lasagna. I love to serve this with cheese garlic bread, oven-roasted asparagus, or roasted vegetable salad.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Spinach: fresh is best. I like to use baby spinach because it is more tender, less bitter, and has fewer thick stems.
- Ricotta cheese: whole milk is best
- Mozzarella cheese: preferably whole milk
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated for the best flavor
- Lasagna noodles: traditional noodles that need boiling are the best for this recipe
- Fresh herbs: parsley or basil
How to Make Spinach Lasagna
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fill the skillet with spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts. Keep adding more spinach until all the spinach is wilted. Cool the spinach and squeeze the water out of it.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain well and lay them in a single layer on baking sheets lightly covered with nonstick spray.
Add the cooked spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to a large bowl. Mix with a large spoon until combined.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of marinara into the bottom of a deep 9×13-inch dish. Add three lasagna noodles. Then, spread 1/4 of the spinach ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara over the spinach mixture. Repeat three more times, but always change the direction of the next noodle layer. I leave the marinara off one of the layers.
Top with the last layer of noodles, laid in the opposite direction as the last layer of noodles. Spread the remaining marinara over the top of the noodles. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining mozzarella. Baked uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or basil. Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Preparation Tips
- Squeeze as much of the moisture from the spinach as possible. An old tea towel comes in handy for this.
- Alternate the lasagna noodles in the opposite direction of the last layer.
- Always let the lasagna rest before cutting. It will help keep the layers intact.
- Don’t get too hung up on the layers of the lasagna. If you start with a little sauce and a layer of noodles and finish with a layer of noodles, sauce, and mozzarella, all will be good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prepare the lasagna up to 48 hours in advance, but do not top with the final layer of mozzarella. Cover with wrap and store in the fridge. When ready to bake, remove it from the fridge 60 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining mozzarella. Baked uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or basil. Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
You can freeze it before baking or after baking. To freeze before baking, assemble the casserole, but do not top with the final layer of mozzarella. Cover it with 2 layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove the casserole from the fridge about 45 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining mozzarella. Baked uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or basil. Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
To freeze after baking, cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power until warm.
More Lasagna Recipes
Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Spinach Filling
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 20 ounces fresh spinach
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1½ cups whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Rest of the Lasagna
- 18 lasagna noodles (1 lb)
- 1½ cups whole milk mozzarella
- 24 ounces jarred marinara your favorite
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil ribbons
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fill the skillet with spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts. Keep adding more spinach until all the spinach is wilted. Cool the spinach and squeeze the water out of the spinach.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain well and lay them in a single layer on baking sheets lightly covered with nonstick spray.
- Add the cooked spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to a large bowl. Mix with a large spoon until combined.
- Add the cooked spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to a large bowl. Mix with a large spoon until combined.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick spray.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of marinara into the bottom of a deep 9×13-inch pan. Add three lasagna noodles. Then, spread 1/4 of the spinach ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara over the spinach mixture. Top with another layer of noodles, laid in the opposite direction as the last layer of noodles.
- Spread 1/4 of the spinach mixture over the lasagna noodles. Top with another layer of noodles, laid in the opposite direction as the last layer of noodles. Then, spread 1/4 of the spinach ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara over the spinach mixture.
- Top with another layer of noodles, which is laid in the opposite direction as the last layer of noodles. Spread the remainder of the spinach ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara over the spinach mixture.
- Top with the last layer of noodles, laid in the opposite direction as the last layer of noodles. Spread the remaining marinara over the top of the noodles.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining mozzarella. Baked uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or basil. Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Squeeze as much of the moisture from the spinach as possible. An old tea towel comes in handy for this.
- Alternate the lasagna noodles in the opposite direction of the last layer.
- Always let the lasagna rest before slicing. It will help keep the layers intact.
- Don’t get too hung up on the layers of the lasagna. As long as you start with a little sauce and a layer of noodles and finish with a layer of noodles, sauce, and then mozzarella.
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