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This Easy Spinach Lasagna is my go-to vegetarian lasagna. Layers of sauce, no-boil noodles, spinach, ricotta & cheese combine for a tasty meatless meal!

But you can also include slices of cooked Italian sausage to add another layer of flavor to your Spinach Lasagna Recipe.

Slice of spinach lasagna on a square white plate.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 Recipe Tips
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 Spinach Lasagna

Why You Must Make

  • This lasagna recipe was featured on Cook’s Country TV which tests their recipes thoroughly before sharing them.
  • It’s perfect for vegetarians.
  • You can also jazz it up for carnivores by adding in some sauteed, sliced Italian sausages!

I caught an episode of Cook’s Country TV one Saturday when they featured this Spinach Lasagna. Knowing any sort of spinach pasta would be a huge hit with my daughter, I printed off this easy spinach lasagna recipe while it was still available online.

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Eggs (large), Onion, Garlic Cloves
  • Frozen Chopped Spinach – 3 10-ounce packages, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust depending on your heat tolerance.
  • Canned Crushed Tomatoes – 2 28-ounce cans
  • Fresh Basil – Chopped
  • Ricotta Cheese – Use full fat for the best flavor. You could also substitute Cottage Cheese which will make a creamier filling.
  • Grated Parmesan – Make sure it’s not the powdery stuff in the green can on the store shelves. Look for real Parmesano Reggiano for the best flavor.
  • No Boil Lasagna Noodles – Extra liquid in the sauce will hydrate them as the dish cooks.
  • Mozzarella Cheese – Full fat and shredded.
  • Mild Italian Sausage Links – Optional. Omit if making a vegetarian entree. Slice and saute to elicit the Maillard reaction which provides delicious flavor to browned food. Omit for a vegetarian version.
Overhead view of Spinach Lasagna in a white casserole dish

Recipe Tips

  • For the meat lover in your home, add some sliced sauteed Italian sausage to the sauce. I’ve made this recipe with half sausage and half without.
  • Look for No-Boil lasagna noodles which save you a step and cleaning the pan needed to make traditional pasta. There’s enough liquid in the sauce to plump up the pasta as it cooks.
  • Though you have to break out your food processor, it’s used twice. Once for finely chopping the spinach and again for mixing part of the spinach with the ricotta, etc.
  • PRO-Tip: Grease one side of your foil so the cheese will not stick as the lasagna cooks. I love non-stick foil as it saves a step, but spraying Pam on regular foil works well, too.
  • PRO-Tip: If you don’t have fresh basil, you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil for each tablespoon of fresh basil.
  • Defrost your frozen spinach overnight in the refrigerator. Squeeze dry before using. You can use a potato ricer, press and squeeze in a strainer, or squeeze over a bowl with clean hands.
  • Use a good quality jarred marinara sauce if you’re short on time. You will probably need at least 2 jars.
  • Saute some sliced mushrooms in butter or olive oil if you’d like to add them to the tomato sauce.
One slice of spinach lasagna on a white plate in front of the casserole dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is This an Easy Lasagna?

There are a few things that make this a simple lasagna recipe. First are the no-boil lasagna noodles. They absorb liquid from the sauce to hydrate, eliminating the need to boil and cool them before using them. Then, since this is a vegetarian lasagna, there’s no need to get out another pan to cook ground beef or sausages. And, finally, using frozen chopped spinach entails defrosting and squeezing it dry instead of cooking and chopping, then squeezing out the excess liquid.

What Can You Use Instead of Ricotta?

Ricotta is a soft Italian cheese that’s often used in lasagna. My mom used cottage cheese and that’s probably the best alternative. Other options include cream cheese, sour cream, tofu, and even goat’s cheese or yogurt.

Do You Need to Cook the Spinach Before Adding it to the Lasagna?

Yes, it should be cooked and chopped. Purchasing frozen, chopped spinach eliminates those steps. You will only need to defrost and squeeze out all the excess liquid.

What’s the Best Way to Squeeze the Liquid Out of Cooked Chopped Spinach?

Using a ricer works well, though it’s difficult to clean. You can also hand squeeze it with well-washed hands. I do that method over a strainer in the kitchen sink.

How Long Can You Keep the Leftovers?

Leftover lasagna will keep for 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator as long as it hasn’t been left out on the counter for more than 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and reheat it at 350° for 30-40 minutes. You can also microwave single slices until heated through.
You can also freeze your lasagna, wrapped airtight, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

You May Also Like:

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A slice of spinach lasagna on a white plate with a red handled fork
The Recipe:

Spinach Lasagna

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield 8 servings

A hearty, scrumptious pasta dish laden with spinach adapted from Cook's Country.

Ingredients

  • 3 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
  • 3 cups (24 ounces) ricotta
  • 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan
  • 2 large eggs
  • 12+ no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella
  • 3-4 mild Italian sausage links, sliced and browned, optional for a non-vegetarian version

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375º.
  2. Microwave spinach in a covered large bowl until completely thawed, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  3. Squeeze spinach dry, reserving ⅓ cup of the liquid.
  4. Pulse spinach in a food processor until ground, 8 to 10 pulses, scraping down bowl every few pulses. Wipe out the large bowl with paper towels. Transfer spinach to now-empty bowl; set aside.
  5. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
  6. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  7. Add tomatoes, ½ cup processed spinach, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 3 tablespoons basil; set aside.
  8. Process the ricotta and reserved spinach liquid in the food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  9. Add Parmesan, remaining 3 tablespoons basil, eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and process until combined.
  10. Stir the ricotta mixture into the remaining processed spinach.
  11. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 ¼ cups of sauce. Top with 3 noodles and spread one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.
  12. Sprinkle with ⅔ cup mozzarella and cover with 1 ¼ cups sauce and sprinkle with sausage pieces, if using. Repeat twice, beginning with noodles and ending with sauce. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, remaining sauce, and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
  13. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil sprayed with vegetable oil spray and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Discard foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1218mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 24g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American, Italian-American / Category: Pasta