You won’t miss the meat in this vegetarian take on a weeknight classic.
You don’t have to be a lazy orange cat to love lasagne, you just have to be human.
Lasagne is probably the most popular baked pasta dish in the world, and with good reason. The OG Italian-from-Italy lasagne is flatter and denser than what we’re used to in North America, and it uses a rich béchamel sauce in place of the ricotta layer that most of us use. Italian-American cooking has become a cuisine of its own, though, and you’d never find dishes like Baked Ziti or Chicken Parmesan in Italy. Along with pizza and several other dishes, the versions we make here are quite different to what Nona ate as a kid, and we’re OK with that.
This lasagne is quick and easy to make, using a jarred marinara sauce to get a delicious dinner on the table on a Tuesday night before drama class. It’s also a well balanced, healthier meal thanks to the spinach layers in lieu of meat. Many people are trying to eat less meat these days, and this lasagne gives you a meat-free meal without the feeling that your sacrificing something. It feels rich and creamy, it’s got the tang of tomato sauce, the goo of cheese and it’s filling… perfect for a family on the go.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 12 oz fresh spinach leaves
- 7 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
To assemble:
- 1 box sheets lasagna noodles
- 12 oz marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
How to Make Spinach Lasagna
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 2: Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper then let it cool. Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach and chop coarsely.
Step 3: Place the spinach, ricotta, egg, and Parmesan in a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and stir to combine.
Step 4: Spread a spoon of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan and add a layer of the noodles. Think of this step as making a lasagna sandwich, minus the bread!
Step 5: Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and top with some mozzarella cheese. Then top again with the marinara sauce.
Step 6: Repeat the layers, ending with the ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese on top.
Step 7: Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover the lasagne and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. This is the “bake it till you make it” phase. Enjoy!
Top Tips For a Perfect Spinach Lasagna
- It’s important to start with a layer of marinara sauce at the bottom, as that will ensure the bottom layer of pasta cooks correctly.
- Consider grating your own cheese – packaged grated cheese is convenient, but it has anti-caking agents added and it doesn’t melt as nicely. It’s also a lot less expensive to grate your own, and you can choose the quality and fat content of the cheese yourself.
- Buy a premium marinara sauce. Usually sold in mason jars, a good quality marinara will be less acidic and have a more robust flavour than the stuff out of a can. Of course you can make your own if you have time, but drama class, remember?
- You can also save time (and expense) by using frozen spinach. Just make sure that you thaw it and squeeze all the water out before using it.
- Consider splurging on real Parmesan cheese. The stuff in the tub works ok, but you’ll get a lovely flavour kick out of using the real thing, and a little goes a long way once you grate it.
- Use cooking spray or a paper towel dipped in olive oil on your pan before assembly = It’ll make serving easier.
FAQs
Yeah. Spinach’ll do that, because it’s mostly water. You can save the fresh baby spinach for tomorrow’s salad and use a package of frozen spinach – it’s pre-shrunk! Just be sure to give it a really good squeeze to get the water out.
A teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of Italian seasoning will do wonders to enhance the tomatoey flavors of the sauce. In fact, a little sugar is a common not-so-secret chef tip when using out-of-season tomatoes.
Never fear! Use whole ones for the bottom and top layers, and make a jigsaw out of the broken ones for the middle layers. Only you will know. Shhhh!
Serving Suggestions
One of the great things about this lasagne is that it doesn’t really need a side because all the good stuff is in there. Having said that, who could say no to a side Caesar Salad? Skip the bacon if you want to stay vegetarian. If you like your lasagne extra saucy, put a ladle of marinara on the plate underneath each slice.
How to Store the Spinach Lasagna
Leftovers, if there are any, will keep in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for three months. Just make sure it’s cold before you freeze it. It’s a bonus that this lasagne microwaves beautifully.
You can even assemble it and freeze it unbaked. Cook it from frozen, though it will take a little while longer. Keep it covered for an hour then bake uncovered for 20 minutes. You can test to see if the middle is heated through with your clean finger as long as no one is watching! You also need to be careful…
Delicious Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 12 oz fresh spinach leaves
- 7 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
To assemble:
- 1 box sheets lasagna noodles
- 12 oz marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper then let it cool. Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach and chop coarsely.
- Place the spinach, ricotta, egg, and Parmesan in a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and stir to combine.
- Spread a spoon of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan and add a layer of the noodles. Think of this step as making a lasagna sandwich, minus the bread!
- Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and top with some mozzarella cheese. Then top again with the marinara sauce.
- Repeat the layers, ending with the ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese on top.
- Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover the lasagne and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. This is the "bake it till you make it" phase. Enjoy!
Nutrition
