Perfect Spinach Lasagna

A Tried-and-True Classic

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 70 mins

Total: 110 mins

Servings: 12 servings

Yield: 1 pan

There’s little that can top lasagna when it comes to pure unadulterated comfort food. This delicious spinach lasagna recipe is a tried-and-true vegetarian version of the classic. Instead of meat, it has layers of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, your favorite purchased or homemade marinara sauce, lasagna noodles, and generous helping of spinach.

As most home cooks know, lasagna takes a bit of effort to pull together and this recipe is no different. The noodles need to be cooked and cooled. The frozen spinach needs to be thawed ahead of time and wrung dry. Then, there's the assembly and the oh-so-long baking time. But all will be worth it when you place the bubbling, cheesy casserole on the dinner table.

How to Prevent a Soggy Lasagna

Soggy spinach = soggy lasagna. Which is why it's important to thoroughly drain the thawed frozen spinach. Make sure to squeeze and eliminate as much liquid as possible. Place it in a colander and gently press the liquid out. It may be helpful to press it out using a paper towel.

The egg that's added to the ricotta also helps bind the cheese so it doesn't get runny when the lasagna bakes.

Can Fresh Spinach Be Used Instead?

Yes, you may use fresh spinach in this recipe, but the same rule applies. If you do, it's best to cook down the spinach first by sautéing it in a little oil until wilted, then squeeze out excess liquid gently in a colander or sieve.

Instead of two 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, buy two pounds of fresh. This can be either two large bunches of mature spinach or two one-pound clamshells of baby spinach. If using bunches of mature spinach, make sure to wash them well to remove any sand or dirt, then remove tough stems and discard them.

What to Serve with Lasagna

Serve this flavorful lasagna with crusty bread for a fabulous meal. We like it with garlic bread and a simple tossed salad. Lasagna can be a bit of a project to prepare, but the results are so worth it. And as a reward, it makes a lot, so it’s great for a potluck or family meal. You can also freeze and reheat it for later, too.

Tips for Making Lasagna

Squeeze the spinach—To prevent a watery lasagna, make sure to squeeze the spinach well. Place it in a colander or strainer over the sink and squeeze the spinach with your hands or press down on it with a spatula.
Using no-boil noodles—To speed up the lasagna-making process, you can substitute no-boil noodles for the regular noodles. If you can find (or wish to make) sheets of fresh pasta, you do not need to boil those either.
Avoid sticking—It’s important to lightly grease one side of the foil with cooking spray before using it to cover the lasagna or else it will stick and potentially pull away some of the top layer of cheese.
Keep spills out of your oven—If you are using a deep lasagna pan, chances are good that you won’t have to worry about spills. If you’re using a 9 x 13-inch pan you should place an oven rack below the center rack and set a foil-lined baking sheet on that rack to catch any spills.
How to save time—Lasagna noodles can be boiled ahead of time, lightly coated with oil, and kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The spinach can be thawed and drained up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated in a container. The spinach-ricotta mixture and spinach-marinara mixture can both be made up to 3 days in advance.

«This spinach lasagna was a true crowd-pleaser. Though it did take some effort to make, the resulting dish was well worth the effort, especially since it left us with plenty of leftovers. It wasn’t overly rich, but still creamy and cheesy and, as a mom feeding a toddler, I love that it was packed full of greens. » —Patty Lee

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

12-14 lasagna noodles
1 large egg
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed, drained well, and divided
1 cup (4 ounces) grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
40 ounces (about 4 1/4 cups) spaghetti sauce or marinara, store-bought or homemade (from two 24-ounce jars)
4 cups (1 pound) shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or lasagna pan.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Add the ricotta cheese, half of the drained spinach, 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt. Mix to blend well.
In a separate large bowl, mix the remaining half of the drained spinach with the marinara sauce.
Spread about 1 cup of the marinara-spinach mixture over the bottom of the baking dish, just enough to coat the bottom.
Top with a layer of noodles. A 9×13-inch pan should fit 3 regular lasagna noodles lengthwise, but you can trim and tuck your noodles into the pan as needed depending on their size. Some overlap is ok.
Top the noodle layer with about 1 cup of the marinara-spinach mixture and spread evenly over the noodles.
With a small spoon, put about a third of the ricotta mixture over the sauce layer, spacing evenly in small dollops, then sprinkle with about a quarter of the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat with two more layers of the noodles, sauce, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.
Top with another layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, shredded mozzarella, and the remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Grease a sheet of foil large enough to fit over the lasagna. Cover the lasagna tightly with the foil, greased side down. If your baking pan is very full, place a foil-lined baking sheet on a lower rack to catch spills.
Bake the lasagna for about 45 minutes, or until very hot and you can see it is beginning to bubble.
Remove the foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes longer, until very hot and the cheese has browned to your liking.

How to Store and Freeze Spinach Lasagna

This lasagna will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, as long as it's properly covered.

Lasagna is also an excellent candidate for the freezer. Once your baked lasagna has been chilled (this makes it easier to cut), cut it into individual portions and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen solid, the portions can be wrapped in foil, placed in a freezer bag, and put back in the freezer.

Leftovers will keep for up to 3 or 4 months in the freezer if properly wrapped and sealed. You can bake from frozen in the oven at 350 F for about 45 minutes, or defrost in the refrigerator and then bake at same temperature but for about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	388
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	22%
Saturated Fat 9g	44%
Cholesterol 67mg	22%
Sodium 1013mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 36g	13%
Dietary Fiber 5g	16%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 3mg	15%
Calcium 458mg	35%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 588mg	13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.