Spinach Lasagna
Make this spinach lasagna recipe for a special occasion or just because! This foolproof lasagna is made from scratch yet comes together easily.
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on November 19, 2024
This spinach lasagna is gloriously cheesy, perfectly saucy, and fully loaded with fresh sautéed spinach. It’s worthy of special occasions and holidays, and such a treat on a chilly weekend.
If you’re craving a meatless main dish with familiar flavors, this spinach lasagna is the answer. The sauce is made from scratch and sets this lasagna apart from your average recipe. It’s comfort food at its finest.
This spinach lasagna recipe requires some effort, as all lasagnas do. That said, it comes together beautifully and is 100 percent worth your while. No-boil noodles save time and effort—have you ever tried working with floppy, sticky, freshly-boiled lasagna noodles? No need to struggle for this recipe.
If you’re new to making lasagnas, this is a great recipe to start with. It’s a bit easier than my veggie lasagna, which is my other go-to recipe! This one is essentially my spinach artichoke lasagna without the artichoke. It’s so delicious that it deserves the spotlight.
Spinach Lasagna Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to find the full recipe. Before you get started, here are a few helpful notes and substitution options.
- This lasagna is designed for no-boil lasagna noodles, which are so easy to use. I like DeLallo’s whole wheat no-boil noodles or 365 brand’s regular no-boil noodles. For gluten-free lasagna, try Jovial’s gluten-free no-boil noodles.
- I used cottage cheese in this recipe instead of classic ricotta. We’ll blend half of the cottage cheese to make it super creamy and stir in the rest for some texture. This is a little trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen. If you’re accustomed to ricotta, you can use it instead, but I love the flavor and texture of cottage cheese more (and I don’t usually love it).
- If you are in a hurry, substitute store-bought marinara for the homemade sauce below. My favorite brand is Rao’s. If you can spare five minutes of effort, the sauce comes together quickly and offers the perfect amount of moisture.
- You could sauté thawed frozen spinach instead of fresh, but the fresh spinach flavor is lovely with the fresh-tasting tomato sauce.
How to Make Spinach Lasagna
The recipe below relies heavily on a food processor. You’ll use it to make the red sauce, then rinse it out to make the creamy ricotta, and lastly, to blitz the cooked spinach into bite-sized pieces.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can judiciously use the pulse function on your blender.
If you don’t have a food processor or blender, buy crushed tomatoes instead of diced, skip the blended cottage cheese step and chop the spinach mixture after it’s done cooking.
Watch How to Make Spinach Lasagna
Spinach Lasagna Serving Suggestions
For an Italian restaurant-style dinner, make my Homemade Caesar Salad or Vegetarian Italian Chopped Salad. Try Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw if you’re craving something different, or a Super Simple Arugula Salad for ease.
For a vegetable side, crank up the oven and roast green beans or asparagus while the lasagna cools. They cook so quickly that they’ll be warm and ready when it’s time to eat.
If you’re considering dessert, try a small treat like rich, chocolatey Pots de Crème or bright, jammy Thumbprint Cookies.
More Italian Casseroles to Enjoy
If you love this recipe, bookmark these cheesy, saucy, baked dishes for later. They’re all so good!
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Spinach Artichoke Lasagna
- Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Italian Eggplant Parmesan
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
Please let me know how your spinach lasagna turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Spinach Lasagna
Make this spinach lasagna for a special occasion or just because! This lasagna tastes even better the next day. Recipe yields one 9-inch square lasagna, which is enough for 8 to 9 servings.
Ingredients
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups jarred marinara sauce)
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Spinach mixture
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small-to-medium yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Remaining lasagna ingredients
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Sprinkle of additional chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To prepare the tomato sauce, pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and let them drain off excess juice for a minute. Transfer drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper flakes (if using). Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have about 2 cups of sauce).
- Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
- Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach. Continue cooking for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach has dramatically reduced in volume and very little moisture remains in the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the contents are finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 12 to 15 times. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with remaining cottage cheese and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
- Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch square baker. Layer three lasagna noodles on top, overlapping their edges as necessary. Spread half of the spinach mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ½ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with three more noodles, followed by the remaining spinach mixture. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top. (We’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Top with three more noodles, then spread the remaining tomato sauce over the top so the noodles are evenly covered. Sprinkle evenly with all of the remaining cheese.
- Wrap the lasagna with a layer of parchment paper over the top (or cover tightly with aluminum foil, but don’t let the foil touch the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180 degrees and continue cooking for about 12 to 17 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.
- Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before sprinkling with chopped basil and slicing. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Gently reheat individual servings in the microwave or oven as needed. Or, freeze it for later—it’s generally easier and quicker to reheat single servings than to defrost a big block of lasagna.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Spinach Artichoke Lasagna.
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free no-bake lasagna noodles, such as Jovial brand.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Follow my Best Vegan Lasagna recipe instead, replacing the carrots and mushrooms with 6 ounces of additional spinach.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Could you use ricotta cheese instead of cottage?
Hi Leanne, definitely! Use the same amount.
Thanks Kate, I will definitely be trying this, lots of spinach in the garden.
I made your Pasta alla Norma and it was just excellent. I’d like to try this recipe too, Spinach Lasagna, however I could neither print it out nor having it sent to my email. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you and best regards, Greg.
Hi Greg, thank you so much for your note. I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble. Did you try the teal green “print” button above the recipe? What happens if you click that button? The “Save this recipe” form should send a link to the recipe to your email. What happened when you tried that? Any details would be so helpful. I want to be sure my site works well for you!
Hi. This recipe looks great! Can I use crushed tomatoes instead of diced? Thanks.
For sure! We’re blending them up anyway. You’ll still want to drain them in step one. I hope that works well enough.
My husband really dislikes spinach in all forms. Do you think it would work to substitute broccoli?
Hi Edna! You could try. You would want to cook the broccoli until it’s nicely tender—I would probably steam it with a splash of water in the skillet and cover it to make sure. You’d probably have better luck making my veggie lasagna and omitting the spinach, though.
This is one of the best lasagna recipes I have ever tasted!!!
Olivia, that’s great to hear! Thank you!
I have made your vegetable lasagna more than once and loved it!
Can I make it dairy free? Use tofu in place of cottage cheese?
I am a fan Kate and everything I have made is so good!
Everyone wants that granola recipe!!
Thanks ❤️
Thanks so much, Pam! Yes, you can make it dairy free. I had to fiddle with the moisture content when I switched to cashew cream. Follow my vegan lasagna recipe and I know it will turn out well!
This was so good! I don’t normally make lasagna because it can be so heavy but this was great and not heavy feeling even with ricotta which is what I used.
Delighted to hear it! Thank you, Sarah!
This was amazing!
Thank you so much for another delicious recipe!!
Thank you for letting me know, Brenda! :)
Made this last night — delicious!
I was in a rush so used local Italian market sauce and an immersion blender with its food processor attachment.
Leftovers next day (with extra sauce on top) were dreamy.
Thanks for this recipe.
Hooray! Thanks for your feedback, Valerie!
I am making this recipe next week for the first time. Can I have the lasagna assembled the day before I want to bake it?
Hi Shelia, yes, I think that will work well! Since the lasagna is starting off cold, it might need a few extra minutes in the oven. Be sure to wipe any condensation off the outside of the baking dish before placing it in the oven to avoid thermal shock.
Delicious! A lot lighter than traditional lasagna but still had all the right flavours. I was a bit confused by the amount of cottage cheese (2 cups and in total 16 ounce or 2 16-ounce cups?) but it ended up great.
I’m so glad! Sorry for the confusion—2 cups comes to 16 ounces total.
I have almost gone exclusively to a plant based diet and I love your recipes! My kiddos will eat most of them as well. Anytime I can make one meal for the whole family is incredible. This recipe was wonderful! Thank you!!
Can I double the recipe & use a 9×13 pan?
Want to make for a large group!
I’m a huge fan & love all your recipes! Your cookbook is the best!
Jeri, it’s so great to hear from you, thank you! Yes, that should work. Use an extra-deep pan, like at least 3 to 4 inches tall. It might need some extra time in the oven since it’s larger.
Made this spinach lasagne last night and it was delicious, absolutely loved it! Assuming I’m able to freeze portions?
Hi Jade, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can freeze portions, for sure.
Will definitely make this tomorrow
Thank you
Kathleen
p.s. I saw the message below about difficulties with printing and mailing. A very simple way is to send it to one’s own FB MESSENGER. Then it’s available with one click on the recipe photo.
One of the best vegetarian lasagnas I’ve made. Doubled this and had to add an extra tin’s worth of tomato sauce. But it was fantastic.
Thank you, Nate! So glad you enjoyed it.
I want to make lasagna today but couldn’t get no boil noodles. How can I use the noodles I have to boil in advance?
Thanks, I’ve made several of your recipes and have never been disappointed!
Diane
Thanks so much, Diane! The no-boil noodles absorb some moisture as they cook, so I’m afraid your dish might be too soupy if you boil noodles in advance. You can try it and perhaps reduce the marinara by 1/2 cup—that’s my best guess.
Can I use my standard 8x8x2-1/2″ white 2 qt ceramic baking dish instead of 9″? I don’t have any other recipes calling for 9″.
Hi Carol, I’m sorry, I’m afraid that one might be a big snug. I wouldn’t want the lasagna to overflow. You could use your best judgment as you layer it—maybe two layers would fit and the rest could go in a smaller dish?
Love this recipe! How long should I bake it if I’m doubling the recipe?
Hi Britt, be sure to use a 9×13″ pan with tall sides. Some are too shallow for this one. I think you’ll need to bake it longer, but I’m not sure the exact timing. I’d probably start paying close attention toward the range offered in the recipe and bake until the top is spotty brown. Let me know how that works out!
We did a small non-traditional Thanksgiving this year so I decided to make this and it was a hit. One person was highly suspicious of using cottage cheese instead of ricotta but apologized after cleaning his plate. Even better the next day, as you said.
Success!! I’m glad you won him over with this recipe. It’d be great with ricotta, too. :)
The only oven ready lasagna noodles I could find were too big for a 9 x 9 pan. I had to trim them with scissors. Smells and looks lovely though.
Hi Brian, I’m glad you thought of that solution! The kinds I’ve bought have all been shorter than my pan.
Terrific. I didn’t measure the amount of spinach; winged it. Ran out of enough mozzarella and threw in some parmesan. Used 365 brand no boil lasagna noodles, much to my hesitation. It all turned out great.
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you!
This looks like a great recipe! How far in advance can the lasagna be assembled before baking? Could it be put together a day in advance and refrigerated overnight? Any tweaks to the recipe if I were to do that? Thank you!
Hi Felicity! I believe you could assemble it one day in advance, no problem. Just expect it to take a little longer in the oven since it’s starting off so cold.
I am having a hard time finding a real 9 x 9 ceramic bakink dish. If the dish measures 9 x 9 across the top, it narrows down and is about 8.5 or 8.25 across the bottom. What is the brand of pan you use in the video?
Thanks,
Mary
Hi Mary! I’m sorry for the trouble. Here’s the baking dish that I use.
Am making this for 5 people and my dish is 7-1/2 by 12 inches, and 2-1/2 inches deep. Do you think the ingredients for this recipe will fit a dish this size and, if not, what do I need to do to compensate?
Hi Georgina, I’m pretty confident your dish will work since it has about the same volume as my dish. You might need to space out your noodles just a bit to get them across a wider pan (mine overlapped, so maybe yours will just barely touch). Hope it works out well!
So delicious! Looking forward to trying with artichoke next time.
What a lovely dish. Made it last night for family and everyone was excited. Not at all heavy like other lasagna recipes but so very satisfying. Maybe next time I make it I will use less garlic in the spinach mixture as there is already some in the tomato sauce. Thank you so much for all your great recipes!
Have made almost all your recipes and they are fabulous! Just a polite request – be great if you could also add the metric measurements to your recipes as well as temperatures in centigrade for those of us across the pond :)
I made this and it came out great, but I must have missed the part about overlapping the no-boil lasagna noodles in the pan when I read the recipe, so I left spaces between them thinking that they would grow in cooking to meet edges. Next time I’ll try it with overlapping edges. Too bad that they don’t make those noodles to some multiple of baking pan width!
Love this recipe! Comes together easily and it is delicious! Also good reheated from frozen. Another great Kate recipe!
My family LOVES this lasagna! I’ve made it several times. It’s on our favorite meals list!
Hi Kate!!! All of a sudden your site appeared on my screen, I wasn’t looking for recipes. Then I saw Cookie, she was so cute and I read your intro. I shed a few tears about Cookie and then I saw your cookbook was vegetarian! My husband and I have been vegetarians for several years. We’re also animal lovers. Right now we have a relationship withe 6 grey tabby cats (all related) that adopted us.
All the food pics look great! can’t wait to try them. Look forward to exploring your site more!
Hi, if I’m eating the next day should I cook first or leave uncooked? Thanks!
Hi Abbie, this reheats well, so it is fine to cook ahead of time. You can also assemble and refrigerate overnight, then cook it the day you plan to eat it.