Easy Spinach Lasagna
Best Spinach Lasagna Recipe – This rustic vegetarian lasagna has four layers of spinach, tender noodles, and 3 different kinds of gooey-melty cheeses. It’s a cozy and delicious comfort food dish that’ll have everyone asking for seconds!
Why We Love This Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna Recipe
If you are wanting – nay, needing – some serious comfort food, lasagna is one surefire dish to bring all the coziness you crave. We have several different lasagna recipes on the site, like hearty Sausage Lasagna, Greek Pastitsio, Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce, and even Cool Ranch Taco Lasagna. Today’s Spinach Lasagna recipe is a perfect addition to this lineup of Italian casseroles that feature generous layers of pasta and super cheesy goodness.
This easy and unique lasagna recipe is so rich and decadent, even without meat! The spinach-packed cheese layers ups your veggie intake, without tasting like, well, “health” food. (You know what I mean.)
We are using traditional lasagna noodles that you boil before layering (because I like their texture better), but you can use no-boil pasta sheets in this recipe as well! Then all you need is frozen and thawed chopped spinach, marina sauce, some spices, and a bunch of cheese… Well, just three types of cheese, but plenty of each!
The dish comes together in only a few easy steps, and bakes bubbly golden brown and cheesy in under an hour. You can even make the vegetarian lasagna ahead of time and have it ready to reheat and serve for a stress-free but totally restaurant-quality meatless meal!
Ingredients You Need
- Lasagna noodles* – your choice of boil or no-boil (we’re using traditional boil pasta sheets)
- Marinara sauce – use your favorite store-bought jarred tomato sauce or try our wonderfully easy recipe for homemade marinara sauce
- Chopped spinach – frozen and thawed
- Cream cheese – softened to room temperature (or whole milk ricotta cheese)
- Mozzarella cheese – shredded
- Parmesan cheese – grated
- Spices – Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ground nutmeg (optional), salt and pepper
*Note – Depending on the width and depth of your 3-quart baking dish, you will need 9 to 12 lasagna sheets for this recipe. In a 9 x 13 inch dish, you should be able to use 12 noodles, four layers with three noodles each. It’s OK to go ahead and boil the whole box of pasta, because some of the sheets may break while cooking.
How to Make Spinach Lasagna
Preheat the oven and set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
If using classic dried lasagna sheets: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta per the package instructions. Once the noodles are cooked to al dente, carefully use tongs to lift them out of the hot water and lay them out on a clean work surface to cool.
If using no-boil lasagna noodles, skip the above step and make the spinach cheese filling.
Next, combine the softened cream cheese, 4 cups of mozzarella, and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the spices, then use your hands to combine the cheese mixture until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Place the thawed spinach into a mesh strainer (or sieve) set over a bowl. Press the spinach to remove as much moisture as possible… The dryer the spinach, the better the texture of the filling!
Now place the well-squeezed chopped spinach into the bowl of cheese mixture. Gently stir and toss to distribute the spinach throughout the cheese mixture.
Determine how many lasagna noodles will fit in your dish. You’re shooting for 4 layers, so most likely, this would be 3 sheets of pasta per layer, for a total of 12 sheets.
Lay the pasta sheets out on a clean work surface. Equally, divide the cheese and spinach mixture and spoon it on top of each lasagna sheet. Then, use your hands or a spatula to evenly spread the cheese mixture across each sheet.
Spoon a small amount of marinara sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around to evenly coat the bottom.
Place the first layer of lasagna noodles with cheese over the bottom of the baking dish. Then ladle 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles, and spread it out evenly.
Pour the remaining marinara over the top of the lasagna. Spread it out evenly, allowing it to cover the edges of the pasta around the sides of the dish.
Then sprinkle the top of the spinach lasagna with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and secure tightly around the edges.
Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Then carefully remove the foil from the top, and bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden around the edges, and the sauce is bubbling.
Get the Complete (Printable) Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: You can cut and serve the lasagna immediately. However, for nice-neat squares of lasagna, it’s best to allow it to rest for 30 to 60 minutes before cutting.
Restaurants often cut, plate, and reheat lasagna for this reason!
Recipe Variations
- Veggies – Swap out some of the spinach and replace it with an equal amount of other veggies, like finely chopped zucchini, mushrooms, or carrots.
- Protein – If you aren’t concerned with making this a vegetarian lasagna recipe you can add cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage to the filling. I suggest browning the meat in a skillet, then add the marinara sauce to the pan. Stir to create a quick meat sauce, then use this per the recipe instructions to make the lasagna.
- Sauce – Feel free to use whatever sauce you like! Make it with whatever jarred pasta sauce, or try this recipe with a homemade white sauce.
- Vegan – I haven’t tried this, but if you have a good melty plant-based mozzarella cheese alternative you like, go ahead and use it to make this a vegan spinach lasagna recipe!
- Servings – As-is, this recipe is made in a large 9 x 13-inch pan, for roughly 12 pieces. Halve the ingredients and prepare the lasagna in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan for 6 generous servings.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing says rustic Italian dinner quite like garlicky, warm, thick, and crusty slices of homemade garlic bread or a basket of breadsticks on the table. Or, for something quick and fun, try our fabulous 1-hour garlic knots recipe!
Freshen things up with a simple green salad topped with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette or Greek salad dressing. And although it’s not *technically* an Italian recipe, we can’t help but love a classic Caesar salad with pasta dishes as well.
If you need a ‘little snack before dinner (and don’t we all?), you’ll love our favorite Italian-inspired appetizers! Try these crispy air fryer ravioli, or mozzarella sticks, bruschetta, or Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for the best taste and texture you want to use cooked frozen and thawed spinach. That’s because frozen spinach is blanched – meaning it is cooked and cooled quickly, so it keeps its bright green color and stays tender.
I don’t recommend it… As mentioned above, blanched spinach is tender and delicious. Baking fresh spinach in lasagna will make the leaves wilt and lose their flavor. You can sauté fresh spinach in a pan, then squeeze out the excess moisture if fresh spinach is your only option.
Keep cooled leftover spinach lasagna in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Yes! Lasagna freezes well for up to 3 months, and it can be frozen either before or after baking. Whether you freeze it before or after baking, I recommend assembling the spinach lasagna in a disposable aluminum pan. Then it can go straight from the fridge to the oven!
Defrost the lasagna in the fridge overnight, then bake per the recipe instructions. You’ll likely want to add 20 minutes or so if baking the non-cooked lasagna cold from the refrigerator.
Looking for More Easy Vegetarian Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Veggie Enchiladas
- Zucchini Casserole
- Best Vegetarian Pot Pie
- Crispy Baked Tofu
- Margherita Baked Polenta
Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 box lasagna noodles regular or no-boil
- 6 cups marinara 2 – 24oz jars
- 30 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set out a 3 quart (9 x 13 inch) baking dish. Spray the inside of the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- If using classic dried lasagna sheets, set a 6-8 quart pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt. Then gently add the lasagna noodles, stir, and boil according to the package instructions. Once the noodles are cooked to al dente carefully use tongs to lift them out of the hot water and lay them out on a clean work surface to cool.
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Combine the softened cream cheese, 4 cups of mozzarella, and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Use your hands to mix the cheese mixture until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Next, set a strainer (sieve) over a bowl. Place the thawed spinach into the strainer. Push and press the spinach to remove as much moisture as possible. The dryer the spinach, the better the texture of the filling.
- Place the well-squeezed chopped spinach into the cheese mixture. Gently stir and toss to distribute the spinach throughout the cheese mixture.
- Determine how many lasagna noodles will fit in your dish. You’re shooting for 4 layers, so most likely this would be 3 sheets of pasta per layer, for a total of 12 sheets.
- Lay the pasta sheets out on a clean work surface. Equally divide the cheese mixture and spoon it on top of each lasagna sheet. Then use your hands, or a spatula, to spread the cheese mixture across each sheet in an even layer.
- Spoon a small amount of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around to evenly coat the bottom. Place the first layer of lasagna noodles with cheese over the bottom of the baking dish. Ladle 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles and spread it out evenly.
- Add the second layer of lasagna sheets with cheese, and the second layer of marinara sauce. Continue to layer until you have 4 full layers of lasagna sheets with cheese, and marinara.
- Pour the remaining marinara over the top of the lasagna. Spread it out evenly allowing it to cover the edges of the pasta around the sides of the dish. Then sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and secure tightly around the edges. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Then carefully remove the foil from the top, and bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden around the edges, and the sauce is bubbling.
- You can cut and serve the lasagna immediately. However, for nice-neat squares of lasagna, it's best to allow the lasagna time to rest for 30 to 60 minutes before cutting. *Restaurants often cut, plate, and reheat lasagna for this reason.
This recipe is a winner! I love how creamy and cheesy it is while still being packed with nutritious spinach. The instructions were easy to follow, and the end result was a rich, hearty lasagna that my whole family loved.
I’ve tried a lot of vegetarian lasagna recipes, but this one is by far the best! It’s comforting, flavorful, and surprisingly simple to make – great for a weeknight dinner or meal prep!
This Easy Spinach Lasagna Recipe is absolutely delicious! It was easy to put together, and even the meat lovers in my family couldn’t get enough!