Homemade Spinach Lasagna
This Spinach Lasagna recipe is a simple, delicious and balanced meal! Calling for store-bought staples and simple ingredients, this is the best kind of comfort food… and it can be made in advance for any evening or occasion.
Want to save this?
We'll email a link directly to you so you can come back to it later! Plus, you'll receive new recipes delivered to your inbox each week.
This post contains affiliate links.
This Spinach Lasagna is what I throw together when I want something comforting and homemade but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.
When we were newlyweds, I loved to take entire afternoons making pasta from scratch and simmering bolognese. It is delicious, but not sustainable at my current life phase — especially now with an active toddler who has zero interest in helping me cook.
These days, I’m all about a delicious dish made with love, even if that means using a good store-bought shortcut, like jarred marinara, to get dinner on the table quick.
This lasagna comes together in about 30 minutes of active prep time, and it’s just as satisfying as the all-day versions I used to make.
More comforting dinner recipes that come together quickly: Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings | Chicken Pesto Pasta | Turkey Taco Soup
What you need to make this recipe:
The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.
- Casserole dish
- Skillet
- Wooden spoon
- Food processor
- Rubber spatula
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here are the simple ingredients you need to grab at the store:
- Extra virgin olive oil — or another oil, if you prefer. This is to saute the spinach, so I prefer something that’s lighter.
- Garlic cloves — I love adding these to the oil before throwing spinach into a pan to cook down. They add awesome garlic flavor! If you don’t have whole garlic cloves to chop yourself, you can use the jarred minced kind.
- Fresh spinach — a whole pack of this goodness will cook down to the right amount for this lasagna recipe. You could use another leafy green if you prefer, like baby kale.
- Creamy cheeses — we use a combination of ricotta cheese and cottage cheese to make the filling. I like to blend them together until smooth so that no one has textural differences. In my opinion, full-fat dairy has better texture and flavor, but you can use a lower fat version if that’s what you have.
- Herbs — the creamy cheese filling calls for a combination of oregano and basil. You can use dried herbs or fresh herbs, though you will need more of the fresh herbs.
- Black pepper — freshly cracked adds a nice pop of peppery goodness, but you can use the ground kind if that’s what you have.
- Red pepper flakes — all you need are a pinch of these to give a little kick to our cheesy filling.
- Jarred tomato sauce — use your favorite brand. You’re going to need a lot to layer into this lasagna. You could also use a homemade marinara sauce if you have time to do that.
- No boil noodles — to make this as simple as possible. You can also boil lasagna noodles if you prefer that. Just make sure to keep them from sticking and to layer them gently to where they all are in a single layer.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese — this is the final cheese that brings everything together! You could swap this with grated parmesan cheese if you prefer that.
Variations on this recipe:
Add more vegetables. Throw in some sliced mushrooms with the garlic before you add the spinach for a meatier texture.
Cook down some meat for the sauce. You can cook some ground beef and Italian sausage together, then add the tomato sauce to it for a meaty lasagna.
How to make homemade Spinach Lasagna
Prepare. Preheat the oven, and spritz a rectangular casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set asdie.
Saute the spinach. Heat the oil in a skillet on the stovetop. Add the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, then toss in the spinach. Stir it around the pan as it cooks down, then remove from the heat once wilted.
Make the cheesy filling. Measure the cottage cheese and ricotta into the food processor. Blend until smooth and taste. Add a pinch of salt, if necessary. You could also mix these together in a bowl, though I prefer to blend them so that the texture is silky.
If you’re using lasagna noodles that you need to boil, now is the time. Cook in salted water in a large pot until al dente. You want the noodles to have a little bite to them so that they do not turn into mush in the lasagna.
Layer the lasagna.
- Add a small amount of tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. There should be enough to coat it, but not be too thick.
- Place three noodles in a single layer on top of the tomato sauce.
- Smear a third of the cottage cheese and ricotta filling onto the layer of noodles.
- Measure a third of the sauteed spinach mixture on top of the cheese mixture, then top with shredded mozzarella.
- Finish the layer with more tomato sauce.
Repeat two more times until you have three layers in your casserole dish.
Pro tip!
If your casserole dish is smaller than mine, you might not get three layers before you overfill it. Please use common sense while layering the ingredients in because you do not want to overfill or overflow your dish.
Finish the casserole with a sprinkling of the mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake until gooey and melty. More than halfway through, you’ll remove the foil and turn up the heat so the cheese melts and turns golden brown.
Let cool and then slice and enjoy while warm.
Letting the lasagna cool is important before slicing and serving. Otherwise, it will fall apart and become soupy.
how to store:
Cover the casserole with foil. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. You can also transfer the cooled lasagna to an airtight container and store this way instead.
Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through or in a lower temperature oven.
How to freeze: Ensure your casserole dish is freezer safe. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze solid. Defrost in the refrigerator then bake until warmed through.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Listen. We all know that making lasagna isn’t the easiest thing in the world. However, this one is as simple as it gets… and it’s also wonderful for sharing since it makes a pretty big batch.
If I were serving this to share, here are a few things I might do…
- Make it early. Assemble the lasagna in the morning, cover with foil and pop it in the fridge until it’s time to bake it off.
- Make two pans of it for a crowd. It won’t take much extra effort to double the recipe, so do this if you’ve got people who love lasagna.
- Serve it with a simple salad, buns, etc. for a no-frills meal that is super comforting.
When to share…
- SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER: It feels special!
- POTLUCK: This recipe travels well and feeds a crowd. You can assemble it early and bake it elsewhere, too.
- CARE CALENDAR: Lasagna feels like a warm hug, and since this dish is portable, it’s great to drop off and let the recipient enjoy when it’s convenient for them.
Here’s how I made it…
Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna
EQUIPMENT
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Spinach Layer
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
- 4 cloves garlic minced
Cheese Layer
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon fresh basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Lasagna
- 46 oz. tomato sauce
- 9 No Boil Lasagne Noodles
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Want to save this?
We’ll email a link directly to you so you can come back to it later! Plus, you’ll receive new recipes delivered to your inbox each week.
Instructions
Prepare the Sautéed Spinach
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet of medium-high heat. When warm, add the minced garlic.
- When the garlic is sizzling, add the spinach.
- Cook the spinach until just wilted, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the Cheese Layer
- Measure the ricotta, cottage cheese, oregano, basil, black pepper and red pepper flakes into a food processor.
- Process until smooth and combined, then set aside.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9" x 13" baking or casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread a spoonful of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Place three of the no boil lasagne noodles in a single layer side by side on top of the tomato sauce. Make sure they are spread across the dish.
- Take a third of the cheese mixture, and spread it on top of the noodles.
- Sprinkle a third of the spinach on top of the cheese mixture.
- Add a third of the shredded mozzarella on top of the spinach.
- Top with more tomato sauce.
- Repeat two more times until you have three layers of lasagna. (This will vary by pan and if yours is larger or smaller than mine shown here. You do not want to overfill the casserole dish, so use your common sense here.)
- Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top of the final layer of tomato sauce.
- Cover the lasagna with foil, then transfer to the preheated oven.
- Bake 30 minutes, then remove the foil.
- Turn up the oven to 425°F, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese on top is slightly browned and melted, and the rest of the dish is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven, and let cook for 15-20 minutes so that the layers can set. You can let it sit for longer than this, too.
- Cut the lasagna into eight equal servings, and enjoy warm!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Love the sound of this!! That sauce looks fantastic too!!!
Thanks so much, Angela! This combination of flavors is fantastic, and the sauce is delicious, too!
This looks so tasty! 🙂 I think I might just have to make lasagna for dinner tonight.
This looks amazing!!! My kiddos are not meat eaters so this would be great for them, going to have to try it this week!
Thanks, Jenn! I hope your kids enjoy this dish! My daughter was a big fan of it!
I want this for dinner tonight! Yum!
I totally support you in making this for dinner tonight, Justine. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!
My friend’s husband is vegetarian and so they’re always looking for new recipes that keep meat eaters and vegetarians alike happy! Will be passing this along to her 🙂
Thanks for passing this along, Bintu! It’s always fun to find new recipes, and I hope they enjoy this one.
I need to make this for my family… they love lasagna and spinach!
Hooray! Lasagna and spinach together are such a great combination, and I hope your family enjoys this dish as much as mine did.
I love your definition of homestyle- made with love! That’s a great way to put it. This lasagna dish sounds so delicious! We are looking to cut down on our consumption of meat, and this looks like a hearty and filling dinner where we wouldn’t miss it at all!
Thank you, Theresa! I think that’s what it all comes down to for me: If it was made with love. Like y’all, we are looking to cut down on our consumption of meat, too, and this lasagna was hearty and filling enough that it was devoured in less than a day and a half!
This looks amazing! You can’t go wrong with Lasagna!
Thank you, Rachel! I agree. Lasagna is ALWAYS a good idea!
I love lasagna of all kinds and a shortcut here and there are definitely in order with busy lives and little ones! This looks delicious!
Having shortcuts when you’ve got a busy life is a must! I’m glad that you do that, too! Here’s to lasagna!
I need to make a vegetarian dinner for a friend who is recovering from surgery. This will be perfect!
I hope your friend enjoys this vegetarian dinner! We’re not vegetarians, but we all loved this dish!
This sounds so flavorful and a great vegetarian option!
Thank you, Kimberly! This really IS a great vegetarian option!
I have not tried a vegetarian lasagna before but this one looks delicious!
I hope that if you give this a try, Mary, that you enjoy it!
This looks so great, Erin! I bet that sauce from Ragu is great in a pinch when you don’t have time to cook a from-scratch sauce. I need that in my life! But it would be so much simpler to just come over for dinner, right?!
Thank you, Susannah! The Ragu really is great since I don’t have a ton of time to cook from-scratch sauce these days. Why don’t you live closer? You could’ve come over when we made this for dinner!
This lasagna looks easy AND delicious! Right up my alley!
Thank you, Michelle! Easy and delicious lasagna is right up my alley, too!
I absolutely love veggie lasagna! This looks great!
You and me both, Michelle! So happy you’re into this kind of lasagna, too!
I STILL use the same lasagna recipe inspired by our cooking together at LSU. Spinach mixed into ricotta and cottage cheese, homemade sauce (when I can – which is rarely), and no-bake noodles!
I love that! That’s my go-to, as well, but like you, I hardly have time to make the homemade sauce these days. This is a fun spin on it with the same cheesy goodness. Y’all should give it a go!
Vegetarian lasagna is one of my favorite dishes – can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thank you, Jenny! There’s something so simple and wonderful about a vegetarian lasagna, and I’m so glad we have this one in our dinner rotation now. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This looks so yummy!
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Lasagna in 30 minutes? This is awesome! I like that this is a way to add some extra veggies to a meal, too.
Yes, ma’am! I love adding extra veggies, too, so this is always a win!