No-Fuss Spinach Lasagna

Welcome to the ultimate guide for crafting an incredibly satisfying and remarkably easy Spinach Lasagna. This beloved Italian-American classic, often hailed as the perfect vegetarian comfort food, features luscious layers of rich tomato sauce, tender no-boil lasagna noodles, creamy ricotta, fresh spinach, and a generous blend of cheeses. It’s a dish that promises to delight taste buds and warm souls, making it an ideal choice for a hearty family dinner, a cozy gathering, or even impressive meal prep. Forget the complexities often associated with traditional lasagna; our recipe is designed for simplicity without compromising on authentic, mouth-watering flavor.

While this recipe shines as a vegetarian masterpiece, its versatility allows for a delightful twist for meat lovers. You can effortlessly enhance its savory depth by incorporating slices of perfectly cooked Italian sausage, adding another layer of robust flavor to your Spinach Lasagna Recipe and satisfying every palate at your table.

A perfectly portioned slice of vibrant spinach lasagna, showcasing its beautiful layers of pasta, creamy ricotta, green spinach, and melted cheese, rests invitingly on a clean square white plate, ready to be enjoyed.

Contents

Why This Easy Spinach Lasagna is a Must-Make

Preparing a homemade lasagna doesn’t have to be an all-day affair. This Easy Spinach Lasagna recipe has garnered rave reviews and is a testament to how simple yet profoundly delicious a classic dish can be. Here’s why this recipe deserves a permanent spot in your culinary repertoire:

Tested and Approved Excellence: This specific lasagna recipe earned its stripes by being featured on Cook’s Country TV. For those familiar with Cook’s Country, you know their rigorous testing process ensures every recipe is thoroughly vetted, perfected, and foolproof before it ever reaches an audience. This means you’re getting a recipe designed for success, promising consistent, delicious results every single time. Their endorsement is a stamp of quality you can trust.
A Vegetarian’s Dream Dish: For individuals following a vegetarian diet, finding a rich, hearty, and satisfying main course can sometimes be a challenge. This spinach lasagna elegantly fills that void, offering a protein-packed, vegetable-rich meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor or substance. It’s light enough to feel fresh, yet robust enough to be truly fulfilling, making it a perfect meatless option for any occasion.
Effortless Customization for All Tastes: One of the beautiful aspects of this lasagna is its inherent flexibility. While it stands strong as a vegetarian entree, it effortlessly accommodates carnivores. With a simple addition of sautéed, sliced Italian sausages, you can transform half or even the entire dish to cater to those who prefer a meatier profile, without needing to prepare two entirely separate meals. This makes it an ideal choice for households with diverse dietary preferences.
Remarkable Ease and Time-Saving Features: The “easy” in Easy Spinach Lasagna is not just a catchy title. This recipe strategically utilizes no-boil lasagna noodles and pre-chopped frozen spinach, dramatically cutting down on preparation time and effort. Gone are the days of precooking pasta or painstakingly chopping and blanching fresh spinach. These smart shortcuts ensure that even on a busy weeknight, a homemade, comforting lasagna is well within reach.
Perfect for Meal Prep and Feeding a Crowd: Lasagna is renowned for being an excellent make-ahead dish, and this version is no exception. It’s perfect for preparing in advance for busy weeknights, special gatherings, or simply ensuring you have delicious leftovers for days. Its generous yield makes it an economical and satisfying choice for feeding larger families or entertaining guests.

I distinctly remember catching an episode of Cook’s Country TV one Saturday afternoon when they showcased this Spinach Lasagna. Knowing my daughter’s deep affection for any kind of spinach pasta dish, I made sure to print off this incredibly easy spinach lasagna recipe while it was still readily available online. It quickly became a cherished family favorite, a testament to its irresistible appeal.

An overhead view captures the vibrant layers of a freshly baked Easy Spinach Lasagna, nestled in a pristine white casserole dish, with golden-brown cheese bubbling around the edges, promising a rich and comforting experience.

Essential Ingredient Notes for Your Perfect Lasagna

Crafting the perfect Spinach Lasagna begins with selecting quality ingredients. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each component plays a vital role:

Kitchen Staples: These foundational ingredients are likely already in your pantry.
- Olive Oil: A good quality extra virgin olive oil provides a rich base for sautéing and adds a subtle, fruity depth to your sauce.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning every layer, bringing out the best flavors of the other ingredients. Always season to taste.
- Large Eggs: Act as a binder for the ricotta and spinach filling, ensuring it holds together beautifully and adds a richer texture.
- Onion & Garlic Cloves: The aromatic backbone of any great Italian sauce. Finely chopped onion and minced garlic cloves create a deeply savory and fragrant foundation.
Frozen Chopped Spinach (3 10-ounce packages): The star vegetable of our lasagna. Using frozen, pre-chopped spinach is a fantastic time-saver. Remember to defrost it completely and, most importantly, squeeze it thoroughly dry. Excess moisture will make your lasagna watery, so this step is crucial for a firm, flavorful filling.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (⅛ teaspoon): Adds a subtle hint of warmth and a touch of complexity to the tomato sauce. Feel free to adjust the amount based on your personal heat preference – a little goes a long way.
Canned Crushed Tomatoes (2 28-ounce cans): The heart of your sauce. Opt for high-quality crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano for their balanced sweetness and low acidity. This will yield a richer, more flavorful sauce that truly elevates the entire dish.
Fresh Basil (Chopped): Offers a vibrant, aromatic freshness that is quintessential to Italian cuisine. Fresh basil brightens the flavors of the tomatoes and cheeses, providing an authentic taste. While dried basil can be substituted in a pinch (use 1 teaspoon dried for every tablespoon fresh), fresh is always preferred for its superior aroma and flavor.
Ricotta Cheese (Full-fat, 3 cups/24 ounces): The creamy soul of the lasagna filling. Full-fat ricotta provides the best texture and richest flavor, ensuring your lasagna is wonderfully moist and luxurious. For a slightly different, often creamier texture, cottage cheese can be substituted. If using cottage cheese, consider blending it briefly for a smoother consistency.
Grated Parmesan (1½ cups): Don’t settle for the powdery pre-grated varieties in the green can. For the most authentic and robust flavor, seek out freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Its sharp, nutty, and salty notes are indispensable for a truly exceptional lasagna.
No-Boil Lasagna Noodles (12+): The ultimate shortcut! These innovative noodles are designed to absorb liquid directly from the sauce as the lasagna bakes, eliminating the need for a separate boiling step. This saves time, effort, and an extra pot to wash, making the “easy” in this recipe genuinely achievable. Ensure your sauce has enough liquid to properly hydrate them.
Mozzarella Cheese (Full-fat, shredded, 3 cups/12 ounces): Provides that irresistible stretchy, gooey, and cheesy goodness. Full-fat mozzarella melts beautifully and offers the best flavor and texture. Shredding your own from a block is always recommended over pre-shredded varieties, as the latter often contain anti-caking agents that can affect melt quality.
Mild Italian Sausage Links (3-4, sliced and browned, optional): For those who love a meaty addition, mild Italian sausage is a perfect complement. Slicing and sautéing the sausage until beautifully browned allows for the Maillard reaction to occur, developing complex, savory flavors that significantly enhance the sauce. If you’re preparing a strictly vegetarian entree, simply omit this ingredient.

Expert Recipe Tips for Lasagna Perfection

Achieving a truly outstanding Spinach Lasagna involves a few key techniques and clever shortcuts. Follow these expert tips to ensure your lasagna turns out perfectly every time:

Customizing for Diverse Tastes: If your household includes both meat lovers and vegetarians, this recipe offers a simple solution. Prepare the base lasagna as vegetarian, then lightly sauté slices of mild Italian sausage separately. During the layering process, add the sausage only to certain sections of the baking dish. This way, you can easily serve both versions from a single pan, satisfying everyone without extra effort.
Embrace No-Boil Lasagna Noodles: These innovative noodles are a game-changer for lasagna. They hydrate directly from the moisture in your sauce during baking, completely eliminating the step of boiling and cooling traditional pasta sheets. This not only saves you significant time but also reduces cleanup. Ensure your sauce is adequately moist to allow the noodles to plump up to a tender, perfect consistency.
Leveraging Your Food Processor: While it might seem like an extra step, using a food processor significantly streamlines the preparation of this lasagna. You’ll use it twice: first, to finely chop the defrosted and squeezed spinach, ensuring a uniform texture that blends seamlessly into the filling. Second, it’s perfect for processing the ricotta with some reserved spinach liquid to achieve a super smooth and creamy base for your cheese mixture. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the spinach by hand and whisk the ricotta mixture vigorously until smooth.
PRO-Tip: Prevent Sticking with Foiled Excellence: To prevent the top layer of cheese from sticking to the aluminum foil during baking, lightly grease one side of the foil before covering the pan. You can use cooking spray (like Pam) on regular foil, or, even better, opt for non-stick foil which simplifies this step even further. This ensures a beautifully intact cheese crust.
PRO-Tip: Fresh vs. Dried Basil Conversion: Fresh basil provides an incomparable aroma and flavor. However, if fresh basil isn’t available, you can substitute dried basil. A general rule of thumb is to use 1 teaspoon of dried basil for every tablespoon of fresh basil called for in the recipe. Adjust to your taste, remembering that dried herbs are more concentrated.
Mastering Spinach Preparation: Defrost your frozen spinach thoroughly, ideally overnight in the refrigerator. The most crucial step is to squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. This prevents a watery lasagna. You can use a potato ricer for maximum dryness, press it firmly in a fine-mesh strainer using the back of a spoon, or, for a more hands-on approach, squeeze handfuls over a bowl with clean hands until no more liquid comes out.
Choosing a Quality Marinara Sauce: If time is of the essence and you prefer not to make your sauce from scratch, investing in a high-quality jarred marinara sauce can be a fantastic shortcut. Look for brands with minimal ingredients and robust tomato flavor. You will likely need at least two standard-sized jars (around 24-28 ounces each) to ensure enough sauce for proper layering and noodle hydration.
Adding Earthy Flavors with Mushrooms: For an extra layer of savory depth and texture, consider sautéing some sliced mushrooms (cremini or button work well) in butter or olive oil. Add these browned mushrooms to your tomato sauce along with the other ingredients. Their umami richness pairs wonderfully with the spinach and cheese.
Allow for Adequate Cooling Time: This might be the hardest tip to follow, but it’s essential. After baking, let your lasagna cool on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving. This resting period allows the layers to set, making it much easier to cut neat, individual portions without everything falling apart.
Prepare Ahead for Convenience: Lasagna is an excellent make-ahead dish. You can assemble the entire lasagna up to 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate. Before baking, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and you might need to add an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time if it’s going into the oven directly from the fridge.

A delectable slice of Easy Spinach Lasagna, showing off its rich, layered interior, is presented on a pristine white plate, with the rest of the golden-brown casserole dish visible in the background, ready for more servings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Easy Spinach Lasagna

Why Is This an Easy Lasagna?

This recipe earns its “easy” designation through several clever shortcuts that simplify the traditional lasagna-making process. First and foremost are the no-boil lasagna noodles. These innovative noodles absorb moisture directly from the sauce as they bake, completely eliminating the need for the messy and time-consuming step of boiling and then cooling conventional pasta sheets. Secondly, since this is a primarily vegetarian lasagna, there’s no requirement for cooking ground beef or sausages in a separate pan, saving you both time and cleanup. Finally, opting for frozen chopped spinach means you avoid the labor-intensive process of washing, cooking, chopping, and then squeezing out excess liquid from fresh spinach. You simply defrost and squeeze, making preparation much quicker and more efficient.

What Can You Use Instead of Ricotta Cheese?

Ricotta is a soft, creamy Italian whey cheese, traditionally used in lasagna for its moist texture and mild flavor. However, if ricotta isn’t available or you prefer an alternative, there are several excellent substitutes. The most common and often preferred alternative is cottage cheese, which my mom frequently used. Cottage cheese tends to result in an even creamier filling. Other viable options include cream cheese (softened), sour cream, pureed firm tofu (for a dairy-free option), or even a blend of goat cheese and cream cheese for a tangier profile. Greek yogurt can also work in a pinch, but ensure it’s thick and strained to avoid excessive moisture.

Do You Need to Cook the Spinach Before Adding it to the Lasagna?

Yes, whether you use fresh or frozen spinach, it absolutely needs to be cooked and, critically, have all excess liquid removed before being incorporated into the lasagna. If using fresh spinach, you would typically sauté it until wilted, then chop it and squeeze out the water. Purchasing frozen, pre-chopped spinach significantly streamlines these steps. With frozen spinach, you only need to defrost it and then thoroughly squeeze out all the excess moisture. This step is vital to prevent your lasagna from becoming watery and losing its desired structure and richness.

What’s the Best Way to Squeeze the Liquid Out of Cooked Chopped Spinach?

Extracting as much liquid as possible from the spinach is key to a non-watery lasagna. Several methods work effectively. A potato ricer is highly efficient, though it can be a bit challenging to clean. Another popular method is to place the spinach in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl or the sink, then press down firmly with the back of a spoon or a plate until no more liquid drips out. For a more tactile approach, you can use clean hands to grab handfuls of spinach and squeeze them directly over a bowl, twisting firmly to extract every last drop of water. Whichever method you choose, aim for the spinach to be as dry as possible.

How Long Can You Keep Leftover Spinach Lasagna?

Properly stored, leftover lasagna is a delight! It will keep well for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, provided it hasn’t been left out at room temperature for more than two hours. To reheat individual slices, the microwave works quickly, or for larger portions, cover with plastic wrap (or foil) and reheat in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. For longer storage, lasagna freezes exceptionally well. Wrap individual portions or the entire dish tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and it will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Always defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating for the best results.

Can I Assemble the Lasagna Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! Lasagna is a fantastic make-ahead dish, perfect for entertaining or meal prepping. You can assemble the entire lasagna up to 24 hours in advance. After assembly, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before placing it in the oven to allow it to come closer to room temperature. You might need to add an additional 10-15 minutes to the baking time to ensure it heats through completely.

What Side Dishes Pair Well with Spinach Lasagna?

Spinach lasagna is a hearty meal on its own, but it pairs beautifully with light, fresh side dishes that complement its rich flavors. A simple green salad with a vinaigrette dressing provides a refreshing contrast. Garlic bread or crusty Italian bread is perfect for soaking up any extra sauce. For a vegetable side, steamed asparagus, roasted broccoli, or a light caprese salad would be excellent choices, adding color and nutrients without making the meal too heavy.

Explore More Delicious Pasta Recipes:

If you loved this Easy Spinach Lasagna, you’ll be thrilled to discover more comforting and flavorful pasta dishes:

World’s Best Lasagna from Cupcakes and Kale Chips: Dive into another top-tier lasagna experience, with options for a gluten-free twist.
Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna: For those who enjoy a heartier, meat-forward lasagna with earthy mushrooms.
Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup: A warming and savory soup, perfect for a cozy meal, featuring robust Italian sausage and tender pasta.
Classic Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese and Sausage: A traditional take on lasagna, rich with ricotta and flavorful sausage.
Plus, explore my comprehensive collection of Best Pasta Recipes for endless inspiration and delectable meals!

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The Recipe:

Spinach Lasagna

Prep Time
30 minutes

Cook Time
50 minutes

Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes

Yield
8 servings

A hearty, scrumptious pasta dish laden with spinach adapted from Cook’s Country.

Ingredients

3 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
3 cups (24 ounces) ricotta
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan
2 large eggs
12+ no-boil lasagna noodles
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella
3-4 mild Italian sausage links, sliced and browned, optional for a non-vegetarian version

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375º.
Microwave spinach in a covered large bowl until completely thawed, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Squeeze spinach dry, reserving ⅓ cup of the liquid.
Pulse spinach in a food processor until ground, 8 to 10 pulses, scraping down bowl every few pulses. Wipe out the large bowl with paper towels. Transfer spinach to now-empty bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes, ½ cup processed spinach, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 3 tablespoons basil; set aside.
Process the ricotta and reserved spinach liquid in the food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add Parmesan, remaining 3 tablespoons basil, eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and process until combined.
Stir the ricotta mixture into the remaining processed spinach.
Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 ¼ cups of sauce. Top with 3 noodles and spread one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.
Sprinkle with ⅔ cup mozzarella and cover with 1 ¼ cups sauce and sprinkle with sausage pieces, if using. Repeat twice, beginning with noodles and ending with sauce. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, remaining sauce, and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil sprayed with vegetable oil spray and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Discard foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve.

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