Cheesiest Spinach Lasagna Recipe (Vegetarian) | foodiecrush.com (2024)

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No-boil lasagna noodles layered with a mix of cheeses, spinach and store-bought marinara make this vegetarian spinach lasagna recipe one of the easiest dinners you’ll prepare all week.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

Creating This Spinach Lasagna Recipe

I’m having some serious memories of being a kid and our annual Christmas Eve lasagna dinner with my parents and sister, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins at my Aunt Jill’s house. It was always a rambunctious night, running back and forth between watching the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Storywith my cousins, and stealingcheese-filled celery sticks and black olives from the appetizer tray.

My Aunt Jill has never been a fan of meat, so the fact that she included sausage in her original version is a testament to her love of her family and a house of 4 sons who each grew to over 6’5″ plusa husband whovery much loved meat. Luckily, the stakes have evened out for her now that she has a gaggle of gorgeousdaughters-in-laws to continue keeping those boys in check.

I still have a copy of Jill’s original recipe that includes my surprise ingredient of cottage cheese, but I’ve switched it up a bit to add even MORE cheese to make up for my skipping the meat in my version. I think 8 types of cheese definitely does the trick.

Because 30 years later, I think my Aunt Jill deserves to have a slice of meatless lasagna her way, am I right?

What’s in This Cheesy Spinach Lasagna?

One trickto lessening the lasagna-making load is to use no-boil lasagna noodles and a really good quality jarredsauce, which I’ve found in both Kroger’s Private Selection marinara saucesand DeLallo’s brand of jarred marinara. Feel free to use the flat or the ribboned style of lasagna noodles, you’ll need one box for this recipe of either/or.

I’m really picky about my ricotta cheese, which can too often taste chalky and plastic like. So I am THRILLED to have discovered that the Krogerbrand of ricotta is totally not that. It’s creamy, rich and doesn’t get watery when cooked. It’s not onlygreat in Italian food, it’s also so good on toast with a little jam. Just sayin’.

While I was at it, I loaded up on Kroger’s mozzarella, sliced provolone from the deli counter, grated Parmesan cheese and the Private Selection 3 cheese blend of Asiago, Parmesan and Romano. The provolone cheese is what creates the coveted, stringy cheese pull so if you’re thinking of skipping one of the cheeses in this dish, don’t skip the provolone!

And since this is a spinach lasagna recipe, I added a bag of frozen spinach to my cart, plus eggs to bind everything together and fresh basil to add a pop of flavor.

How to Make Spinach Lasagna

Believe it or not, this vegetarian lasagna with cottage cheese is incredibly easy to make. Because it’s a no boil lasagna recipe, all you have to do is stir together the cheese and spinach filling and then you’re ready to begin assembling your lasagna!

To layer lasagna, you first want to spoon some marinara sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish to prevent the pasta from sticking to it. Next, layer a few sheets of no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, then layer sliced Provolone cheese and shredded mozzarella over that. Top the first layer with more marinara sauce.

Repeat this process two more times, ending with a thin layer of marinara topped with shredded cheese.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until golden and bubbly.

How Long to Cook Lasagna?

This cheese and spinach lasagna needs to bake for an hour with the foil on, and an additional 10 minutes without the foil to allow the edges to crisp up a bit.

Can I Use Regular Lasagna Noodles Instead of No-Boil Ones?

Most likely, yes. However, I’ve only made the recipe below as written so I can’t guarantee whether using regular lasagna noodles will work here.

Can I Freeze Lasagna?

Assembling this dinner is so easy, and that translates to a perfect dinner for a crowd and for the holidays. If you want to make this and freeze ahead, definitely do so. Simply bake the lasagna straight from the freezerfor about 1 ½ hours, with the foil on, and another 10-20 minutes once you’ve removed the foil.

Tips for Making Cheese and Spinach Lasagna

To keepthe cheese from sticking to the foil covering the casserole and ruining thecheesy topper, I spray the foil with baking spray and also tent it loosely over the dish so it doesn’t sit on the cheese.

Be sure to wring all of the water out of the thawed spinach to avoid a watery sauce.

I’ve found this dish is even better the 2nd day.Leftovers are certainly encouraged here.

More Lasagna Recipes You’ll Love

  • Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
  • Sausage and Ricotta Lasagna
  • Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss
  • Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
  • Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo andtag me on Instagramwith #foodiecrusheats.

Cheesiest Spinach Lasagna Recipe (Vegetarian) | foodiecrush.com (8)

Print

5 from 17 votes

The Cheesiest Spinach Lasagna

Layers of no-boil noodles topped with 8 different cheeses, spinach and store-bought marinara make this lasagna one of the easiest, but most decadent dinners you'll make all week and through the busy holiday season.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword lasagna

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 411kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 16- ounce container ricotta cheese
  • 1 8- ounce container small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 5- ounce container 3-cheese blend grated cheese
  • 1 12- ounce bag frozen spinach , thawed and with all of the moisture squeezed dry
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 25 - ounce jars marinara sauce
  • 1 9- ounce package no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 12 slices provolone cheese
  • 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese , shredded
  • Basil leaves
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, 3-cheese blend and spinach with the eggs, ground black pepper and kosher salt until well mixed.

  • Spread half of a jar of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Layer 5 sheets of the lasagna sheet so they're slightly overlapping. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture onto the lasagna sheets and evenly spread on top. Layer 4 slices of provolone over the ricotta and sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Pour another half of the jar of marinara evenly over the cheese.

  • Layer 5 more sheets of lasagna and repeat by dolloping the rest of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna sheets and spread evenly, top with 4 more slices of provolone cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, and then pour half of the sauce from the remaining jar of sauce over the cheese. Top with 5 more layers of the lasagna sheets and pour the remaining half of the marinara sauce over the noodles and top with the remaining slices of provolone cheese and mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

  • Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes or until bubbly. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minute or until the cheese is lightly browned.

  • Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil leaves and fresh grated parmesan.

Notes

To keepthe cheese from sticking to the foil covering the casserole and ruining thecheesy topper, I spray the foil with baking spray and also tent it loosely over the dish so it doesn't sit on the cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 998mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4609IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 542mg | Iron: 2mg

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Cheesiest Spinach Lasagna Recipe (Vegetarian) | foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep veggie lasagna from getting soggy? ›

For this recipe, we help reduce excess moisture by using no-boil noodles, cooking the mushrooms, onion and bell peppers before adding them to the lasagna, and squeezing the liquid out of the cooked spinach with a kitchen towel. You want your veggies as dry as possible so you are not adding more moisture than necessary.

How do you make spinach lasagna less watery? ›

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.

Why do you put egg in ricotta cheese for lasagna? ›

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.

Why do people use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in lasagna? ›

The Best Cheese For Lasagna

Ricotta brings the rich creaminess while cottage cheese lightens things up and seasons the whole dish.

Why is my spinach lasagna watery? ›

The sauce could be too watery. The noodles can be holding on to water. The vegetables are releasing excess moisture. If you are using ricotta be careful of the moisture it can add.

What makes lasagna soggy? ›

Watery tomatoes aren't the only culprit for soupy lasagna: Oils from cheese and meat and water from lasagna noodles and vegetables can affect your lasagna's consistency.

How do you fix soggy spinach? ›

If your spinach is slimy when you open it on the same day you purchased it, you should be able to return it to the store for a refund or replacement. Wilted spinach, however—leaves that are green and undamaged but just a little limp—can often be revived with a five-minute soak in ice water.

How do you keep spinach from clumping in pasta? ›

As Neil and Jonas have pointed out, slicing the leaves will more evenly disburse the spinach evenly throughout the pasta (when tossed), leaving less to stick together. I also like to saute the sliced spinach with other goodies like thinly-sliced portabello mushrooms, red onions, red (or green) bell peppers.

How do you thicken lasagne cheese sauce? ›

A general ratio to work with is 2 tablespoons flour for every cup of liquid. Start by adding a little bit, then cook, stirring, for a few minutes to allow the sauce time to thicken and cook off the raw flour taste; if the results are minimal, add more.

Do I need to mix egg with ricotta for lasagna? ›

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

What happens if you don't add egg to ricotta for lasagna? ›

Of course you don't need the egg and can leave it out altogether and your lasagna will be fine but may not cut into perfect pieces. Why should we mix ricotta cheese with egg when making a lasagna? People use egg to make the ricotta firm and bind it, but if you drain the liquid out of your ricotta, you don't need egg.

What do Italians use instead of ricotta in lasagna? ›

In Italian cuisine, ricotta cheese is a popular ingredient in many dishes, but when it's not available, Italians may substitute it with other soft cheeses like mascarpone, stracchino, or crescenza.

Can I use sour cream instead of ricotta? ›

Sour cream: The textures are obviously quite different. But, in a pinch, sour cream can pass as a ricotta alternative in a dish where cheese isn't the star of the show. If you're looking for a sub for lasagna, though, reach for cottage or goat cheese instead.

Which is better, cottage cheese or ricotta in lasagna? ›

I use both; cottage cheese is healthier and ricotta is creamier, so you get the best of both worlds by using both of these cheeses in your lasagna.

Do Italians use ricotta in lasagna? ›

In southern Italy lasagna is generally made with dried sheets of pasta layered with rich meat ragú, ricotta and mozzarella. In the north, especially in Bologna, the most popular version of lasagna features fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with ragú, bechamel and Parmigiano Reggiano.

How do you add moisture to lasagna? ›

My Crockpot lasagna is too dry and doesn't have much flavor. Any way to fix it? You can add more tomato sauce or wet ingredients, and salt, and pepper to add moisture and flavor.

How do you make lasagna stay firm? ›

How To Make Perfect Lasagna Layers That Don't Fall Apart
  1. 1 Make the sauce super flavorful and chunky. The key to any pasta is the pasta sauce. ...
  2. 2 Simmer down the sauce until thickened. Another important tip is to simmer down the sauce. ...
  3. 3 Don't add too much sauce. ...
  4. 4 Let it rest.
Oct 14, 2021

How do you store vegetable lasagna? ›

Make Ahead and Storing Tips

To make it ahead, assemble it and store the unbaked lasagna in the fridge for up to 2 days. (I like to add a sheet of parchment paper on top before covering the baking dish with foil). I prefer freezing baked lasagna.

Should I cook veggie lasagna before freezing? ›

You can take one of two approaches when it comes to freezing lasagna: assemble and freeze it unbaked, or bake the lasagna and then freeze it. Either way, plan on baking frozen lasagna within three months (any longer, and the quality starts to deteriorate).

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