Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
A meatless lasagna with a bright green spinach-ricotta filling, a fresh basil tomato sauce and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bologna's original already uses spinach, but inside the pasta: the Accademia's registered lasagne verdi colors the dough green (our Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese recipe). American vegetarian lasagna moves the spinach into the cheese. America's Test Kitchen's version loads in 30 ounces of frozen spinach, purées some of it into the ricotta and swaps the béchamel for a quick herb tomato sauce.
🇺🇸 This one is American
A meatless lasagna with a bright green spinach-ricotta filling, a fresh basil tomato sauce and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan.
🇮🇹 The original
In Bologna, lasagne are thin green spinach pasta layered with a slow meat ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano. No ricotta and no mozzarella. See the Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
A lot of spinach, finely chopped
Using nearly two pounds and chopping it fine gives real spinach flavor in every bite without stringy strands (ATK).
Spinach liquid in the ricotta
A little of the warm cooking liquid makes the ricotta smooth and adds flavor without making the lasagna watery (ATK).
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Microwave the spinach in a covered large bowl about 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until fully thawed. Squeeze it dry over a bowl, keeping 1/3 cup of the liquid. Pulse the spinach in a food processor 8 to 10 times, until finely chopped.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the chopped spinach, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and simmer 10 minutes, until slightly thick. Off the heat, stir in 3 tbsp basil.
- Step 3
Warm the reserved spinach liquid, then process it with the ricotta 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the Parmesan, remaining basil, eggs, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and process to combine. Stir into the remaining spinach.
- Step 4
Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in a 9 by 13-inch dish. Add 3 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1 1/4 cups sauce. Repeat twice. Finish with 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce and the last 1 cup mozzarella.
- Step 5
Cover tightly with oil-sprayed foil and bake 40 minutes, until bubbling at the edges. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the center is 165°F.
- Step 6
Cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting.
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
Serves 8 · one 9 by 13-inch lasagna (8 to 10 pieces) · 2 hr 30 min total
Spinach and sauce
- 30 oz frozen chopped spinach
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
- 6 tbsp chopped fresh basil, divided
- Salt and black pepper
Ricotta filling
- 24 oz (3 cups) whole-milk or part-skim ricotta
- 3 oz Parmesan, grated (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 large eggs
Assembly
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 12 oz whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (3 cups)
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Microwave the spinach in a covered large bowl about 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until fully thawed. Squeeze it dry over a bowl, keeping 1/3 cup of the liquid. Pulse the spinach in a food processor 8 to 10 times, until finely chopped.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the chopped spinach, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and simmer 10 minutes, until slightly thick. Off the heat, stir in 3 tbsp basil.
- Warm the reserved spinach liquid, then process it with the ricotta 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the Parmesan, remaining basil, eggs, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and process to combine. Stir into the remaining spinach.
- Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in a 9 by 13-inch dish. Add 3 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1 1/4 cups sauce. Repeat twice. Finish with 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce and the last 1 cup mozzarella.
- Cover tightly with oil-sprayed foil and bake 40 minutes, until bubbling at the edges. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the center is 165°F.
- Cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen, "Spinach and Tomato Lasagna" (2011, serves 8 to 10). Method in our words; quantities unchanged. America's Test Kitchen. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- No microwave? Thaw the spinach overnight in the fridge (ATK).
- Squeeze the spinach really hard; extra water is the main reason vegetable lasagnas turn soupy.
- ATK's tasters preferred Barilla's no-boil noodles; any brand works.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Spinach in the pasta (Bologna) or in the filling (America). Both Documented (Accademia via Bologna Welcome; ATK).
- Grainy ricotta is the problem with vegetable lasagna. Disputed as a rule: ATK's 2012 Vegetable Lasagna swaps ricotta for a cottage-cheese cream sauce for that reason, while this ATK recipe fixes it by blending the ricotta smooth.
Every other lasagna
Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese
Thin sheets of green spinach pasta layered at least six times with slow-cooked ragù, a light béchamel, butter and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano. No ricotta, no mozzarella.
Neapolitan Carnival Lasagna (Lasagna di Carnevale)
Curly dried lasagna layered with a long-simmered Neapolitan tomato ragù, tiny meatballs, sliced sausage, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, hard-boiled eggs and salami: the Carnival feast before Lent.
Vincisgrassi alla Maceratese
The Marche's protected baked pasta: seven or eight layers of Marsala-scented egg pasta with a ragù of chunked chicken, veal and pork plus chicken livers, a little béchamel and a crisp Parmigiano top.
Classic American Lasagna with Ricotta and Mozzarella
The lasagna most Americans grew up with: a quick beef, pork and veal tomato sauce, a basil-flecked ricotta layer and a blanket of melted mozzarella, built with no-boil noodles.
White Chicken Lasagna (Alfredo-Style)
A tomato-free lasagna of tender poached chicken and golden mushrooms in a garlicky Parmesan white sauce, under a lid of melted mozzarella.
Lasagna Roll-Ups
Curly lasagna noodles spread with herby ricotta, rolled into spirals and baked in a beef, mushroom and pepper tomato sauce under melted mozzarella.
35-Minute One-Skillet Lasagna
Broken lasagna noodles simmered right in a meaty tomato sauce in one covered skillet, finished with Parmesan and creamy dollops of ricotta. No oven, no layering.
Restaurant-Style Lasagna Classico, Inspired by Olive Garden
Inspired by, not official: a big, saucy restaurant-style lasagna with a beef-and-Italian-sausage meat sauce and four cheeses: ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and Pecorino Romano.
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Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
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Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
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Lion's Head Meatballs
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Chicken Tsukune
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