Spinach Lasagna with Ricotta
Updated May 21, 2025, Published Jun 09, 2022
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My famous Spinach Lasagna is filled with layers of tender pasta, creamy ricotta cheese, spinach, and homemade tomato sauce. A vegetarian lasagna recipe perfect for family dinners or make-ahead meals. Get ideas here for what to serve with Lasagna.
Why This Recipe Stands Out
” First time I ever made lasagna, and this recipe couldn’t be easier! The taste of each element was so so good, especially the tomato marinara. It truly does makes a difference when you choose the better variety of canned tomatoes.
– DAKSHEE
Definitely a new favourite recipe for me, and will keep coming back to this one again and again.”
More ricotta recipes to try: Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Asparagus and Baked Eggplant with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta. For my spinach lovers: Easy Spinach Quiche, Spinach Manicotti, Creamed Spinach, and Spinach Garlic Pasta Recipe!
Simple Ingredients
Only wholesome and fresh ingredients will help make this spinach lasagna recipe the absolute BEST!
- Lasagna pasta sheets (store-bought, no boil also work), or make your own- Authentic Homemade Pasta Recipe.
- Sugo al pomodoro (add garlic cloves to the sauce if you like)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A drizzle of good quality olive oil adds a fruity richness and helps sauté the spinach to perfection. It’s the base of so many Italian recipes, and for good reason!
- Spinach, cooked – Tender, slightly earthy spinach adds color and freshness. It’s the perfect counterpart to creamy ricotta and makes each bite feel nourishing and hearty. If you use frozen spinach, make sure to thaw and drain the liquid.
- Whole Milk Ricotta – This is the heart of the filling. Choose the best-quality ricotta you can find—rich, smooth, and slightly sweet. It makes all the difference in flavor and texture.
- Egg – A single egg binds the ricotta mixture, helping it hold together when sliced. It also adds richness without overpowering the delicate flavor of the cheese.
- Ground Nutmeg (optional) – Just a touch enhances the creamy ricotta with a warm, almost sweet spice. It’s a little nod to traditional Italian lasagna fillings.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Adds that melty, stretchy layer we all love.
- Parmigiano Cheese – Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano brings sharp, salty depth. It adds a savory punch to balance the softness of the ricotta.
- Fresh Basil Leaves – Bright and fragrant, basil adds a burst of herbal freshness. I like to scatter it between the layers or on top just before serving.
- See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe Variations
- Meat: Add meat to the red sauce such as crumbled and cooked Italian sausage, cooked ground beef, or diced grilled chicken. Try my white chicken lasagna and lasagna bolognese recipes.
- Veggies: Feel free to add other vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or carrots. Try my Mediterranean lasagna recipe that is veggie-packed.
- Greens: You can substitute kale, escarole, or other cooked greens for spinach.
- Cheese: Try adding other cheeses such as fontina, provolone, or Pecorino Romano. Add a bechamel sauce with a flour butter roux for an extra layer of goodness. Not traditional, but try adding cottage cheese!
- Spices: try adding other herbs and spices like garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, thyme, or rosemary. If you make my homemade Italian seasoning, use that!
How To Make Spinach Ricotta Lasagna
The recipe card below provides a complete list of measurements and instructions. You can prepare the filling and homemade marinara sauce ahead of time and assemble them when you’re ready to bake.
Step #1: This dish begins with a spinach and ricotta filling, a mixture of cooked, chopped spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, a cup of grated Parmesan cheese, herbs, and spices.
Step #2: Next, a simple Italian tomato sauce, also known as marinara sauce. I recommend making your fresh sauce, but you can use store-bought if you already have it on hand.
Step #3: Start layering the lasagna by placing a bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking pan.
Step #4: Layer the cooked lasagna pasta or no-boil pasta noodles (as seen in the photo) on top of the tomato sauce. Either no-boil or boil yourself works for this recipe.
Step #5: Add part of the spinach-ricotta cheese mixture, then add more of the tomato sauce.
Step #6: Add parmigiano cheese on top of the ricotta layer.
Step #7: Continue to layer with the lasagna noodles on top of the previous layer.
Step #8: Repeat the layers until the pan is full, ensuring the red sauce is the top layer. Sprinkle more cheese and done!
Make-Ahead Tip: You can cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for a rainy day when you need an oven-ready meal. It’s also great to take to a friend or neighbor who needs a meal.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Squeeze the spinach dry – Excess water = watery lasagna. Get it as dry as possible.
- Use quality ricotta – Whole milk and creamy. If it’s watery, strain it first.
- Season the ricotta – Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg go a long way.
- Don’t overload the layers – Thin, even layers bake best and stay intact.
- Let it rest – Wait 10–15 minutes before slicing for clean layers.
- If possible, make your own marinara sauce (sugo al pomodoro). It takes 20 minutes and is worth the fresh and light flavor. I make mine in large batches and freeze them in containers. I can pull one out whenever I need it for a recipe.
FAQ’s
There are a few reasons your lasagna is watery. If you use frozen spinach, you may not have drained or squeezed as much of the liquid out as possible. Using wet noodles that were not drained properly is another probable cause.
Yes, but the lasagna may be a little more loose than you’re used to but it will taste the same. You can omit altogether or use an egg substitute like cream with cornstarch.
This recipe includes homemade sugo al pomodoro (tomato sauce), freshly grated cheeses, fresh ricotta cheese, earthy spinach, and a hint of spices. This recipe highlights simple, fresh ingredients as traditional Italian recipes commonly do. If you ever feel like you’ve ingested a brick bomb after eating a heavy lasagna, I promise you won’t feel that way after this light and fresh recipe. It is the true Italian way, just like my Nonna used to make for us.
For this recipe, you cook the lasagna noodles before building the lasagna. This creates a more authentic lasagna recipe. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water according to the directions on the package, then lay the cooked noodles on a flat surface so that they won’t stick together. See this post on how to cook pasta perfectly every time. However, if you are in a pinch you can use no-boil pasta lasagna sheets. Here is what you need to do for that.
Using no-boil lasagna noodles decreases the prep time for homemade lasagna by at about 15 minutes total. If you use the no-boil variety, you will need to add more liquid and cover the lasagna tightly until the end, before browning the cheesy top.
No-boil lasagna noodles are often thinner than regular lasagna noodles and are partially cooked in a water bath before being dried and packaged.
They don’t require boiling, but they need additional liquid to reconstitute them during the baking process. Adding 1/4 cup of water to the sauce adds the necessary extra liquid for the noodles to cook without making the lasagna dry.
Lasagnas that contain no-boil noodles should be kept tightly covered with a lid or foil during baking, allowing the steam to help cook the noodles. Take off the cover during the last 5-10 minutes to brown the cheese layer.
Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating Instructions
Freezing Uncooked Lasagna
- Assemble lasagna in an oven-safe dish and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Thaw overnight before baking, or bake straight from frozen—just add 30 minutes to the cook time.
Freezing Cooked Lasagna
- Cool completely, wrap individual slices in plastic, and freeze in an airtight container.
- Defrost before reheating at 400°F for about 10 minutes.
- Tip: Cover with foil when reheating to prevent over-browning.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Assemble up to 6 hours in advance and refrigerate until baking.
- Store leftovers in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to 3 days.
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Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 dried lasagna pasta, also use no boil if desired
- 3 to 4 cups sugo al pomodoro
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups 1 ½ pounds fresh spinach, cooked (steamed or sautéed, liquid removed)
- 32 oz whole milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg, optional
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese, extra for top
- 2 cups freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, extra for top
- 6 fresh basil leaves, torn with hands
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Make a batch of the Sugo al Pomodoro (tomato sauce). Set aside.
- Steam or saute spinach and remove liquid. Cool completely. Cut to create small pieces.
- Mix the ricotta, egg, parmigiano, nutmeg (if using) and basil in a large bowl until combined. Once spinach is cooled, combine with ricotta mixture.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (skip steps 5-6 if using no boil noodles)
- Cook the noodles (6 at a time for dried pasta) until they are tender but still underdone (they will finish cooking as the lasagna bakes). Set aside in a bowl of cold water until ready to use. This will prevent pasta from sticking.
- Grease a 9X13 rectangular baking dish with the olive oil, add a large dollop of tomato sauce and spread it around the bottom of the pan. Put a layer of pasta (use 4-5 depending on size) in the dish (you may need to cut any excess to make them fit) top with a layer of tomato sauce, one-third of the spinach and ricotta mixture, and one-third of the grated mozzarella (use your fingers to spread it evenly). Season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Repeat the layers three times. For the top, cover with extra cheese.
- The lasagna may be made ahead to this point, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to a day or frozen.
- Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving, or cool completely, cover well, and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The lasagna recipe was delicious!
Yay! SO happy you loved!
This looks delish, I want to make ot today, will you please clarify the amount of ricotta to useI fou d it confusing, also is it okay to use 1/2 ricotta and 1\2 cottage cheese?
Thank you,
Lindy
I prefer the authentic way with all ricotta, but you can use half and half with cottage cheese. It is 32 oz. Sorry about that- we are switching recipe card layouts and a few recipes have had this occur. We are going fixing now!