Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods, and while it’s not the fastest meal to put together, this simple spinach lasagna recipe is about as easy as it gets. When I started making this late one evening, my partner sighed and assumed we were having ramen for dinner… “Doesn’t lasagna take, like, three days to make?”

Well, the way I sometimes make it, it can… with homemade all-day simmered Bolognese meat ragu, hand rolled noodles, and homemade ricotta cheese. I haven’t gone so far as to make the mozzarella from scratch, though I know how. It’s definitely not what you start on a whim for dinner unless you have that whim at like 6 am? And that IS an amazing lasagna, but it’s so time-consuming that I don’t make it very often.

This simplified lasagna is also delicious and so easy to throw together. Since it’s not fussy, you don’t have to save it for special occasions anymore. Lasagna, but more often? Now THAT’S something to celebrate. Even better, it’s fantastic for meal-prep and freezer meals, and reheats like a champ.

And it’s vegetarian, so whether you’re trying to reduce your meat consumption, save some grocery money, or eat more vegetables, spinach lasagna is here for you! You could also use a light meat sauce instead of the marinara if you aren’t concerned about making this a vegetarian meal.

So what makes this a “simple” spinach lasagna recipe? It’s not fussy, and we’re starting with some quality prepared ingredients. You’ll need a quart of good quality marinara sauce, some frozen chopped spinach, and either ricotta or cottage cheese, and your favorite kind of lasagna noodles.

The hardest thing is visualizing the layering and portioning out the ingredients for each layer, and we’ve got you covered here. Scroll down, and there’s a handy diagram showing clearly the layering order for assembling this simple spinach lasagna recipe.

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Simple Spinach Lasagna Recipe Ingredients

Marinara Sauce:

You could make a sauce from scratch, but this is a SIMPLE spinach lasagna recipe. We’re using a quart jar of good quality marinara sauce, either store-bought or homemade is fine. Look for one that isn’t all sugar and that has a rich tomato flavor… either a premium sauce brand like Rao’s, or a better quality store-brand. I like the Classico sauces when I’m not making my own. They’re not too sweet, have simple ingredient lists, are almost as cheap as making your own sauce, and packaged in a reusable mason jar (technically you’re not supposed to can in these, but I do it all the time and have never had one break). This isn’t a sponsored post, just personal preference- feel free to use your favorite.

If you only have a 24 oz jar of sauce, you can heat it with an 8-10 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, passata, or tomato sauce. You may need to adjust the seasoning so it isn’t bland if the tomato product you add isn’t seasoned. Taste it and season appropriately (a pinch of salt, some Italian seasoning, fish sauce or other umami additive, or your favorite pasta sauce additions). Or, open two smaller jars of marinara and refrigerate or freeze the leftover sauce.

Lasagna Noodles:

I usually use standard lasagna noodles (the kind you have to boil first). If you prefer, you could substitute the no-boil dried lasagna noodles or sheets of fresh pasta. The hardest thing about this recipe is cooking the noodles, which you can skip if you prefer or save some time by using the no-boil style lasagna noodles. I prefer the traditional ones, and don’t mind handling the hot cooked noodles, but if you don’t want to, use the no-boil noodles.

Spinach:

If you have or prefer to use fresh spinach, you certainly can. Blanch or saute it briefly, then shock it (cool rapidly with cold water to preserve the green color), squeeze out the excess liquid, then chop it.

Or… keep it simple! Slightly thaw a bag of frozen chopped spinach. Use a full 12 oz bag for a very spinach-forward lasagna, or 8 oz for a more subtle spinach flavor.

Cheeses:

This lasagna has a trio of cheeses. Melty mozzarella, nutty Parmesan, and either cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in the filling.

Which filling cheese you choose is your preference, and either works fine… ricotta is traditionally “correct”, but sometimes I like to use cottage cheese for some childhood nostalgia. My love of lasagna goes waaaay back (as the photos of my childhood Garfield-themed birthday party will attest) and my mom always used cottage cheese. I’m not even sure grocery stores in our corner of the Ozarks carried ricotta in the 80’s, or if they did it was an expensive luxury item. Silly, since I now know how easy & inexpensive ricotta cheese is to make. We’ll cover that on another day though!

You’ll need a pound and a half of grated mozzarella. You can grate it from a large block or use the bulk pre-grated bags. Freshly grated melts a little better (the anti-caking agents and preservatives in the pre-shredded stuff make it not melt as nicely) but either is really fine. Full-fat mozzarella is the most delicious and melty, but you can use part-skim too.

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese has the best flavor, but we use the bulk shelf-stable stuff a lot too. Use what you have available or can afford. You could also substitute Romano cheese or a blend.

Eggs:

These add richness and structure to the cheese filling. Don’t skip them, they’ll help your lasagna hold together when sliced and also add flavor, moisture, and protein to this vegetarian meal.

Equipment Needed to Make Lasagna

Pasta Pot & Strainer:

If you are using traditional lasagna noodles, you’ll need to pre-boil them in a pot of salted water before layering them in your pasta dish with the other ingredients. You don’t need this if you’re using the no-boil noodles, though you may need to soak them in hot water. Follow the instructions on your package of noodles!

Baking Dish:

9″x13″ metal, ceramic, or glass baking dish. This is a generous amount of filling that will just barely fit in a 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish. If you have a slightly over-sized or deeper lasagna pan, feel free to use it. Otherwise, know that your lasagna will puff up a lot during baking and will end up slightly taller than the pan.

This is why I don’t cover it with foil during the initial bake, as the cheese on top would stick to the foil. If you want to cover it, use a deeper pan, or don’t add any cheese to the top layer until you remove the foil. I like to bake it with just a sprinkle of cheese over the top layer of sauce for most of the baking time, then add the rest of the cheese during the last part of the bake so that it doesn’t burn.

Spinach Lasagna Assembly Diagram

You’ll start with a ladle of sauce in bottom of the pan so your noodles don’t stick, then build up from there. There are four layers of pasta in this lasagna, so if there are 12 noodles in your package, you’ll use three per layer, arranged so that they just touch. If there are 16 noodles, use four per layer and overlap them slightly. If any of your noodles are broken or torn, use them in the middle layers where they won’t show.

Use one third of the spinach mixture in each layer, and one quarter of the mozzarella cheese. If you start with a quart of sauce, you’ll use about 6 oz per layer. Save slightly more for the top layer so that the pasta on top doesn’t dry out.

How to Make Simple Spinach Lasagna

step one: prep ingredients & cook noodles

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil (unless you’re using no-boil noodles).
Heat the marinara sauce (in a pot on the stovetop or carefully heat the jar in the microwave)
Partially thaw the frozen spinach. It doesn’t have to be hot, just not frozen together in clumps.
Rinse and chop the fresh parsley or basil (if you’re using it).
Cook and drain your noodles (10 minutes, or the lesser amount of time listed on your pasta packaging). Do not overcook the pasta. They will continue cooking while the lasagna bakes and are hard to handle without tearing if they’re overcooked. Drizzle the drained noodles with a tablespoon or two of olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
While noodles are cooking, mix the spinach and cheese filling in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine the beaten eggs, cottage or ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg with the thawed spinach and chopped parsley.

step two: lasagna assembly

Following the diagram in the ingredients section, assemble the lasagna layers.
Spread a ladle of sauce in the bottom of the pan.
Top with noodles (3 noodles if you cooked one dozen, 4 if you have 16 noodles).
Spoon one third of the spinach/egg/cheese mixture and spread gently over the noodles.

step three: lasagna assembly

Add a thin layer of marinara sauce and spread it over the spinach layer.

step four: lasagna assembly

Sprinkle about one fourth of the grated mozzarella evenly over the sauce layer.
Repeat this layering process, following the diagram above, until you reach the last layer of noodles.

step five: lasagna assembly

Finish assembling the lasagna. The last layer will not have the spinach filling.
Top the last layer of noodles with the last of the marinara, a light sprinkle of mozzarella, and the 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
Save most of the remaining mozzarella cheese (about a cup) to add during the last 10-15 minutes of the bake so it doesn’t burn.

step six: bake the lasagna

Bake the lasagna at 375 F for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese, and return to the oven.

step seven: bake the lasagna

Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and bubbling.

step eight: rest and serve

Let the lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving the lasagna. The resting time is critical so that it will stay together and cut into even slices.

Spinach Lasagna Make-Ahead Tips

This is a great make-ahead recipe. You can assemble the lasagna and refrigerate it for a day or two before baking. I like to make and bake one of these on the weekend for easy weeknight meals or hearty lunches, or to make ahead for company. It’s also great when you know you’ll need a quick meal later. Just microwave individual portions for single servings, or heat the whole thing (covered) in a low oven (300-350 F) until it is heated through.

You can freeze a whole baked lasagna or individually wrapped portions for easy freezer-meals! This is a great make-ahead idea for parties and no-stress, no-mess holiday meals. You can freeze it either unbaked or baked for several months.

If you freeze an unbaked lasagna, thaw it in the fridge overnight before baking. Then, use a meat thermometer to check that the temperature in the center reaches 165 F in the oven before serving. This is a good idea for any lasagna or baked casserole, but especially ones like this that contain raw egg or other uncooked ingredients.

A pre-baked lasagna that was wrapped & frozen as soon as it cooled just needs to be heated through to serving temperature. You can bake this lasagna from frozen, though if you froze it in a glass pan, it’s better to not pre-heat the oven so that you don’t risk cracking the pan from the temperature shock.

a plate with a large slice of homemade spinach and cheese lasagna.

Simple Spinach Lasagna

This simple spinach lasagna recipe is easy to throw together, & a great vegetarian meal for meatless Mondays, or any day! Great for meal prep- freezes & reheats beautifully.

Makes 8 very generous dinner-sized servings. Cut smaller slices for easier portioning if you prefer, or if you are making lunches, as a side dish or first course, or for kids and others with smaller appetites.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 35

Cook Time 55

Resting Time 10

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Contemporary, Italian

YIELD large servings

Ingredients

1 quart marinara sauce (homemade or good quality jarred sauce)
16 each lasagna noodles 16 oz
1 ½ lb grated mozzarella 24 oz
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (garnish)

Spinach & Cheese Filling

24 oz small curd cottage cheese or ricotta preferably full-fat
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 oz frozen chopped spinach (sub fresh blanched & chopped spinach, cooked weight)
3 large eggs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (or basil)
½ tsp salt and pepper (each)
¼ tsp nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

Instructions

Prep Ingredients:

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil (unless you’re using no-boil noodles).
Heat the marinara sauce, either in a pot on the stove-top or carefully heat the open jar in the microwave (cover with waxed paper so it doesn't splatter, and watch and stir carefully so it doesn't boil over).
Partially thaw the frozen spinach. It doesn’t have to be hot or completely defrosted, just not frozen together in clumps. You can use the defrost setting on your microwave, thaw it ahead of time in the fridge, or steam it in a metal bowl or strainer above the pasta water.
Rinse and chop the fresh parsley or basil (if you’re using it).
Cook and drain your noodles (10 minutes, or the lesser amount of time listed on your pasta packaging). Do not overcook- they will continue cooking while the lasagna bakes and are hard to handle without tearing if they’re overcooked. Drizzle the drained noodles with a tablespoon or two of olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
While noodles are cooking, mix the spinach and cheese filling in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine the beaten eggs, cottage or ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg with the thawed spinach and chopped parsley.

Assemble the Spinach Lasagna

Refer to the diagram in the post to assemble the lasagna layers.
Spread a ladle of sauce in the bottom of the pan & top with noodles (3 noodles if you cooked one dozen, 4 if you have 16 noodles).
Spoon one third of the spinach/egg/cheese mixture and spread gently over the noodles.
Add a thin layer of marinara sauce and spread it over the spinach layer.
Sprinkle about one fourth of the grated mozzarella evenly over the sauce layer.
Repeat this layering process, following the diagram above, until you reach the last layer of noodles.
Finish assembling the lasagna. The last layer will not have the spinach filling.
Top the last layer of noodles with the last of the marinara, a light sprinkle of mozzarella, and the 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
Save most of the remaining mozzarella cheese (about a cup) to add during the last 10-15 minutes of the bake so it doesn’t burn.

Bake the Spinach Lasagna

Bake the lasagna at 375 F for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese, and return to the oven.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and bubbling.
Let the lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving the lasagna. The resting time is critical so that it will stay together and cut into even slices.

Keyword casserole, comfort food, easy, festive, healthy, holiday, meal prep, meatless meals, pasta, plant-based, simple, spring, vegetarian, winter

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COOK: Simple Spinach Lasagna