This spinach and ricotta lasagne combines creamy ricotta, spinach and mushrooms in a layered Italian pasta bake with a hint of nutmeg and a great tomato sauce! This vegetarian lasagna is great for dinner, it's super tasty and easy to make and the whole family will love it!
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While we love my classic roasted veggie lasagne which is packed with veggies and a bechamel sauce, we also love this ricotta and spinach lasagne. It's loaded with fresh spinach and creamy ricotta, I add mushrooms to this for even more flavour and a little meatiness.
This lasagne is perfect for when the weather warms up as it's a little lighter than my other lasagnas. There is no white sauce in this lasagne, it just doesn't need it. The ricotta filling is creamy enough and with that rich tomato sauce too, I promise you won't miss it.
🛒 What Do You Need
- For the filling - Spinach - I prefer fresh spinach for this dish however if you like you can use frozen spinach. I use young-leaf spinach as it has a milder flavour.
- Ricotta - I use store-bought ricotta for this recipe. You can make your fresh ricotta if you like. There are plenty of recipes out there for that if you want to have a look.
- Mushrooms - Chestnut or brown (crimini) mushrooms are great for this recipe as they have a more earthy flavour than white button mushrooms. However, if you have white mushrooms they will work fine too.
- Lasagne - I use fresh egg lasagne sheets for this recipe. You can use dried lasagne sheets if you prefer.
- Herbs and spices - You will need, fresh oregano, fresh parsley, garlic and nutmeg.
- Cheese - Along with the ricotta you will also need fresh mozzarella and Grana Padano cheese, or similar style parmesan cheese that is vegetarian.
- For the sauce - You will need onion, garlic, passata, tomato puree (tomato paste) onion, dried oregano, balsamic vinegar and bay leaves.
- Other ingredients needed - Olive oil, salt and black pepper.
🔪 How To Make Spinach Ricotta Lasagne
Please see the recipe card below for full instructions and an ingredient list.
1. Start by making the sauce. Add olive to a saute pan, add the chopped onions along with a pinch of salt then cook until softened. Add the dried oregano and garlic and cook for a minute.
2. Next, add the passata, and stir well. Then add the tomato puree, the balsamic vinegar and the bay leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce reduces and is thicker. Remove the bay leaves once ready, then check the seasoning, add more salt or pepper if needed.
3. While the sauce is simmering start cooking the mushrooms. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Remove from the pan then set aside until you are ready to use them.
4. Next, in the same pan, saute the spinach. Wipe the pan dry then add a little oil to the pan and add the spinach. There is a lot of spinach here so you may need to do this in two batches. Once the spinach has wilted, drain it then once it has cooled a bit squeeze it until all the excess liquid is gone. Then chop the spinach.
5. Add the ricotta, Grana Padano, nutmeg, chopped fresh oregano, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic cloves and salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix well. Add the chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture and mix well.
6. Next, assemble the lasagne. Spread some of the sauce all over the bottom of a casserole or baking dish. Add a layer of fresh pasta sheets.
7. Spread half of the ricotta and spinach mixture over the lasagne sheets. Then spread half the mushrooms over the ricotta mixture. Drizzle a little tomato sauce over the mushrooms and ricotta mixture.
8. Repeat for another layer. Then finish with a layer of lasagne sheets, and spread the remaining sauce on top. Top the layer of sauce with torn mozzarella and grated Grana Padano cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 185°C ( 365°F). After 20 minutes remove the foil, return the dish to the oven and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and turning golden brown.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- Saute the Spinach - This gives the spinach a little more flavour instead of microwaving or blanching it.
- Squeeze the Spinach - It's important
- Add Mushrooms - Adding fried mushrooms to the filling gives this lasagne even more flavour! You can leave them out if you like but I recommend using them.
- Fresh Lasagna Sheets - I really do prefer to use fresh lasagna sheets for all my lasagna, you do get a better result.
- Cover the Lasagne - Covering the lasagne with foil ensures that it doesn't dry out, especially that top layer of pasta, sauce and cheese! Removing it for the last part of cooking will help the cheese to melt and go golden brown.
💭 FAQs
Yes, you can freeze this. Leave the lasagne to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the freezer, and defrost fully before reheating.
Any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or the oven. Please be aware this may dry out a little bit when reheating.
I recommend using full-fat mozzarella and whole milk ricotta for the best results.
🔄 Variations
- Add more cheese - You can easily add in some different kinds of cheese to this spinach and ricotta lasagne. Try adding a little gorgonzola or stilton to add some extra saltiness. Comté or Gruyère add extra flavour too and are worth a try and will make that creamy ricotta cheese mixture even more cheesy!
- Add some spice - Sometimes I like to add a little spice to my red sauce so I add a little pinch of red pepper flakes, just to liven it up a bit.
- Add more veggies - You can easily add more veggies to this lasagne if you like. I sometimes add some hidden veggies to the sauce such as finely diced carrot or courgettes.
More Pasta Bake Recipes
- Spinach and Ricotta Pasta - packed with lots of creamy spinach and ricotta in a rich tomato sauce this pasta bake is so easy to make and tastes amazing.
- Baked Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni - this veggie cannelloni is perfect for a tasty weeknight dinner, made with fresh pasta and a delicious filling, the whole family will love it!
- Fajita Pasta Bake - Made with all the flavours of veggies fajitas except in pasta bake form this is another delicious weeknight dinner.
More Pasta Recipes
Spinach and Ricotta Recipe
Ingredients
For The Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic finely minced or put through a garlic press
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 690 g /2⅓ cups of passata
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 dried bay leaf
For The Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided into two halves
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 350 g /5 cups of whole brown mushrooms wiped clean and roughly sliced
- 500 g / 2¼ cups young leaf spinach
- 1 heaped tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg finely grated
- 500 g / 2 cups of fresh ricotta
- 50 g / ½ a cup of Grana Padano finely grated, or any vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic finely minced or put through a garlic press
- 12 fresh lasagne sheets
For The Topping
- 200 g / 1 cup of fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
- 20 g / ¼ cup of Grana Padano finely grated, or any vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
Instructions
Make The Sauce
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt then cook until softened. Once softened add the dried oregano and garlic and cook for a minute.Next, add the passata, and stir well. Then add one tablespoon of tomato puree, half a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of freshly grated black pepper and one dried bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce reduces and is thicker. Remove the bay leaf once the sauce is ready, then check the seasoning, and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Make The Filling
- While the sauce is simmering start cooking the mushrooms. Heat half a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Remove from the pan then set aside until you are ready to use them.
- Next, wipe the mushroom pan dry then half a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the spinach. Coko the spinach until it wilts. There is a lot of spinach here so you may need to do this in two batches. Once the spinach has wilted, drain it. Leave it to cool, then squeeze it until all the excess liquid is gone. Then chop the spinach.
- Add the ricotta, Grana Padano, nutmeg, chopped fresh oregano, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic cloves and salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix well. Add the chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture and mix well again.
Assemble The Lasagne
- Spread some of the sauce all over the bottom of a casserole or baking dish. Add a layer of fresh pasta sheets. Spread half of the ricotta and spinach mixture over the lasagne sheets. Then spread half the mushrooms over the ricotta mixture. Drizzle a little tomato sauce over the mushrooms and ricotta mixture. Repeat for another layer.
- Finish with a layer of lasagne sheets, and spread the remaining sauce on top. Top the layer of sauce with torn mozzarella and grated Grana Padano cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 185°C (365°F). After 20 minutes remove the foil, return the dish to the oven and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and turning golden brown.Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Cheese - I use full-fat and whole-milk cheeses for this recipe. You can use low-fat versions but you will sacrifice some of the taste.
- Lasagne - I find that fresh egg lasagne sheets give teh best result here but you can use dried lasagne sheets if you prefer.
- Casserole Dish - my dish measures 18 x 27 cm and 6cm deep (11 x 7 inches and was 2 and a half inches deep)
- Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
- Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
- Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
- Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
- Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
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