Spinach Lasagna

By Mark Bittman

Published March 31, 2007

  • Craig Lee for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(3,264)
Comments
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Equal parts indulgent and virtuous, this meatless lasagna from Mark Bittman will please everyone at the table. Serve it with a green salad on a weeknight, or alongside a platter of meatballs for Sunday dinner. And listen: We won't tell anyone if you use no-boil noodles or frozen spinach. It's all good either way.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings or more

  • 12 to 16 dried or fresh lasagna noodles

  • 3 to 4 cups good tomato sauce

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 3 cups cooked spinach, squeezed dry and chopped (about 1 ½ pounds fresh)

  • 1 ½ cups ricotta

  • 1 ½ cups coarsely grated mozzarella

  • 2 cups grated Parmesan

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

48 grams carbs; 129 milligrams cholesterol; 619 calories; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 31 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1494 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If you're using dried pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If you're using fresh pasta sheets, cut them into long wide noodles approximately 3 inches by 13 inches, or a size that will fit into your lasagna dish. Cook the noodles (6 at a time for dried noodles) until they are tender but still underdone (they will finish cooking as the lasagna bakes); fresh pasta will take only a minute. Drain and then lay the noodles flat on a towel so they won't stick.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a rectangular baking dish with the olive oil, add a large dollop of tomato sauce and spread it around. Put a layer of noodles (use four) in the dish, trimming any overhanging edges; top with a layer of tomato sauce, one-third of the spinach, and one-fourth of the ricotta (use your fingers to spread it evenly), the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

  3. Step 3

    Repeat the layers twice, and top with the remaining noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan; the top should be covered with cheese; add more ricotta and Parmesan as needed. (The lasagna may be made ahead to this point, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to a day or frozen. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

  4. Step 4

    Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top, about 30 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.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,264 user ratings
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Comments

Gigi

You can use a ricer to quickly get rid of every bit of excess water in frozen spinach. It's much easier, works better, and will save you a lot of paper towels. :) I learned that nearly 2 decades ago from Martha Stewart.

Aerobic Grandma

If you use frozen spinach as I did, this recipe would need four standard boxes. An even easier way to drain the spinach is to completely thaw it in the box then open the END of the box and squeeze the box thoroughly to force out all the moisture. Works like a charm and doesn't dirty the ricer.

Constance Adler

Or how about adding a beaten egg and a little nutmeg to the ricotta?

Kinepeli

Made and divided in half - one for now and one for the freezer. I used fresh spinach steamed in the microwave, cooled, squeezed out by hand, then chopped. I mixed that with the ricotta and parm for easier spread. Do yourself a favor - when layering, smear cheeses on the noodles before saucing. I had a little bechamel, so threw that in as well. I used fresh pasta sheets. I had just made the NYT Cooking quick fresh tomato sauce, so used that. Perfect!

Kari Parsons

Amazing made as written (no added onions or garlic, no eggs). Save yourself the effort and additional dishes! Hubby couldn’t get enough of it, even eating it as his dessert. Said he’d never had this reaction to lasagna before, but it was just that good. I used Rao’s and 16 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed (mixed with the ricotta), plus another handful of mozzarella for the top. And life hack award to the commenter recommending a hot water bath for the noodles instead of boiling! I brought a teakettle of water to a boil, poured it over the dry noodles in a 13x9, added some olive oil to reduce sticking, swished the noodles around, and within 30 minutes the noodles were soft enough to use (with one mid-soak shifting around/unsticking step).

Name Valerie

Fabulous. Used a mix of 50% pan fried mushrooms, 50% spinach. Will get a regular favourite

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