My spinach ricotta lasagna is rich, comforting, and surprisingly easy to make. I layer no-boil lasagna noodles with creamy ricotta blended with spinach, marinara sauce, and melty mozzarella. Everything is baked together into a classic vegetarian lasagna that’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
This lasagna means business
Listen. I am a busy lady. I have two kids who each play one million sports, three jobs, and zero free time. There is pretty much no universe in which I'm going to make a lasagna on a weeknight.
Unless, that is, we're in a universe in which this ridiculously easy spinach lasagna exists, which, luckily, we are. And listen, if I can bang out a nourishing vegetarian lasagna recipe somewhere in the mad dash between school and hockey practice and homework and everything else, then so, my friend, can you.
We're taking some serious shortcuts to get this bad boy on the table in record time; no-boil noodles, jarred marinara sauce, and fresh mozzarella that you tear up by hand. Frozen, chopped spinach is thawed and squeezed out, then stirred together with creamy ricotta and punchy Parmesan, so the filling goes in a unified layer.
The result is a cheesy baked pasta with a glorious lid of golden melted mozzarella. It's a great last-minute recipe, but it is also freezer-friendly, and your future self will be mighty pleased with some slices of this stashed away for busy days. And when most days are busy days, that's a good thing.
👩🏻🍳 Other nutritionist-designed lasagna recipes that are quick, easy, and delicious include this veggie-packed skillet lasagna with lentils and ricotta, and my favorite kale lasagna with cottage cheese. If you've got a bit of time on your hands, my Instant Pot pasta sauce is loaded with veggies and makes the perfect amount for a batch of lasagna.
Let's make spinach ricotta lasagna together!
As usual, you'll find detailed instructions and specific quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. But for now, join me for a quick visual walkthrough and I'll show you how easy it is.
Prepare the filling
All you need to do here is mix together the spinach, ricotta, and Parmesan, then season it with a bit of salt and pepper.
Make sure you squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as possible! Put it in a clean kitchen towel (I actually use an old triangular bandage from my days as a first aid instructor) and squeeze the heck out of it!
Start layering
I always start with a thin layer of marinara sauce, followed by about ⅓ of the spinach and ricotta mixture. Don't worry about it being perfect, just dollop it in there.
Add a noodle layer
You may need to break the no-boil lasagna sheets to fit them in the pan. Again, we're not going for perfection here; we just want them to more or less cover the pan.
Repeat the layers
Now we're going to repeat the layers two more times. Sauce, then ricotta mixture...
Then a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles broken as needed to fit the pan.
Add the mozza
Lastly, we're going to finish this off with our torn mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil. Sooooo good.
Bake it up!
Ok, now this bad boy goes into the oven and bakes until golden and bubbly. I mean, look at that golden, gooey mozzarella top... come to momma!
Let it rest for 5-10 minutes once you remove it from the oven, then slice and serve!
The Easiest Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna
Ingredients
- 21 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed out very well
- 2 cups ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or vegetarian Italian hard cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 15 no-boil lasagna sheets I typically use 12-15 sheets
- 9 oz fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C)
- Add the drained spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Mix until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.21 oz frozen chopped spinach, 2 cups ricotta, ½ cup grated Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Lightly oil a wide, shallow baking dish. Spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom.4 cups marinara sauce
- Add ⅓ of the ricotta–spinach filling in dollops evenly over the marinara sauce.
- Add a layer of lasagna sheets, breaking them to fit as necessary.15 no-boil lasagna sheets
- Repeat the layers two more times; marinara over the lasagna noodles, spinach and ricotta mixture over the marinara, then more noodles on top, finishing with lasagna sheets and a thin layer of marinara on top.
- Scatter the torn mozzarella evenly across the surface, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and top with freshly ground black pepper.9 oz fresh mozzarella, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, Freshly ground black pepper
- Bake uncovered for 40–50 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling, the pasta is tender, and the cheese is golden and lightly browned. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Let the lasagna rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing so the layers can set.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- Leftover lasagna can be sliced into squares, wrapped in foil, and frozen for 3-6 months.
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