Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna
Make Ahead Vegetarian Dinner ideas just got easier with this hearty pasta bake recipe. Assemble this dish in advance for a quick oven-ready meal that feeds a crowd without the hassle on busy nights. Enjoy the robust flavor of sautéed cremini mushrooms and creamy ricotta cheese in this satisfying Italian favorite.
Ingredients
Lasagna
- 12 lasagna noodles regular or oven-ready
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds mushrooms cremini or mixed, sliced and chopped
- 1 small yellow onion or 2 shallots diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces fresh spinach or 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 teaspoon salt divided, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
Ricotta layer
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Creamy sauce
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups milk or 4 cups milk + 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- If using regular noodles, cook in salted water until just flexible. Drain and lay flat. (Skip if using oven-ready noodles.)
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and the pan is mostly dry, 10–12 minutes. Add onion and cook 2–3 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Add spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer to a colander, cool slightly, then squeeze dry. Chop and stir back into mushrooms.
- Make the sauce: melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Simmer 5–7 minutes until thickened. Reduce heat and stir in Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional).
- Mix ricotta layer: combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley (optional).
- Assemble: spread a thin layer of sauce in the dish. Add noodles, ricotta, mushroom-spinach mixture, mozzarella, then sauce. Repeat layers, finishing with sauce and remaining mozzarella + a sprinkle of Parmesan on top.
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 15–20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Rest 15–20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
For the best texture, cook mushrooms until moisture evaporates and squeeze spinach very dry.
Low-moisture mozzarella melts best and keeps the lasagna from turning watery.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days. Freeze up to 3 months.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!