Since becoming a food blogger, my cell number has basically morphed into the cooking hotline for my friends.
Probably at least once a day, I get a text from someone asking whether a ____ can be cooked in the crock pot, or how to tell if _____ is ripe, or what side would go well with _____ entree, or a photo asking whether _____ is a cucumber or a zucchini. Or most often, asking to taste-test whatever I posted on Instagram that day. ;)
Last week, though, one of my neighbors was asking me about how to cook lasagna, since she pointed out that I did not have a classic lasagna recipe on my blog. She also had questions about brands of no-boil noodles…and whether they need to be boiled…what recipe she should try…and yep, I realized it was high time I finally post a lasagna recipe on the blog. So instead of going with a wild and creative lasagna recipe, I thought I would start out with a foolproof classic: 1o-Minute Spinach Lasagna.
This vegetarian lasagna is so hearty that even the meat-eaters in your life will love it. It’s made with a short list of classic ingredients, including lots of good-for-you fresh spinach and fresh basil. (And my favorite marinara sauce recipe that I posted on the blog yesterday.) And true to its name, once you have the ingredients lined up and ready to go, this recipe literally just takes 10 minutes to prep. Then 45 minutes later, this fabulously delicious lasagna will be yours to enjoy.
Let’s get our inner Garfield on… :)
As I mentioned, I highly recommend using my homemade marinara sauce recipe to go in this lasagna. It’s fresh, simple, delicious, and so flavorful. But if you’re in a hurry, the store-bought jarred stuff will also work. :)
Lasagna is all about layering. So here’s how I make this one:
1) Sauce: Begin with a layer of sauce so that the lasagna does not stick to the pan. I recommend my homemade marinara recipe.
2) No-Boil Lasagna Noodles: No-boil is key if you’re going for the 10-minute version of this lasagna. (Or you can also pre-cook some traditional noodles if you only have those on hand.) I used DeLallo’s flat lasagna noodles, which fit perfectly into an 8-inch square baking dish. But whatever brand you use, feel free to break them up and lay them down in whatever pattern so that the noodles cover the sauce in a single layer.
3) Ricotta (or Cottage Cheese): This can be a tiny bit hard to spread on the noodles. I recommend dropping it in small spoonfuls, and then spreading it around with a spoon.
4) Mozzarella Cheese: This is what makes the lasagna perfectly ooey gooey and stringy. You can use pre-shredded cheese, but I always recommend buying a block of mozzarella and shredding it yourself for even better melting. (Or you can buy a ball of fresh mozzarella, and slice it into thin coins to layer on top of the ricotta.)
5) Fresh Spinach and Chopped Basil: I love a good spinach lasagna, and I prefer to use chopped fresh spinach. But you can also substitute in frozen spinach that has been drained. Or other roasted or sauteed veggies — like zucchini, mushrooms, onions, etc. — will also work great in the “veggie” layer. I also added some fresh basil in with the spinach, which gives it a great extra kick of flavor.
And then repeat!! I did two layers of the list described above. And then I topped the lasagna with a final layer of marinara, noodles and mozzarella cheese.
Once the layers are complete, cover the lasagna with foil and pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Then remove the foil and bake it for a final 15 minutes until the cheese starts to brown around the edges.
Once you pull the lasagna out of the oven, I like to toss on a layer of grated Parmesan…
…and then a little extra fresh basil for color.
Then serve it up warm!!!
Oh man, I don’t know how I waited 5 years to post this one on the blog. But when it comes to comfort food as good as this, better late than never, right? All the thanks goes to my neighbor, Leanna, for the request. :)
Enjoy!
10-Minute Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 cups (or 1 24-ounce jar) marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles (you may not use the entire package)
- 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
- 3/4 cup roughly-chopped fresh basil leaves, loosely packed and divided
- 1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish, spread 3/4 cup of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of the pan. Layer 3 lasagna noodles in an even layer, followed by half of the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of Mozzarella, 1 cup spinach and 1/4 cup fresh basil. Repeat with a second layer of marinara, noodles, ricotta, Mozzarella, spinach and basil. Then finish with a final layer of marinara, noodles, marinara and Mozzarella.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and begins to brown around the edges.
- Remove and set on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and the remaining fresh basil. Serve warm.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links.
I’ve always been scared to make lasagne, but decided to give this one a crack. Absolutely loved it! I used a bigger pan so will do an extra layer next time. I love how it doesn’t create much of a mess or dishes!
It is a great way to get everyone to have spinach. I substituted the cottage cheese for Greek feta cheese, which is easy to apply, as you just crumble it over the sauce. Every one loved it. Thanks.
Should you freeze before or after baking? I am wanting to make a couple and I wasn’t sure if I should bake prior to throwing them in the freezer. Thanks!
Hi Ashley! Either way is fine. If freezing before baking, line the baking dish with foil, (allowing several inches of foil hang over the sides. Then follow the recipe (up until the baking), preparing the lasagna in the foil-lined dish, and freeze until firm. Then remove the lasagna from the baking dish and wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or well-sealed container. If freezing post baking, just make sure the lasagna has cooled completely first. We hope this helps!
can i add roasted vegetables to the spinach? (like zucchini,mushroom,broccoli)
Yes, definitely, we think that would be really yummy! :)
Hi! How would you modify this if you don’t have no-boil noodles? Thank you!
Hi Hillary! If you don’t have no-boil noodles, we would just cook the regular lasagna noodles according to the package (al dente). We hope you enjoy!
Pretty tasty, but needs garlic or something to add extra flavor. Super easy to make. Will definitely be making and modifying again.
Cool, thanks for trying out the recipe, Danielle!
Hi, I wanted to know, can I add basil pesto too? If yes, then where and how?
Thanks in advance :)
Hi Neha! Yes, you could add some basil pesto to this. We would suggest layering it with the sauce (and use however much you’d like). We hope you enjoy!
Saw this recipe and I knew it was one of the lucky few recipes I get to make! I made a few changes because of the unexpected unwanted surprises you get when cooking. I bought arugula instead of spinach (lol) and I’m not a fan of arugula while my brother is so I put arugula on one side and put basil on the other side. I also added white pepper to the marinara simply because white pepper should be as important as salt and black pepper! White pepper is so underrated trust me. I didn’t add parmesan because I felt like it’s unnecessary. It was AMAZING! This is one of those expensive dishes you find at a fancy Italian restaurant! DEF TRY IT.
Thanks for your sweet words, Hana — we’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
This looks great. I never use the no boil lasagna pasta sheets because I put the reg lasagna shorts in with the other ingredients and baked it for an hr and 15 min for. A 13″x9″ pan. But, this recipe would work great if I didn’t have the extra time. I also like that you make your own sauce!
Awesome, thanks, Joanne!
This looks so tasty! I was wondering if I could prep this lasagna, wrap it up, and give it to a friend who can’t cook right now as a freezer meal! Would the no boil noodles still be okay after being frozen uncooked?
Thank you!
Thanks, Paz — we hope you enjoy! And yes, you could totally do that, though we haven’t tried it with this recipe, so we’re not sure about the noodles. We think they would be okay, we just don’t know for sure. If you’re concerned, you could use regular lasagna noodles to be on the safe side. We hope this helps!