Spinach and ricotta lasagna is a delicious and creamy Italian baked dish, perfect for any occasion.
This classic vegetarian lasagna features layers of tender pasta, a rich and flavorful filling made with spinach and ricotta cheese, and a smooth béchamel sauce that brings everything together.
The result is a light yet satisfying dish with a delicate taste and an irresistibly creamy texture.
While this recipe is especially delicious in spring, when fresh spinach is at its best, you can easily make it year-round using frozen spinach, which works just as well.
The combination of spinach and ricotta is a staple in Italian cuisine and is used in many traditional dishes, such as ravioli di magro, spinach and ricotta cannelloni, and even Torta Pasqualina, the famous Italian Easter pie.
Ready to make the best spinach and ricotta lasagna? Follow my step-by-step recipe and enjoy this Italian classic!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 20 Min | Cook Time: 45 Min | Servings: 6
Doses for a 13x9 inch lasagna pan
For the Filling
- 500 g (1.1 pound) fresh or frozen spinach
- 500 g (1.1 pound) ricotta
- 200 g (2 cups) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- nutmeg, to taste
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
For Lasagna
- About 12 lasagna sheets: you can make fresh homemade lasagna sheets following our step by step recipe: here you can find out how to make Italian Homemade Pasta
- Or you can buy authentic Italian flat lasagna, oven ready (no cooking or boiling necessary), made with durum wheat (we recommend Tuscanini brand).
Bèchamel Sauce
- 500 ml (~2 cups) milk
- 50 g (1.8 oz) unsalted butter
- 50 g (1.8 oz) flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- nutmeg, to taste
Instructions
Make the Bechamel Sauce
Step 1) - In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour with the help of a flour sieve: in this way you are sure that there are no lumps. Mix quickly with a whisk, until the mixture is smooth.
The mixture of butter and flour is called roux and it should be a nice golden color.
Step 2) - Heat the milk, without bringing to a boil. Pour the milk slowly over the roux, while stirring with a whisk. Season with salt and grated nutmeg to taste.
Cook for about 10-15 minutes, mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency. The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
For more information and tips, read how to make bechamel recipe.
Make the Filling
Step 1) - Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the fresh spinach and cook for a few minutes until they become tender. If you are using frozen spinach, wait for the water to start boiling, then cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 2) - Drain the spinach well and let them cool slightly. Once they are cool enough to handle, squeeze them with your hands to remove as much excess water as possible. Then, finely chop them using a hand immersion blender or a sharp knife.
Step 3) - Transfer the chopped spinach to a large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, half of the grated Parmigiano cheese, a pinch of fine salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and a dash of nutmeg to taste. Mix everything together until you get a smooth and creamy filling.
Your spinach and ricotta filling is now ready! Next, it's time to assemble your spinach lasagna.
Make the Layers
Step 4) - Spread two or three tablespoons of béchamel sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Then, place the first layer of lasagna sheets on top and evenly spread a portion of the spinach and ricotta filling over them.
Step 5) - Pour a few spoonfuls of béchamel sauce over the filling, then sprinkle with some grated Parmigiano cheese. Continue layering as described above, until all the ingredients are used.
For the final layer, generously sprinkle Parmigiano cheese on top. This will create a delicious golden and crispy crust when baked.
Step 6) - Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes, or until the top turns golden and slightly crispy. Let spinach lasagna cool for 10 minutes before serving.
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
Storage
You can store cooked spinach and ricotta lasagna in the fridge for up to two days.
If you want to prepare it in advance, assemble the lasagna up to two days ahead, keep it raw in the fridge, then bake when ready to serve.
Spinach lasagna can also be frozen, either raw or cooked. It will last about one month in an airtight container.
Tips
How to Thicken Ricotta for Lasagna: For lasagna, dry ricotta is best. If your ricotta is too soft, drain it in a colander for about two hours to remove excess liquid. This prevents a watery lasagna.
Type of Ricotta: Both cow's milk ricotta and sheep's milk ricotta work well, but they have different flavors—cow ricotta is milder, while sheep ricotta has a stronger taste. Choose based on your preference!
Using Frozen Spinach: You can use either fresh or frozen spinach. Fresh spinach has better flavor but takes longer to clean. Frozen spinach is convenient—just boil it in salted water for 5 minutes after it starts boiling again. Then drain, squeeze well, and it's ready to use. Removing excess water is key for a good texture!
Variations
Spinach and ricotta lasagna has a mild, delicate flavor, but you can easily make it richer. Here are some ideas:
Tomato Sauce: Add tomato sauce for extra flavor. Use it along with the béchamel for a creamy dish or replace béchamel for a lighter, vegetarian version.
Breadcrumbs: If you want to skip Parmigiano, use sheep or buffalo ricotta for a richer flavor. To get a crispy topping, replace grated Parmigiano with grated salted ricotta or breadcrumbs.
Recipe Card
Traditional Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 500 g spinach - 1.1 pound, fresh or frozen
- 500 g ricotta - 1.1 pound
- 200 g Parmigiano Reggiano - 2 cups, grated
- nutmeg - to taste
- salt - to taste
- black pepper - to taste
For Lasagna
- 12 sheets Lasagna
For the Bechamel
- 500 ml milk - ~2 cups
- 50 g unsulted butter - 1.8 oz
- 50 g flour - 1.8 oz
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- nutmeg to taste
Instructions
Make the Bechamel Sauce
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour with the help of a flour sieve: in this way you are sure that there are no lumps. Mix quickly with a whisk, until the mixture is smooth. The mixture of butter and flour is called roux and it should be a nice golden color.
- Heat the milk, without bringing to a boil. Pour the milk slowly over the roux, while stirring with a whisk. Season with salt and grated nutmeg to taste.
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes, mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency. The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
Make the Filling
- Boil the spinach in a pot with very little salted water for a few minutes, until tender. If you are using frozen spinach, when water start boiling, cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain and let them cool, then squeeze to remove excess water, finally chop with a hand immersion blender.
- In a bowl, combine the chopped spinach with the ricotta, half of the grated Parmigiano, a pinch of fine salt, freshly grated black pepper and nutmeg to taste. Mix all the ingredients until you get a creamy mixture.
Make the Layers
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of béchamel on the bottom of a baking pan, then lay down the first layer of lasagna sheets and cover them with the spinach and ricotta filling.
- Cover with some bèchamel and finish with 2-3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano.
- Keep making the layers as described above, till you finish all the ingredients.
- End the last layer with plenty of Parmigiano cheese to create a crispy crust during cooking.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes. Let spinach and ricotta lasagna cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Morella Menon says
This is a delightful recipe.
I had never made a spinach lasagna before only the meat one.
I have done this three times now, but I find that the amounts are not correct for me.
I double the sauce and use ab12x8 pan.
I do like the top to have sauce on. Very nice flavour and easy .