This meatless spinach lasagna with red mushroom sauce will be one of the most popular family meals in your weekly menu
My son has been asking for lasagna for a few weeks now. I think the increased interest in Garfield cartoons has been rubbing off on him. I will take any opportunity for the chance to include vegetables in dishes that he has an interest in eating. This was the perfect occasion.
He’s already a mushroom fan so I decided to chop some white mushrooms I had left over into itty bitty pieces to add to the sauce. This gives it the texture of ground meat and it flavors the sauce beautifully.
Related Recipe: Spicy Lasagna
The inside layers consist of ricotta cheese, spinach and parmesan cheese. It’s creamy and filling and full of flavor. Everything a lasagna should be.
Now that we are cooking at home every day, this dish keeps well and can be enjoyed as leftovers. You can also make ahead, freeze and enjoy when you’re ready as week goes by.
I prepared this dish to enjoy on Mother’s Day. Yes, I know. I cooked my own Mother’s Day dinner. But I couldn’t resist. It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate toasting with glass of wine and a generous portion of this tasty pasta dish.
Spinach Lasagna with Red Mushroom Sauce
This meatless lasagna recipe with spinach and mushrooms will be one of the most popular family meals in your weekly menu.
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups white mushrooms, finely chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 (16-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
2 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 egg
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces lasagna noodles
½ teaspoon marjoram leaves
Instructions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, oregano and basil; cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to release liquid. Add marinara sauce and water, decrease heat to medium-low and cover; simmer for 15 minutes.
While sauce cooks, place thawed spinach between paper towels and squeeze out any liquid. Place combine ricotta cheese, spinach, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with a fork. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Spoon about 1/3 cup sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Spread with backside of spoon. Place 4 uncooked noodles over sauce. Spoon another 1/3 cup sauce over layer of noodles and place 4 more noodles and layer with ½ sauce and ½ ricotta/spinach mixture, top with 4 more noodles and repeat layers until using up all ingredients, ending with a sauce layer. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 55 minutes.
Optional: Finish with 5 minutes in the broiler, uncover to brown top layer of cheese.
Slice, serve and garnish with marjoram leaves.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
