This vegetarian white spinach lasagna is a twist on the classic, deliciously full of flavor and an instant hit in our family – even the toddler could not resist. It’s oh-so-good! With quick and easy steps, this recipe is easy to make on those weeknights when you need a cozy comfort meal. Easy to prep ahead for a busy weekend. Ideal for the holidays and hosting company.
Instead of a simmer-all-day tomato sauce, this recipe calls for a quick béchamel sauce that will give this white spinach lasagna layers of irresistible flavors.
No-Boil Noodles
I was always weary of no-boil noodles but decided to grab a box in desperation after a long day of holiday shopping. After the first try I was hooked!
I tried a few different brands and styles. My favorite are the no-boil noodles that best resemble the wavy noodles we know and love. Target brand is my favorite.
The key to success is that no-boil noodles need to be smothered sauce to cook to perfection.
What are the Layers of Lasagna?
In my opinion the more layers the lasagna has the better. This lasagna has three layers of noodles, with a white wine shallot garlic béchamel sauce. provolone cheese and a spinach-ricotta mixture.
Béchamel Sauce – is one of the mother sauces used in cooking. To be considered a true béchamel sauce, it will need to start with a roux. A roux is a fat combined with flour, in most cases it is a ratio of melted butter and flour combined to look like wet sand.
To turn the roux into a béchamel sauce, over medium heat, pour in milk and whisk to remove any lumps until a thick white sauce is created – This is the béchamel sauce.
From here you can use this mother sauce for several different recipes. Add seasonings and cheese, is the most common way we use béchamel sauce in the United States (macaroni and cheese).
For the white spinach lasagna, the recipe builds layers of flavors first. Sautéing the shallot, Italian seasoning and garlic is the first layer. Then deglazing with wine creates unbeatable flavors that will become infused into the béchamel sauce. The irresistible depth of flavors are what make this lasagna an instant favorite.
Mozzarella – Grab your favorite bag of already shredded cheese from the grocery store.
Frozen Chopped Spinach – Find it in the frozen food section. If you have time, place it in a bowl (still in the package) and let it defrost in the refrigerator. If you do not have time, you can place the package under running water to speed up the defrosting process.
Once it’s defrosted, you will notice that there is excess liquid, you will want to pat it dry or place in a kitchen/paper towel and wring out.
Ricotta – Get your favorite.
Provolone – I love using sliced provolone because it makes it super simple and easy to add to the layers. Melts perfectly and the creamy mild flavors of provolone blends in well with the layers of the lasagna.
Parmesan – Here is the deal, parmesan is worth the effort. There are so many different kinds to choose from. I highly recommend fresh off the block. The next best is grocery store- freshly shredded or grated that is usually in the specialty cheeses. Lastly, if you are in a pinch grab a bag of already shredded commercial brand.
I used store-bought commercial brand grated cheese for the picture below. There are puddles of oil which is a result of commercial brand grated Parmesan cheese because it is coated to make it “shelf ready”. No matter what it is still incredibly delicious.
Prep Ahead
Complete steps 1-11 when you have time in your schedule. Cover with foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven. As the oven preheats, take the lasagna out and set it on the counter to take the chill off of it. Bake according to the recipe below.
Make for the future. You can always freeze it. Complete steps 1-11, cover with foil and store in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, let it defrost in the refrigerator the day before, preheat your oven. s the oven preheats, take the lasagna out and set it on the counter to take the chill off of it. Bake according to the recipe below.
Vegetarian White Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Olive Oil
- 1 Shallot – thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 TBSP Garlic – minced (4 large cloves)
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine (optional)
- ½ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 cups Milk Whole or 2%
- 2 cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 16-20 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach – defrosted
- 15 oz Ricotta Cheese
- ¼ sp Nutmeg
- 8 oz Sliced Provolone Cheese 12 slices total
- 1 box No-Boil Noodles 9-12 depending on your pan size
- 1 ½ cup Parmesan Cheese – shredded off the block
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium heat add the olive oil, shallots, salt, and Italian seasoning. Sauté until the shallots start to soften, then add in the garlic. The garlic and the Italian seasoning will become fragrant, about 1 -2 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate and cook off while you, stirring occasionally so that the garlic doesn't burn. Should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Add your stick of butter, stir until melted.
- Add your flour and stir to combine with the butter, it should resemble wet sand. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in your milk and stock until all the lumps are gone. Continue to cook until it starts to thicken. It should easily coat a spoon.
- Remove from heat and stir in your shredded mozzarella until it's evenly distributed and melted into a white cheese sauce. Set aside.
- Pat dry or towel dry your defrosted frozen spinach to remove all excess liquid (see video in blog notes).
- In a bowl, combine your spinach, ricotta, nutmeg and ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese.
- Get all of your layers ready to assemble – béchamel sauce, spinach & ricotta mixture, sliced provolone cheese, no-boil lasagna noodles and parmesan cheese.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- In your 9 x 13 casserole dish, assemble your lasagna. On the bottom spread 1/4 of your béchamel sauce, top that with a single layer of your no-boil lasagna noodles, do not overlap them and leave a little space between each of them. I usually give them a light pat down so they sit down into the béchamel sauce. Layer 6 slices of provolone cheese, they can overlap slightly on the sides. If your pan is smaller, you may not need all 6 slices. Then spread 1/2 of your spinach and ricotta mixture. Top with a 1/4 of the béchamel sauce, noodles, 1/4 of the béchamel sauce (again), 6 slices of provolone cheese, the last 1/2 of your spinach and ricotta mixture, noodles, the last 1/4 of the béchamel sauce and sprinkle the top with 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
Video
ingredients called for vegetable broth but instructions did not say what to do with it –
The instructions clearly say to use your stock in step #5 of the recipe. I hope you enjoy the recipe!