Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods and my Tomato and Spinach Lasagna is a delicious way to enjoy this Italian Classic.
My Tomato and Spinach Lasagna is made with a bechamel sauce, sautéed spinach with garlic, roasted tomatoes and creamy ricotta cheese.
You’ll find many lasagna recipes that use a bechamel sauce in place of the ricotta cheese. But it just wouldn’t be lasagna without the noodles and the ricotta.
I think you can add just about anything else you want as long as those two ingredients are included.
What Ingredients do I need to make Tomato and Spinach Lasagna?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Tomato and Spinach Lasagna. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Can I make Tomato and Spinach Lasagna with tomato sauce?
You sure can. Just eliminate the bechamel sauce and use your favorite tomato sauce instead. You can also use some of each sauce to make this lasagna.
How do I make Tomato and Spinach Lasagna?
Mix the ricotta cheese, grated Romano cheese, eggs, sugar and pepper together until well blended and place in the refrigerator until needed.
Slice tomatoes, season with salt pepper, and grated romano cheese. Roast the tomatoes at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes.
In a saucepan melt the butter, then add in flour. Stir the mixture over low heat until it begins to smell a little like bread (as the flour cooks).
*Be careful not to let the mixture burn.
In another saucepan heat the vegetable stock until almost boiling then add it to the butter/flour mixture (roux). Mix well getting all of the roux stuck in the corners blended in.
Add in the milk, Romano cheese and black pepper, mixing well. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, mixture will thicken as it simmers.
If needed add additional milk or water to thin out your sauce. Allow sauce to cool to about room temperature before using (don’t put it in the refrigerator).
In a large skillet or saucepan add olive oil, chopped garlic and spinach leaves. Let the spinach cook until fully wilted and some of the water has cooked out.
When the spinach is fully cooked place it in a colander and let the liquid drain out. Squeeze out any remaining liquid and set spinach aside until needed.
- Start by placing enough bechamel sauce to cover the bottom of your lasagna pan, then add a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
- Add one-third of the ricotta mixture for the first layer of the lasagna. Top the ricotta with bechamel sauce and then another layer of noodles.
- Add another layer of ricotta topped with the cooked spinach, and bechamel sauce and another layer of noodles
- Add the rest of the ricotta cheese and top with the roasted tomatoes (reserve 6 slices for the top of the lasagna), bechamel sauce and a final layer of noodles.
- Top the last layer of noodles with bechamel, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Add the reserved sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with romano cheese and chopped basil.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Allow to cool for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
Wouldn’t you’re family and friends love to sit down to this delicious Italian Classic? My Tomato and Spinach Lasagna is sure to become a family favorite!
More Italian Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
- Traditional Italian Bolognese
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Tomato Sauce and Sausage
- Restaurant-Style Clams and Spaghetti
- Fettuccine Alfredo
Tomato and Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 refrigerated pasta sheets or a box and a half of dry noodles
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic -chopped
- 16 ounces organic baby spinach leaves
- 6 fresh tomatoes sliced
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella
- 4 ounces butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup milk use more if sauce is too thick
- ¼ cup grated Romano cheese
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh basil -chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mix ricotta, grated Romano cheese, eggs, sugar and pepper together until well blended and place in the refrigerator until needed.
- Slice tomatoes, season with salt pepper and grated romano cheese and roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- In a saucepan melt the butter, then add in flour. Stir mixture over low heat until it begins to smell a little like bread (as the flour cooks). Be careful not to let the mixture burn.
- In another sauce pan heat the vegetable stock until almost boiling, then add it to the butter / flour mixture (roux). Mix well getting all of the roux stuck in the corners blended in.
- Add in the milk, romano cheese and black pepper. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, mixture will thicken as it simmers. If needed add additional milk or water to thin out your sauce. Allow sauce to cool but don't refrigerate it!
- In a large skillet or sauce pan add olive oil, garlic and spinach leaves and allow garlic to saute as spinach reduces.
- When the spinach is fully cooked place in a colander and let the liquid drain. Squeeze out any remaining liquid and set the spinach aside until needed.
Assembly
- Start by placing enough bechamel sauce to cover the bottom of your lasagna pan, then add a layer of lasagna noodles
- Add a layer of ricotta cheese (on e third of the mixture) a little of the bechamel sauce and then another layer of noodles.
- Add another layer of ricotta topped with the cooked spinach, top with bechamel sauce. then add another layer of noodles
- Add the rest of the ricotta cheese and top with the roasted tomatoes (reserve 6 slices for the top of the lasagna), bechamel sauce and a final layer of noodles.
- Top the last layer of noodles with bechamel, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Top with the reserved sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with romano cheese and chopped basil.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60. Allow lasagna to rest for 15-30 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Kay
A great meat-free dinner recipe, the garlicky spinach and roasted tomatoes bring so much flavour to this white lasagna! Love it!
Jeannie
I love this tomato and spinach lasagna for a different take on lasagna, it’s just so good!
Erin
Is this recipe ok to be frozen?
Chef Dennis Littley
yes it can frozen. It’s better to freeze it before baking but it can be frozen after baking.
Freya
This was so good and so simple to make!
priyakitchenette.com
Love this recipe, tastes delicious. Top marks.
Bonnie Hammer
I made this for a couple I had over for dinner last Friday, and we are still raving over it! I wanted to make spinach lasagna, but I also wanted sliced tomatoes in it. This was the first recipe that came up when I googled those ingredients in a lasagna dish. I loved the idea of using veggie stock instead of all milk or cream for the bechamel sauce. It still had a creamy consistency and rich, buttery flavor. I added chopped onions to the pan with the spinach and garlic. I also added shredded mozzarella to the bottom layer as well as sprinkling some on top. I made around noon time and then refrigerated it until evening when I popped it into the oven. Thanks for sharing the recipe for this delicious dish, Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks for the great review Bonnie and I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Jodi
I am making this for dinner tomorrow night. I premade it today. Would you make it covered or uncovered?
Chef Dennis Littley
I would cook it covered Jodi. Use a nice tight layer of plastic wrap then aluminum foil over that.
Julie
I meant to give it five stars, but I must have hit the four star mark by mistake!!
Chef Dennis Littley
no worries and thank you!
Julia Ann
Chef Dennis,
It was a hit at our house. I had fresh garden tomatoes. It will be a delicious company dish and has many servings. I am glad I found the recipe. I like Italian foods and I’m not Italian.
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Julia Ann thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my lasagna! I have a lot of wonderful italian recipes on my blog, I hope you get a chance to try a few more. If you like tiramisu, I have an amazing recipe for that!
Julie
Hello, my stepdaughter doesn’t eat meat…so I found this recipe online and made it. I am not a great cook…but I can certainly follow a recipe, especially one as easy as this was. It came out great!! Everyone loved it! Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m very happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the lasagna! And even happier to hear you found my recipe easy to use.
Jodee Weiland
I’m 100% Italian and this looks great! I love cheese as well, and you definitely know how to put it to good use. Spinach is another favorite…this recipe looks fabulous!
Chef Dennis
Thanks Jodee!
JC
This was delicious! I made this for yesterday’s dinner. I had never thought to make a bechamel for a lasagna, but it made all the difference in the flavors. Of course, my bechamel sauce came out perfect – thanks to you, Chef Dennis! This is what the family wanted for dinner tonight. Fresh salad, freshly toasted bread and I was done. Thank you for sharing such a yummy dish.
Chef Dennis
I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed my lasagna, it’s a nice change from a tomato based lasagna and perfect for this time of year. Thank you so much for letting me know how well it turned out!
Rachel Rose
Wow, this looks fabulous! So many great recipes on your site, look forward to trying some of these out! Cheers, -R
Bonnie Banters
Looks perfectly wonderful to me!
RavieNomNoms
YUM, YUM and more YUM!! I love lasagna, but I don’t eat it very often. This looks so very tasty!
Linda
This looks absolutely amazing!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
Chef Dennis, this looks incredible. I’m just like you, I cannot wait for lasagna to set up. And congrats on finding those tomatoes. Last ones I bought “wished” they tasted like cardboard. 😉
Joan / My Cookie Clinic
This is the perfect summer comfort food. Usually, there has to be meat in my lasagne but this dish….I gotta try. Tomatoes, spinach,cheese…. sounds divine. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Chef Dennis
Thanks Joan, and I understand, I’m not normally one for white lasagnas, but the roasted tomatoes and spinach really made this a memorable meal!
Kim | a little lunch
Dennis, lasagna with Bechamel is among my favorite ways to make it — thanks so much for your veggie version. (And yes, let’s not forget to mention lots of CHEESE!) 🙂
Chef Dennis
you gotta have cheese Kim!! I really didn’t mind giving up red meat, but cheese….never!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
Mmmm cheese IS amazing! This lasagna is gorgeoussss and looks to die for!
Chef Dennis
Thanks Kayle, it was a very cheesalicious meal!
Michael Toa
Ooh Chef… this is just my kind of meal. Looking at that oozing cheese and sauce makes me salivate… Gorgeous!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Michael, you gotta love cheese!
Maria Nasir
This looks sumptuous, I’m gonna try it soon. I totally agree…it’s difficult to be patient with plating up and photographing the food when your family is standing behind you holding plates 🙂
Chef Dennis
Thanks Maria! It isn’t amazing what we put our families through, and I can’t remember when my meal has been really hot, since I always take the one that’s being photographed!