Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
This is sure to become a family favorite. Best of all, it’s freezer-friendly and can also be made ahead of time!
Most of my recipes here can be made in 30 minutes or less and are basically effortless. But this is one of the few recipes that takes some time and a little bit of effort – but I promise you, it’s worth it.
After all, this recipe is enough to feed an army, can be assembled ahead of time, and is freezer-friendly. Triple win.
But the mushroom cream sauce alone is reason enough to whip this up. A cream sauce so good, I may just have to make a soup out of it.
But that’s for later. This lasagna here – well, you have 3 layers of this epic cream sauce along with an abundance of spinach and all that cheesy goodness in between.
And yes, I mentioned cutting down on carbs with our upcoming wedding but with yesterday’s salad, we all need a little bit of balance, no?
Now this is a meatless dish but feel free to add in your desired protein between the layers – ground turkey, Italian sausage, leftover chicken – it’s up to you.
But save some of the leftovers for later because this is just one of those dishes that tastes even better the very next day!
Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 1 15-ounce package whole milk ricotta
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and nutmeg until fragrant, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions.
- Spread 1 cup mushroom sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat with a second layer. Top with remaining noodles, mushroom sauce and cheeses.*
- Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbling. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until top is browned in spots. Let cool 15 minutes.
- Serve, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Can I use fresh spinach? I could saute it down first or use it raw in the layers.
Yes, absolutely!
Did you end up sauté it or using raw?
Made this with my boyfriend for dinner with his parents–we followed the recipe exactly and it was stupid delicious. Huge hit. Thanks very much!
This looks yummy. Question about layering the mushroom sauce: Directions say 1 cup on bottom, and then on top layer. That would be approximately 2 cups for the top layer, and no mushroom sauce in the middle. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct, but you can really divide the sauce as needed to suit your preferences a little better. So you can have less on the bottom and top layers if you want a sauce layer in the middle. It’s completely up to you! 🙂
I tried this recipe last night and absolutely loved it. Making lasagna can be very expensive so to save some money I used 2 cans of evaporated milk (shelf stable and $.99 a can), only 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (most standard bags of shredded cheese yield 2 cups) and 1 small tub of cottage cheese (only $2!) It all worked out perfectly. The cottage cheese had more moisture than the ricotta (and much cheaper) so it was lower in fat and made the lasagna even creamier. I didn’t miss the extra cheese at all and the mushroom sauce was luscious and creamy. I froze half the pan for next week, I’ll definitely be making this again.
Christina, dear, I like the idea of preserving an Italian perspective to all this. Authenticity is a good experience when trying another cuisine, especially Italian. I can assure you that Italians would NEVER use cottage cheese as a substitute for fresh, ricotta. Nor would they use bagged pre-shredded mozzarella. Fresh, good quality cheese is essential in this dish. Why not try it with the real ingredients next time? You won’t regret it.
I made this tonight – a half pan because we are two people. It tasted great but I ended up using more mozzarella than called for. Maybe I measured incorrectly. I did have one question: did your sauce turn out a bit grey colored due to mixing the mushrooms into the bechemel? I think next time I will sauté them separately and then fold them in.
Yes, a little bit of grayness is completely normal!
Thanks!
Hey! Looks like a fantastic recipe, but my boyfriend hates mushrooms. Is there any other vegetable you think I could use instead that would go well with the recipe? Thanks!!
Carrots and broccoli would be great substitutes.
This was amazing! I added 2 layers of marinara sauce. So good!
This is so good, there was nothing left. I did make it gluten free, for my daughter. I made a gluten free roux and then add all the veggies and seasoning. I also used gluten free lasagna noodles, no boil. It is very tasty, and my daughter asked me to make it once a week. I guess I will. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Shari – I just found this thru pinterest, so I’m not sure you’ll ever see this question. But – I would love to make this tonight for my family, including my gluten free daughter. How did you make a gluten free roux? With cornstarch? G-free flour? Arrowroot? I’d love your advice. Thanks.
So sad about this recipe! Really should call for less milk and about 2 hours more of cooking time. Was way too runny. For about $40 in groceries this was a disappointment that it did not turn out at all. Going to bed hungry and poor:(
Elizabeth, I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
However, I am a little confused here. The cost of ingredients should not be $40, even if organic products are used. Lasagna also does not typically need 2 hours and 55 minutes of cooking time either. Also, if the sauce did not thicken during the first step, it will not thicken up during the time it is in the oven.
I spent 46 on the ingredients. I didn’t buy organic, however, I bought pricey fresh Mozzarella and high quality locatelli. Cheese costs were 18 follows. I do have cheese leftover which I will use for other dishes. I could not find fresh Ricotta so did without. Still yummy.
I can’t see lasagna taking 2.5 hours to make. The mushroom sauce really does have to be thickened before assembly. I find I often have the flame to low when cooking sauces which prohibits thickening. Perhaps turn up flame? I’m an amateur so just saying works for me.
I found the recipe well worth the cost. It is delicious.
I made this about a month ago and froze it. I had a few friends over the other night and made it and it was absolutely incredible. The only complaint I had was that I only had one. I will for sure make 2 the next time I make it!
This was delicious! It has been added to my list of lasagna go-to’s!! A nice change from basic tomato sauce types. I ended up needing to use a little more flour to help thicken up the sauce. Found this on pinterest, thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi!
Going to try this tonight. Just wondering if the precooked lasagna noodles would be fine too? That’s what I use for my homemade lasagna so I’m thinking it should be okay ?
Thanks can’t wait to try !
Yes, no-boil lasagna noodles should work just fine.
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME! I split the recipe into two 8×8 pans and froze one. I used no-boil noodles, button mushrooms, 2 cups skim milk and 1 cup whole milk. OMG. I can’t say enough…I’ll be making it again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
Did you change the cooking time at all for an 8×8 pan? I think I want to halve the recipe but I’m not sure how to change the cooking time.
Is it OK to use fresh spinach, lightly poached. Also, I thought zucchini might be an excellent alternative or add-on to the dish. Y:our thoughts?
Yes, both sounds like a great idea!
Hi there. Just to clarify: if you are preparing it and cooking it at the same time, does it need to be covered in the oven? Both make ahead instructions say to cover it, but in the original recipe there is no mention of covering it. Thanks!
No, it does not have to be covered if you are preparing and cooking it immediately. The reason for covering when making ahead and freezing is to ensure that the top doesn’t get burned since cooking time is extended.
LOVE recipes that can be made ahead of time! Thanks for the fridge & freezer instructions. This lasagna is perfect for entertaining, pinned!
love this recipe, hope can try ir at home by myself. hmmmm tasty 🙂
This was awesome! You have hooked me with the pics!!!!!
I love spinach lasagna, and I love mushroom lasagna, so I am pretty sure I am going to love spinach and mushroom lasagna!
Awesome so love your recipes been making the since the shrimp enchiladas three years ago when you had your wisdom teeth ?? Out
This looks scrumptious! I swear. Your Instagram account is totally food porn for me. Everything is so easy and delicious!