The Best Creamy Spinach Mushroom Lasagna | Easy Vegetarian Dinner
A cozy vegetarian lasagna layered with garlicky mushrooms, wilted spinach, silky béchamel, ricotta, and melty cheeses. It’s weeknight-friendly, reheats well, and delivers rich, balanced flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- Garlic, minced
- Fresh baby spinach
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh thyme or Italian parsley, chopped
- Unsalted butter (for béchamel)
- All-purpose flour
- Whole milk, warmed
- Nutmeg
- Kosher salt (for béchamel)
- White or black pepper (for béchamel)
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- No-boil lasagna noodles
- Whole-milk ricotta
- Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- Extra Parmesan, for finishing
- Olive oil spray or butter, to grease the dish
- Lemon zest (optional)
- White wine (optional)
- Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high, add olive oil and a knob of butter, and sear sliced mushrooms in an even layer until browned and their liquid evaporates.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, then deglaze with a splash of white wine if using and reduce until nearly dry.
- Add spinach by the handful and toss just until wilted, then season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and finish with chopped thyme or parsley; transfer to a bowl.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour, and cook 1 to 2 minutes to form a pale roux.
- Gradually whisk in warm milk, simmer while whisking until thick enough to coat a spoon, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then whisk in grated Parmesan and remove from heat.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta with a spoonful of béchamel, a bit of Parmesan, salt, pepper, and lemon zest if using until spreadable.
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel in the dish, add a layer of no-boil noodles, spread ricotta, top with the mushroom-spinach mixture, spoon over béchamel, and sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Repeat the layers, finishing with béchamel and a generous layer of mozzarella and Parmesan; cover tightly with foil, tenting so the cheese doesn’t stick, and place on a sheet pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and deeply golden on top.
- Let the lasagna rest 15 to 20 minutes before slicing, then garnish with fresh herbs and extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
Assemble ahead and refrigerate, adding 10–15 minutes to the bake time when chilled. For freezer prep, assemble unbaked, wrap well, and bake from frozen at 350°F for 60–75 minutes covered, then uncover to brown. To avoid watery lasagna, brown mushrooms until dry, squeeze excess moisture from spinach, and rest the baked lasagna before slicing. Use a mix of mushrooms for deeper flavor, and warm the milk for a lump-free béchamel.