This beef and spinach lasagna recipe is deliciously satisfying, featuring cheesy, veggie-loaded goodness in every bite! With a whole container of fresh spinach, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and fresh basil, it’s a healthy meat and veggie option for family meals, entertaining, or holidays. You can also make it in advance and freeze it whole or in portions to enjoy a cozy meal on busy evenings.
There are few things as satisfying as a piece of this beef and spinach lasagna on a cold winter night! It’s one of those recipes that’s absolutely worth the prep time.
In fact, I’m starting to see lasagna in a new light now that evenings are extra busy with two little ones at home. Making lasagnas in advance is like a cheat code! They freeze well and reheat beautifully, and next day lasagna has an even better texture than when it’s made originally.
In true Veg World fashion, I attempted to make this dish as veggie-loaded as I could. It has a whole container of spinach in there! That’s great for two reasons — 1) there’s a lotta extra fiber and nutrients from leafy greens, and 2) you won’t have any leftover spinach that gets forgotten in the back of the fridge. A win-win!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef: Ground chuck or 80% lean/20% fat beef adds great flavor, but you can definitely use a leaner ground beef if you want to cut back on saturated fat. Ground turkey can be used as a substitute.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach works best in this beef and spinach lasagna. However, frozen spinach can definitely be substituted if that’s what you have. Let it thaw, and squeeze out the water, before using.
- Marinara sauce: Using marinara instead of diced tomatoes is a way to add extra flavor. I love using Rao’s marinara, since it has quality ingredients, no added sugar, and no additives.
- Onion: Use white, yellow, or red. Sub 1 teaspoon onion powder if you don’t have an onion on hand.
- Garlic and herbs: I love to use fresh garlic in lasagna. You can sub ½ teaspoon garlic powder or dried minced garlic per clove of fresh. This recipe also calls for dried oregano and fresh basil. Sub Italian seasoning if you don’t have those.
- Egg: Adding an egg to the ricotta helps the lasagna stay together a little better. If you’re allergic, you can omit it.
- Mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan: If you don’t have ricotta, use cottage cheese. Pecorino romano can be subbed for parm.
- Lasagna noodles: Dried or freshly made both work. I personally don’t recommend using no-boil noodles. I think the recipe turns out better if you cook them a little before layering the lasagna.
Instructions
The full recipe card for beef and spinach lasagna is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.
Boil lasagna noodles until they are pliable but not quite al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water immediately. Work quickly to remove them from the colander before they bend. Lay them flat on a plate.
Prep the filling. Start by cooking the beef with a little onion, garlic, salt, and oregano.
Add the spinach and basil. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach starts to wilt. Add the sauce and cook for 5 more minutes until the spinach is fully wilted.
In a mixing bowl, stir the ricotta cheese, egg, and remaining garlic and salt.
Start to layer the lasagna. Put a thin layer of the beef and spinach filling on the bottom of a greased 9×13 dish. Top with lasagna noodles.
Add another layer of sauce, followed by dollops of ricotta.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Repeat the process, ending with a final layer of noodles topped with the small amount of remaining sauce.
Cover with foil and bake until the cheese and filling are bubbling along the sides, about 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan on top. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until melted through. Let cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead
Fridge storage: Beef and spinach lasagna is a great recipe to make in advance! You can assemble the entire lasagna, cover it with foil, and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you bake it (45 to 50 minutes). Add the remaining cheese (see instructions) and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you can bake the lasagna completely, cover it with foil, and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, just reheat in a covered baking dish at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes until warmed through.
Freezing: You can freeze assembled but unbaked whole lasagna, baked whole lasagna, or baked lasagna portions.
To freeze a whole lasagna (either unbaked or baked):
- Use a freezer-safe pan, either a foil lasagna pan or a glass baking dish that’s marked as freezer-safe (like this option from Oxo).
- Wrap the whole thing (including the pan) tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. (Remember to remove the plastic wrap before cooking.)
- Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove the plastic wrap then recover the lasagna with foil. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F for unbaked lasagna. Baked lasagna may only need 30 to 40 minutes to reheat.
- If you forget to thaw frozen lasagna and need to bake it from frozen, add 20 to 30 minutes to the cooking time.
To freeze pieces of baked lasagna:
- Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
- Store in a tightly sealed, labeled bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat from frozen or after thawing in the fridge overnight. Remove all plastic wrap and foil. If frozen, bake in a covered dish for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. If thawed, it will probably only take 20 to 30 minutes to reheat.
Serving
For best results and so the pieces stay together better, let beef and spinach lasagna cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Making lasagna up to a day in advance and then reheating is another great way to ensure a good texture and pieces that don’t fall apart. Serve with a side salad or garlic bread or just as is!
More Pasta Recipes
If you love this lasagna, check out some other recipes while you’re here. You may enjoy:
📖 Recipe
Beef and Spinach Lasagna
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounce lasagna noodles - need 11 to 12
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 cloves garlic - minced or pressed, divided
- 1 cup diced onion - from about ½ large onion
- 1 teaspoon salt - divided
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - divided
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil - divided
- 24 ounces marinara sauce - can use up to 30 ounces; I use Rao's brand
- 16 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 egg - beaten
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese - 8 ounces
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese - or pre-shredded, about 2 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Spray or grease a 9×13 (3 quart) baking dish. If you have a lasagna pan (slightly bigger than 9×13), use that and prepare a few extra noodles.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles in the water for 4 to 5 minutes until not quite al dente but still pliable. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Then, working quickly, remove the noodles from the colander and lay them flat on a plate or tray so that they retain their shape and don't get bent. They shouldn't stick to each other since they will have a little water on them from being rinsed. However, you can brush them with a very light coating of oil if you are worried about them sticking.
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and using a spoon to break up large pieces of beef until it starts to brown. Add 3 cloves of the garlic, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, and all of the oregano (½ teaspoon). Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes until the beef is browned.
- Stir in the spinach and 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach starts to wilt. Then, mix in the marinara sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the spinach has fully wilted. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, the rest of the salt (¼ teaspoon), the rest of the black pepper (½ teaspoon), and the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic. Stir until well-combined.
- Layer the lasagna:– Start with ½ cup of the beef and spinach mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Spread it out so it very lightly covers the dish.– Layer 3 and ½ lasagna noodles on top. A 9×13 dish is typically only wide enough to accommodate 3 and ½, but if you have a lasagna pan, you can use 4.– Ladle 1 and ¼ cup of the beef and spinach mixture on top of the noodles.– Spoon out dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture, totaling about half of it (roughly 1 cup), and evenly distribute them on top.– Sprinkle a little less than half (about ¾ cup) of the shredded mozzarella on top).– Repeat the process with another layer of 3 and ½ noodles, 1 and ¼ cup beef and spinach mixture, the remaining half of the ricotta, and another ¾ cup of mozzarella.– Add one final layer of noodles, followed by the small remaining amount of the beef and spinach mixture. Spread it out so it lightly covers the noodles.
- Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the cheese and filling are bubbling around the sides.
- Remove the dish from the oven and take off the foil. Sprinkle the lasagna with the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese.
- Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered until the cheese is melted and lightly browned to your liking.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and garnish with the remaining basil.
- Let the lasagna stand and cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Slice into 8 or up to 12 pieces. Serve and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Make ahead: Assemble the entire lasagna without baking it, cover with foil, and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you want to bake it. Follow the baking instructions as written (45 to 50 minutes covered followed by 5 to 10 more minutes uncovered after adding the cheese garnish). You can also bake the lasagna, cover with foil, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Freezing: You can freeze whole lasagnas either unbaked or baked (and cooled completely). Remember to use a freezer-safe dish if you want to do it this way! Wrap the entire lasagna, including the pan, in a layer or two of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight for best results. Remove the plastic wrap then recover with foil. Bake unbaked lasagnas for 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F and baked lasagnas for 30 to 40 minutes until warmed through. If you forget to thaw the lasagna and want to bake from frozen, add 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Individual portions: Baked pieces of lasagna also freeze well. Let them cool completely then wrap each one in plastic wrap followed by foil. Remove all wrappings before reheating. Reheat in a covered baking dish at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes from thawed and 30 to 40 minutes from frozen.
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