A classic and complete dinner! This healthy spinach lasagna has whole wheat noodles, spinach, marinara sauce, cheese, and some spices. Minimal ingredients and no fuss.
Simplify it:
- Cheaper – I love lasagna but I don’t love buying out half the dairy aisle to make it! Who else is always stuck with something like ricotta cheese after a dairy recipe calls for it? And who else has to throw it out after a few weeks of telling themselves they will use it (but they never do)?
- Quicker – Lasagna doesn’t have to take all day to make! By simplifying the steps, you can cut the time it takes to make it in half.
- Healthier – Generally, the fewer ingredients a recipe has the healthier it is. This recipe is no exception. By only including the basics you get a nutritious and filling meal.
Ingredients for healthy spinach lasagna:
- Whole grain lasagna noodles
- Your favorite marinara sauce
- Frozen chopped spinach
- Shredded cheese
- Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
A few steps are worth it:
Unless you’re using no-boil lasagna noodles (which are hard to find in whole grain or whole wheat), cooking the noodles first is a good idea. It will make the noodles have a better texture as they bake, and they’ll adhere better to the other ingredients in the dish.
Another important step is draining the water from the spinach because otherwise, the extra liquid will make the lasagna too watery.
Although these two steps make a big difference, they do take a little bit of extra time so if you need to skip them don’t worry. It is absolutely fine to eat the lasagna without these steps.
Make lasagna ahead:
This is a great recipe to make in advance. You can make it the day before and refrigerate it. Or you can even double the recipe and freeze it uncooked. When you’re ready to cook it just pop it in the oven for an additional 30 minutes (covered). It will come in handy on busy weeknights!
Variations and substitutes:
This is a basic and simple lasagna recipe but if you ever have extra time and want to get fancy here are some ideas:
- Sauté some onions and garlic and add them to the spinach.
- Mix the cheese with an egg and cottage cheese.
- Add basil to the cheese mixture.
- Make my homemade marinara sauce: 28 oz. can tomato sauce, 2 T tomato paste, 2 T olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 T sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
Change it up:
- You can substitute regular noodles for this recipe.
- This is a great time to use up any fresh spinach leaves that you might have.
- Add veggies like mushrooms, peppers, or onions instead of or in addition to the spinach.
It’s a versatile recipe so use whatever you have on hand and create something that you will love.
What to serve lasagna with:
Although this can be served on its own and be perfectly fine, if you only want a small piece of it and need to fill up the rest of your plate here are some ideas.
- Salmon and mini grilled zucchini.
- Soup as an appetizer.
- A big green salad.
- Italian bread.
Healthier Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 box whole grain lasagna noodles
- 1 can marinara sauce
- 16 oz shredded cheese
- 1 bag frozen spinach
- Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the instructions on the package. Transfer them to a plate using a pair of tongs.
- Place parchment paper in between each layer of noodles to make sure they don't stick to each other.
- While the pasta is cooking boil a pot of water and add the frozen spinach. Cook it for around two minutes or until the spinach has thawed. Pour the spinach into a fine-mesh strainer.
- Drain the water out of the spinach by placing it in a paper towel or a straining bag and squeezing it.
- Place the spinach in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Sprinkle a bit of each spice over the spinach.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour marinara sauce over the bottom of a big baking dish or two smaller ones.
- Place noodles over the sauce.
- Top with spinach.
- Top with cheese.
- Continue this process with the sauce and repeat until you finish up all the ingredients. The last thing to go on top should be cheese.
- Place parchment paper on top of the cheese and then cover the dish with foil. The parchment paper will ensure that the cheese doesn't stick to the foil while it is cooking.
- Bake covered for around 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.
- You can add a tablespoon or two of water if you see there isn't enough liquid.
Notes
Try our other spinach recipe:
- Spinach cheese pie