Layers of pasta, sausage studded tomato sauce, chopped spinach and 3 Italian cheeses make this lasagna recipe awesome. Assemble this make ahead recipe for homemade Spinach and Sausage Lasagna in advance, and dinner will be waiting for you.
Recipe review
Cooking dinner for a family can be challenging. Each person has different likes and dislikes when it comes to eating. And with today's busy daily schedules, families may eat in shifts depending on the activities of the day.
I always kind of winged it when I made lasagna. Wanting a tried and true recipe, how to make a foolproof lasagna became a goal of mine. With the basics of pasta, sauce, and cheese, I would layer the ingredients in a baking dish and hope for the best.
At times, my homemade lasagna would come out perfectly. Just enough sauce and just enough cheese were layered with the pasta to make a delicious piece of lasagna.
Other times my lasagna would come out too dry because I didn't add enough sauce. Also, the layers were too thin with not enough cheese sandwiched between pasta. Still other times my sauce proportions were way out of whack. The layers would slide off each other and be swimming in a plate of marinara.
After years of trial and error, I finally set out to take copious notes as I assembled my homemade lasagna. The result was a multilayered masterpiece. The correct proportions of the ingredients helped achieve a delicious lasagna every time.
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Why you'll love this recipe
One dish that is sure to delight is homemade lasagna. Made with layers of pasta, tomato sauce studded with Italian sausage, iron rich spinach and three flavorful cheeses, Spinach and Sausage Lasagna will be a family favorite around the dinner table.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- Italian sausage
- canned crushed tomatoes
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- dried thyme
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheeses
- frozen chopped spinach
- large egg
- lasagna noodles
Amy's expert lasagna tips
- I always found that the no-boil noodles left too much room for error. Generous amounts of marinara are need to cook the noodles as the lasagna bakes. The result was usually a watery entree. And the texture of the no boil noodles is more paper like than the tender wavy lasagna noodles.
- Crumbled and cooked Italian sausage along with sauteed onions and garlic season the scrumptious tomato sauce.
- Three different cheeses each add a distinctive texture and flavor to the easy lasagna recipe. Creamy ricotta adds a lusciousness to each bite. Mozzarella melts beautifully throughout the layers. Parmesan cheese's sharp and salty flavor enriches the flavor of the dish.
- Sneak chopped spinach into the layers to up the nutritional value of the dish.
Can you make lasagna in advance?
Lasagna is one of those dishes that freezes magnificently. There are 2 ways to make and freeze a homemade lasagna.
- After assembling the lasagna, do not bake it. Wrap the lasagna in the pan in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed in the recipe.
- After assembling the lasagna, bake and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the foil and plastic wrap. Recover the lasagna with the foil. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes. I like to serve the pre baked lasagna with extra marinara sauce.
More make ahead family dinner recipes
One more thing
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Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Homemade Spinach and Sausage Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound Italian sausage crumbled
- 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano divided
- 1 teaspoon dried basil divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme divided
- 1 carton 15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese reserve ½ cup for the top of the lasagna
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 package 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 egg
- 9 lasagna noodles cooked
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat add the olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Italian sausage and continue cooking until browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, and ½ teaspoon each of dried oregano, basil, and thyme and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped spinach, egg, and the remaining ½ teaspoon each of the oregano, basil, and thyme. Set aside.
- Assemble the lasagna in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Spread about ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Top with a single layer of the cooked noodles cutting them to just fit in the bottom of the pan. Spread with ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, top with ¼ of the sauce and ⅓ of the 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layering procedure 2 more times.
- Top with a final layer of noodles (this will be the leftover cut pieces of noodles), the remaining sauce, and the last ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Place the lasagna on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly around the edges. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Lasagna is an ideal make ahead freezer recipe. There are 2 ways to prepare the lasagna in advance and freeze it.
- After assembling the lasagna, do not bake it. Wrap the lasagna in the pan in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed in the recipe.
- After assembling the lasagna, bake and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the foil and plastic wrap. Recover the lasagna with the foil. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes. I like to serve the pre baked lasagna with extra marinara sauce.
Nutrition
lisa koby says
so good! my husband loves this. he normally doesn't like pasta but be loved this and now we eat it every Monday
Amy Casey says
I love to hear that Lisa! My personal chef clients would order this lasagna on a weekly basis too.
Andrew Wilkin says
I've made this a few times. My wife never does seconds. This time she did. It's awesome!
Amy Casey says
Wow! I love to hear that Andrew 🙂 This is one special lasagna.
Samantha Carpenter says
This was amazing. I made two extra and froze them right before having a baby. It was a perfect warm meal to get my husband and I through those first few days! Thank you!
Amy Casey says
Thanks Samantha! I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed my recipe. And congratulations on the new addition to your family 🙂
pam says
Made this for a small dinner party last night---perfection!
Amy Casey says
That is awesome Pam! I'm so glad you enjoyed my lasagna recipe 🙂