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Easy creamed spinach lasagna

This creamed spinach lasagna is a family favorite. A hearty vegetarian dinner that is usually loved by everyone.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Bake 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients 

Creamed spinach sauce
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound frozen spinach thawed
  • 1 large egg whisked
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder more to taste
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
Béchamel sauce
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups warm milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • few grinds of black pepper
For lasagna
  • 20 uncooked lasagna sheets 400 g or 14 oz
  • 10.5 oz aged (low moisture) mozzarella cheese grated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 395°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking dish with oil. Set aside.
Make the spinach sauce
  • In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Once warmed, add the flour and whisk fast (to prevent flour from burning). Add thawed spinach (liquid and all) and whisk until incorporated. Then add the egg and continue whisking for about 3-5 minutes until the spinach is hot and egg cooked.
  • Add the garlic powder, sour cream and milk, whisk until incorporated and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk and let it simmer. Add a teaspoon of salt, then taste to see if you need more. Set aside.
  • Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil, then set aside.
  • Meanwhile make the béchamel
  • In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, melt the butter. Immediately add the flour and whisk until you get a smooth paste. Slowly add the warm milk, stirring constantly.
  • Let the béchamel cook for about 3-5 minutes, keep on stirring until you get a smooth but thick sauce (like a thick creamy soup). Season with salt, nutmeg and few grinds of black pepper and set aside.
Assemble lasagna
  • Place 4 pasta sheets in your pot of water for 1 minute or longer. This will soften them and make them easier to handle.
  • Spread a few teaspoons of both the spinach and béchamel on the bottom of the pan. Place in the pasta sheets in a single layer, breaking some in half if needed, until the bottom of the pan is covered.
    (Add 5 more pasta sheets to the pot.)
  • Top with about a ladle of spinach sauce, gently spread it all over pasta, then add around 4 tablespoons of béchamel and spread it over the spinach as best as you can. Top with 4 more sheets of pasta and continue in this manner to create 2-3 more layers, until you run out of the sauces.
  • The last layer has the least amount of sauce, just enough to barely cover the pasta. Sprinkle this layer with cheese.
  • Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the dish and bake the lasagna for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted, even golden brown in some places, and bubbly.
  • Remove lasagna from the oven and sprinkle with parsley (optional). Allow to rest for 15 minutes (and up to 60 minutes covered in a turned off oven) before slicing and serving.

Notes

I use the oven-ready pasta sheets that don't require precooking, but I prefer to soak them in boiling water either way. Softened pasta sheets are much easier to handle and I find that they bake better too.
For some extra comfort and flavor, add a dollop of sour cream to each serving of lasagna.