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Kicking Monday off with my White Pesto Spinach Lasagna. Simply the BEST. Layers of creamy cheese bechamel sauce with basil pesto, spinach, and caramelized mushrooms. This dinner is always a favorite with our Christmas crew. It’s a great meal for entertaining, just make it ahead of time, and bake it off before guests arrive. Perfect for December!
In almost every interview, I’m asked what my go-to menu for entertaining is. I always say the very same thing, lasagna. And not just one lasagna, but two. One more classic lasagna with Bolognese sauce. And then a white lasagna that’s always extra cheesy.
I figured it was probably time I share BOTH of my go-to lasagna recipes for holiday entertaining. I might be in NYC today, but I’m already planning for our family Christmas in t-minus 2 weeks. Can you believe Christmas Eve is exactly two weeks from today? I really wish we had an extra week or two. So very behind on my Christmas shopping. I have a feeling this going to be the year of last-minute gift shopping…and it might be slightly stressful.
Anyway, back to this white lasagna.
I’ve made many variations of this (have you tried my butternut squash version?), but this is the fall back recipe I always rely on. It simply cannot be beat, and every time I make it, I love it that much more. It’s just so good.
First, the mushrooms. Now if you don’t like mushrooms, you don’t have to add these. But right now I’m on huge mushrooms kick, and absolutely loving them. I caramelized them in a little butter to make them extra delicious.
Next, the cream sauce, or bechamel as it is so fancifully called. This is creamy, loaded with cheese, and honestly the best thing to ever be tossed with pasta. I used a mix of melty Raclette and nutty parmesan cheese, and seasoned it with a little garlic and oregano. Beyond good.
The final layer of flavor is the pesto swirled ricotta. I love using pesto to bump up the flavor of my dishes. It’s perfect for adding a fresh basil flavor to this white lasagna.
Now we layer. To make things easier and quicker, I LOVE using no boil lasagna sheets. In my honest opinion, I think these are just as good as fresh pasta and so much easier. No boiling water, draining, or worrying about your noodles sticking together and tearing. Cool. Cool. Love that.
Layer the cheese sauce, noodles, pesto ricotta, mushrooms, and spinach. It’s three layers of all the best ingredients that bake up into a lasagna that’s mouth wateringly good.
I make this, along with my meaty lasagna, every single year for my family when they all arrive before Christmas. Us girls normally prefer the white, while the boys devour the red. I serve these lasagna with my favorite pomegranate spinach salad…shall I share? It’s simple. I’ve also been making this brussels sprout salad a lot too. Oh, and don’t forget some crusty bread.
Perfect family dinner that feeds everyone.
Also, as I mentioned, I’m in NYC today for a fun holiday party I’m hosting with Harry and David. I’ll be sharing a ton on Instagram stories, so be sure follow along.
Lastly, for those of you who are wondering, my red lasagna is coming next week. Stay tuned, it’s my brothers favorite!
If you make this lasagna, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
White Pesto Spinach Lasagna
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 1158 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 12 ounces wild mushrooms, roughly torn
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups shredded Emmi Raclette (provolone or fontina can be used)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
- 1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.2. Heat the olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden, stir and continue cooking until the mushrooms have caramelized, 3-5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet to a plate. 3. Add the butter, garlic and oregano, salt, and pepper and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add the milk and broth. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the Raclette cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Set the cheese sauce aside.4. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, spinach, and pesto.5. Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets. Spread with 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture, another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and half of the mushrooms. Place another 3-4 lasagna noodles on top and then top with the remaining ricotta cheese mixture, another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and the remaining mushrooms. Add the remaining lasagna noodles and pour the remaining cheese sauce over top. Top with a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
This post was originally published on December 10, 2018
I made this tonight and it was fabulous! Can it be frozen?
Sure! This is great when frozen. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
You mention oil in the beginning but no reference to how much. Also, when I took lasagna out after 45 minutes the top noodles were hard. Should I have covered the dish?
You need 2 tablespoons oil. Did you cover the top noodles with cheese? If the noodles are not covered with cheese they will dry out. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
This was delicious. I customized it a bit. I added an egg to the ricotta mixture and included chunks of sautéed butternut squash with the mushrooms I initially made this for our vegetarian guests, but is was devoured by all!
Thanks for the inspiration.
I am so glad everyone enjoyed this Laura! Thank you!
I made this last night to bake tonight & it looks amazing. Question though – when I got to step 3 the instructions say “reduce heat to medium”, I was already at medium. Should I have cooked the mushrooms on medium-high? Thanks!
HI! Medium heat is just fine for cooking the mushrooms. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe and had a great Christmas! Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
Hi, I made this recipe for our Christmas with our best friends! It was amazing! Everyone loved it! I look forward to making it again!!
Thank you so much Cheri! I am so glad you loved this recipe and I hope it turns out amazing again!
Decided to cook this on a whim and could not be happier with the results! I beefed up the recipe with ~16oz. mushrooms and a whole red onion, thinly sliced, and it still ended up being a good ratio of veggies to ricotta mixture. Loved the caramelized bits of cheese and noodles!
Do you have any specific recommendations when it comes to which mushrooms to use? I played a bit of a guessing game at the market and ended up with a medley of white, Alba Clamshell, Trumpet Royale, Brown Clamshell, Forest Nameko, Velvet Pioppini, and Maitake Frondosa (shout-out Whole Foods’ Mycopia Chef’s Sampler). They were great, but so small and a hassle to clean individually…
Keep up the great work, Tieghan! I make your crockpot pozole verde often and judging by my boyfriend’s reaction, it seems this will also be going into the rotation 🙂
Hi Krystal! I am so glad this recipe turned out amazing for you! Thank you so much for trying it out. Honestly, I do not have a preference on the type of mushroom. Your variety sounds amazing!
Hi there! This lasagna looks divine! I’m planning on making it for our annual roommate Christmas party. What would you recommend as far as preparing the noodles? Do you recommend no boil noodles, or boiling them to al dente? Thank you!
HI Jamie, I use no-boil noodles, so there is no need to boil them. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
How far in advance can I assemble the lasagna then bake it? I need it for tomorrow night and I’d love to assemble it tonight.
HI! You can assemble up to 3 days ahead of time and then bake as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Looks incredible. Can this be made ahead?? Happy holidays.
Yes! You can make ahead, keep in the fridge and then bake when needed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Have you ever made this ahead of time / put it in freezer?
HI! This works great to make ahead and freeze. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Do you think this would be good if frozen?
This freezes well both before baking and after! Either way just thaw overnight in the fridge and either bake as directed or warm in the oven to reheat. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Made this last night. Delicious! I used a slightly smaller pan and scaled the ingredients. I might use more mushrooms next time. Or for a carbless option it would be interesting to try with zucchini strips. We loved it and will make it again!
Thank you so much Linda! I am so glad this turned out so well for you!
Delicious, thank you so much. Would love the spinach pomegranate salad recipe. I’m sitting looking at 10 pomegranates from our tree right now! XOXO Happy Holidays
Thank you Gayle! Happy Holidays to you as well!
Have you ever made a lighter version of this with lower fat milk and ricotta cheese? This sounds divine, but i am trying to watch my calorie intake.
Hey Emily, I have not, but I am sure that low-fat milk and ricotta will be just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
This looks amazing! I plan on making this next week! Instead of mushrooms, could I use thinly sliced fingerling potatoes, or would you recommend just omitting?
Can’t wait to try this!
Hey Becca! The potatoes sound like an amazing addition!! Just be sure to thinly slice them so that they do not over power the lasagna. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?