Spinach Artichoke Lasagna
This healthy vegetarian lasagna includes lots of fresh spinach, jarred artichokes, and the simplest homemade tomato sauce.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on November 19, 2024
Ever tried artichoke in lasagna? If not, you’ve been missing out. This vegetarian recipe is freshly flavored, hearty and cheesy, but not too heavy. It’s a marvelous option for date night at home or a special Sunday dinner.
This spinach and artichoke lasagna recipe has been one of my personal favorites for nearly a decade, and it has raving reviews. Today, I’m sharing it again with new photos and a step-by-step video. You’ll also find plenty of serving suggestions below to round out your meal.
I originally created this recipe for our friend Scott. He came to the blog looking for a lasagna recipe to cook for his wife, Sara, and I had nothing to offer! This recipe formed the backbone for my Best Vegetable Lasagna and Vegan Lasagna, so if you have enjoyed those, you’ll certainly love this one.
This recipe taught me the beauty of no-boil lasagna noodles, which are so much easier and quicker to work with. It also features a simple, no-cook, diced tomato sauce with basil and garlic that tastes so fresh. Try it, and you’ll see!
Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Notes & Tips
You’ll find the full recipe below. Here are a few tips and options to be aware of before you get started.
- This recipe is designed for no-boil lasagna noodles, which saves a few steps and makes for easier layering.
- I used cottage cheese in this recipe instead of the classic ricotta. It’s a little trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen (they are full of tricks!). Cottage cheese has a better flavor and texture than ricotta when it comes to lasagna. I am not a fan of cottage cheese on its own, but it’s perfect in this recipe!
- If you are in a pinch for time, you could substitute store-bought sauce for the homemade sauce below.
- You could also get by with frozen spinach instead of fresh, but the fresh spinach flavor really plays nicely with the fresh-tasting tomato sauce.
- If you don’t love artichokes or can’t find any, you can skip them altogether for a classic spinach lasagna recipe.
- The recipe below makes heavy use of a food processor, but if you don’t have one, you can use a blender.
- If you don’t have a food processor or blender, buy crushed tomatoes instead of diced, skip the blended cottage cheese step and chop the spinach mixture after it’s done cooking.
Watch How to Make Spinach Artichoke Lasagna
Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Serving Suggestions
While this lasagna already offers a serving of hearty greens, it’s great with a side salad. The most simple side salad options include this Lemony Kale Salad or Super Simple Arugula Salad. Or, improvise your own with my Italian Dressing or Lemon Vinaigrette.
Other side dish options include green beans—try these Best Ever Green Beans, Perfect Roasted Green Beans, or Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds and Feta (I think the Mediterranean flavors would complement the spinach and artichoke).
For date night at home, you could end the meal with a special dessert. I love Betty’s Pots de Crème for the small portion and rich flavor. Foolproof Basque Cheesecake tastes amazing, and it’s best made in advance. For just two people, try these chocolatey Mini Lava Cakes for Two!
More Hearty Italian Recipes to Try
Here’s a short collection of cheesy baked Italian dishes. Browse more Italian recipes here.
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Lentil Baked Ziti
- Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Italian Eggplant Parmesan
Please let me know how your lasagna turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Spinach Artichoke Lasagna
This healthy vegetarian lasagna includes lots of fresh spinach, jarred artichokes and the simplest homemade tomato sauce. This lasagna tastes even better the next day! Recipe yields one 9-inch square lasagna, which is enough for 8 to 9 servings.
Ingredients
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Spinach artichoke mixture
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low fat cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 smallish red onion)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 cup jarred or defrosted frozen artichokes, drained, quartered if necessary
- 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Remaining lasagna ingredients
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 2 cups (5 ounces) shredded fontina cheese or low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella
- Garnish: sprinkling of additional chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To prepare the tomato sauce, first pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and let them drain off excess juice for a minute. Transfer drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have about 2 cups sauce).
- Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
- Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the artichoke to the skillet, then add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach. Continue cooking for about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach has dramatically reduced in volume and very little moisture remains in the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the spinach artichoke mixture to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the contents are finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 12 to 15 times. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with remaining cottage cheese and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
- Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch square baker. Layer three lasagna noodles on top, overlapping their edges as necessary. Spread half of the spinach mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ½ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with three more noodles, followed by the remaining spinach mixture. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top. (We’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Top with three more noodles, then spread the remaining tomato sauce over the top so the noodles are evenly covered. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Wrap the lasagna with a layer of parchment paper over the top (or cover tightly with aluminum foil, but don’t let the foil touch the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180 degrees and continue cooking for about 12 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown. Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before sprinkling with chopped basil and slicing.
Notes
Recipe roughly adapted from several lasagnas in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, with reference to Serious Eats and Gimme Some Oven.
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free no-bake lasagna noodles, such as Jovial brand.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Wow, this was so, so good! I am amazed! Truly delicious recipe. MY only tip is to read through the instructions in advance so you know what to expect; it’s not hte quickest recipe, but it’s worth it.
We didn’t have a square pan; we only had a normal rectangular casserole dish. We wound up using a full box of lasagna noodles, and next time we’ll increase the tomato sauce and the artichoke spinach mixture each by 50% to account for the larger pan and more noodles.
I’m really glad you thought this recipe was worth the time! Thanks for the review, Lea.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe.
Let me know what you think, James!
I’ve never tried your recipes before. I am looking for a good vegetable lasagna but I need to make a 9 x 13 pan. Can this recipe be adjusted to make more? Thank you! It sounds great!
Hi Sherry! I know other readers have made it in a 9×13 pan. I would suggest looking through the comments to see what worked well for others. Let me know what you think!
This is my favorite recipe of all time. I have made this lasagna many times and it has always come out delicious. Thank you so much Kate for your inspiration for healthy living.
You’re welcome, Nicole! I appreciate the review.
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it. I have trouble digesting both onion and garlic and am always looking for recommendations for how to kick up flavor for sauce without those two (crushed red pepper is my current go to). Any thoughts?
Hi Julia! Sorry for the slow response to your question. I would say herbs (maybe increase the amount of any herbs called for, or when it comes to Italian recipes basil is generally a good idea), citrus (zest and/or juice) and/or vinegar (a tiny splash of good balsamic in marinara works wonders) would be great flavor boosters for you. Hope this helps!
This lasagna was the absolute bomb!!! I used store bought marinara, with the following modifications:
minced garlic in can
basil leaves spice
rep pepper flakes
paprika
Added 2 cups of cottage cheese to the cooked down veggies
Added a lid to soften noodles a little bit before removing from oven
I started a meatless challenge this month and this made me confident that this month will be an awesome journey.
Thanks for sharing, Maurice!
I just made this and it tastes great! However when I cut it into slices it came out really mushy and was more of a blob then a nice square of Lasagne. I followed everything to a T. Is there a way to make the consistency a bit more rigid?
Hi Tom, sorry to hear that! Did you give the lasagna some cooling time to set? If that doesn’t explain it, it sounds like maybe you didn’t get enough moisture out of your tomatoes. Too much moisture can make the lasagna a little soupy. My last suggestion would be to try a different brand of noodles. Hope this helps!
I have made this recipe several times and absolutely love it! This year I’m having trouble finding gluten free lasagna noodles, but did find gluten free jumbo shells. What do you think about converting this to baked shells, rather than a lasagna? It should work, right?
I’m sorry you are having a hard time find gluten free noodles! I wouldn’t recommend the baked shells, unless you want more of a casserole style. You could try it, but not sure how it would work. Let me know!
Absolutely delicious! I made this for Christmas Eve and my husband who dislikes spinach, loved this lasagna. Not sure how it’s 8-12 servings though- was glad I made just for two of us!
Hooray!! That’s wonderful, Tricia! Thanks so much for sharing.
what size is the jar of artichokes please?
Hi Sue, 1 jar (12 ounces) marinated artichokes or 1 can (15 ounces) should yield plenty. You need 1 cup drained artichoke.
My partner and I have made this countless times. We usually make a batch of the spinach and tomato fillings and keep them in the freezer. For some reason this is our go-to Summer meal — we make it and get it in the fridge as soon as we can because it’s absolutely delicious when it’s cold. We’re also in Australia at the moment and mid-way through Summer, so this will be tonight’s dinner! Lasagna, we’ve missed you…
Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome! This one is a great favorite to have. Thanks for your review.
Looking forward to making this dish and am just wondering the best way to incorporate lentils in the recipe?
I would make a batch up and then incorporate it into the spinach mixture. I’m not sure how much to suggest and how this could impact the recommended dish size, without trying it. Maybe see with 1 cup cooked lentils. Let me know what you think, Susan!
Hi, with the jar of artichokes, would you recommend marinated or in plain brine? So looking forward to trying this dish. Your veg lasagna…. wow! Sooooo good!!
Hi Ela, either will work. I believe I used marinated artichokes from Trader Joe’s.
Will leftovers of this lasagna freeze well? Or should I cut the recipe in half? How long would it last just refrigerated? We are in our 80’s & would like to add vegetarian recipes to our diet.
thank you jo
I haven’t tried to freeze this one, sorry Jo! I’m afraid it might be watery when thawed. I would recommend searching the comments to see what others may have tired and if they have had much luck.
Oh My GOD. I made this today and let me tell you I am blown away. This dish is beyond delicious. I threw some red peppers in the spinach mixture and didn’t purée it after sautéing just because I like bigger chunks in my lasagna. I also used ricotta. It turned out fabulous!!!
Great to hear, Sophie!
I made this last night with a couple substitutions. Used zucchini noodles, added mudhrooms, only put about 3/4 cup feta on top (no other cheese) and added some black olives on top. It was amazing, will be making it often!
I’m happy you were able to make it with your twist! Thanks for your review, Andia.
Made this last night! LOVED it! So, so delicious! Did not miss the meat at all. Like many of your other followers, I could only find the Unico Oven Ready Lasagna noodles, which are fairly thick, so I left all the juice in my can of tomatoes for the sauce, lowered my oven temp to 375 and increased the bake time to 45 mins covered in foil and another 10 mins uncovered. Was so happy with the end result! Hubby loved it too! Definitely will make this again! Thanks again for your inspiration Kate!
Thanks for sharing what you did! I’m glad it worked so well for you, Cheri. I appreciate your review.
Hi, I am going to try this recipe tonight! I don’t have a food processor or blender and saw your note about skipping the blended cottage cheese step and to chop the spinach mixture after it’s done mixing. Can you clarify if I still can add the cottage cheese and if so, what is the best way? Thanks!
You still want to add the cottage cheese, you just don’t need to whip it. Otherwise, follow exactly.
This lasagna is fantastic! I accidentally doubled the mozzarella (got carried away and used the whole bag before realizing) and got 12 very satisfying servings out of it. I’d never even thought to use cottage cheese in a lasagna, but it turned out great; it was less watery and held together better than ricotta when cutting, will definitely do again!
I’m happy you loved it! Thanks for your review, Laura.
Hello – Can you tell me where you purchased the 9×9 ceramic casserole dish that is shown here? It is exactly the style I am looking for, but I’m having a hard time locating one. Thank you, Marnie Smedley
PS… Making this Spinach Artichoke Lasagna for Easter lunch, can’t wait!
It’s from Crate & Barrel. I have a link here!https://sooka.info/healthy-kitchen-essentials/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Super, thank you! I looked, but apparently do not know how to navigate your website fully yet. :-) I appreciate you sending me the link! Also, the Spinach Artichoke Lasagna was a hit!
I would have given 5 starts but agree with previous post – the noodles didn’t cook all the way. I used vegan ricotta cheese instead. I will definitely make again and cook longer. The noodles box said 40 minutes at 450 and additional 15 so will try that next time.
I’ve made this recipe more than once because it is SO good. Wondering if you were going to serve something on the side, what it would be??
A simple salad would work! Or, try my https://sooka.info/chopped-greek-salad-recipe/%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E
Delicious lasagna. I made this recipe for my family and everyone enjoyed it.
Wonderful, Lisa! Thank you.
I adore this lasagna recipe!!! I’ve made it a number of times, using your sauce recipe and also using jarred marinara. It is amazing every time. The addition of the artichoke is delicious and the cottage cheese adds the perfect texture.
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Pam.
WOW!! this was just amazing, so easy to follow. I have never done anything meatless before. My husband is going thru some very extreme health issues and we have been trying all different salads lol there is only so much salad variations a person can eat. I was searching the internet tonight and found this lasagna recipe and decided to make it for dinner, well i served it to the whole family and everyone cleared their plates!!! from the 2year old right up to my husband and I.
thank you so much you really have changed our lives. you dont know how much hope you have given us for yummy flavorful meals
You’re welcome, Anne! I’m really happy to hear the blog has been such a helpful resource to you and your family.
Sorry Kate we did add mushrooms to this lasagna and it was AMAZING, i forgot to mention this in my prior comment.
also I made it with the gluten free noodles, and lactose free cheeses, no one even suspected it was so “free” lol
I’m glad you liked it and that your substitutions worked so well, Anne!
Delish! I am trying to get more meatless days into my week and this was a great recipe for that. And my husband really liked it. I will say that I do not own a food processor and so there was non of that process in my creation… The chopped tomatoes were already seasoned with italian seasonings so I just used as is – although runnier than pasta sauce I made sure the pasta layers were beside the tomato layers so the liquid would be absorbed. My cottage cheese turned out to be a bust as it had actually gone bad in the fridge so I improvised with sour cream and feta, and that also worked fine. I did this in a 13 x 9 pan and eliminated the last layer of pasta to try and cut the carbs a bit. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!
Hi Geri! Thanks for sharing how you made this work without a food processor. I’m glad you loved it!
WOW!! I made this exactly as written and just WOW!! The husband loves it too! And he won’t eat anything without meat in it!
I’m happy to hear it, Kristin!
This was delicious! My meat-eating husband absolutely loved it and he is typically a bit disappointed with vegetarian-based meals. It’s sure to be a “go to” meal for us in the future- when entertaining other than family too!
That’s great! Thank you, Andrea.
I made this lasagna last night and we absolutely loved it- I followed the recipe to the letter and really appreciated the details in the procedure. I am not a vegetarian but like a lot of people I try to find recipes for a once or twice a week no- meat dinner for health and budget reasons. This lasagna was so delicious, sooooo looking forward to leftovers today! Thankyou for the great recipe.
You’re welcome, Debbie!
This is a winner! Really tasty, and it was easy to make. I didn’t have a square pan, but it fit fine in a 9×12. Also, I only had regular lasagna noodles so cooked them for 9 minutes first. Will definitely make this again, thank you!
This is an absolute favorite in our house and everyone I make it for raves about it!! Even my meat loving husband had three helpings the first time I made it. The artichokes deliver a bright surprise. They make my tastebuds dance!
I was sceptical about an uncooked sauce and cottage cheese rather than ricotta in this recipe but man, I did as I was told and it turned out fabulously.
I’ll be making this again and again.
Thanks so much.
I’m glad you still tried it, although skeptical! Thanks for your review.
Best lasagne ive made! I used goats cheese (but alot less!) instead of cottage cheese and it was amazing!
We are trying to eat less (or no) meat and found this – know the recipes here are good. I read the reviews, read the recipe, and thought… well, worth a try. I did just as directed except I whipped ALL the cottage cheese as my family hates it. Of the 2 here, both ate a full serving and said they would eat it again weekly. I
Thank you for sharing, Michelle!
This sounds wonderful! I do have a question about cooking times: at the top of the recipe, it says that cooking time is 50 minutes. In the body of the recipe it says to bake covered for 18 minutes, then bake uncovered for 12 minutes. Which is correct?
The total cooking time is for all ingredients. Step 4 is also apart apart of that. Follow the steps in the instructions for when and how to bake. Hope this helps, Heather!
Followed exactly except had regular lasagna noodles so pre cooked for a few minutes. Was very easy only nine pieces. I liked the texture of the pasta with the pre cooking didn’t dry out in the oven. Was so delicious. My daughter gave a big thumbs up which is impossible. Thank you Kate, I’m enjoying cooking much more because your recipes have been so successful for my family, can’t say how grateful I am for that.
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Shelley!
What if you’re allergic to dairy? What is the substitute for cottage cheese? Thanks
I was skeptical… but this is amazing!! Even my meat-loving husband loves it! Thank you, Kate.
I stumbled across your site looking for meatless meals in conjunction with a fast I’m doing. Made this lasagna and it is delicious. I used marinara from a jar and also garlic from a jar. I’m not a fancy cook so the other steps were enough for me :)
I look forward to trying some of your other recipes!
I’m happy you liked it, Linda!
I am making this right now. I noticed that at the top you indicate cooking time of 50 minutes, but your instructions in the body of the recipe only total 30 minutes (18, and 12)?
Am I missing something? 30 minutes sounds too short for this and I noticed in a lot of comments that they cooked this for 45-50 minutes?
I have been working my way through Kate’s cookbook and website and we love it all! I always double this recipe and make two pans and freeze one. It takes awhile but the end result is worth it. The simple tomato sauce is really tasty and processing the cottage cheese to mix with the veggies is brilliant! The best veggie lasagna I have ever had.
You are so sweet! I’m glad you are loving the blog and cookbook, Mary.
Do you think I could make this vegan and gluten free with vegan ricotta and pre cooked gluten free noodles? I have to bring a main dish to a gathering next weekend and we’ve got a mix of vegans and GF followers attending!
Sure! Let me know how it goes for you, Hayley.
This was phenomenal! I can always count on your recipes to be delicious. I used Barilla gluten free oven-ready lasagne noodles. I always soak them in water for about 15-20 minutes prior to assembly and they turn out soft and tender.
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Carole.
Super tasty. I can not (easily) find cottage cheese around here (France), I substituted « fromage blanc » (the full-fat variety) and it was very good. Thank you for another keeper!
I am surprised that you consider the recipe to be for 8 (to 12!) people, as you always offer generous portions (and, believe me, I made more recipes from your website than I can count! my favorite, by far!) – I made 6 lasagna portions and they were not huge!)
Thank you for sharing, Nathalie!
This was a huge hit at Shabbat dinner even among the meat-lovers! I doubled the recipe in 11×15 pan with an extra layer and about 10 more min in the oven, and it fed about 15 people (sadly, with no leftovers). Will definitely be making this again!
Thank you for sharing, Julia! I’m happy it worked well doubled.
Can you tell me if this freezes well? I”d love to use it for company next week but need to make ahead. Thank you!
Hi Nancy, I don’t freeze all my recipes. Sorry! I don’t usually have luck with these type of recipes. You can see what others may recommend in the comments.
We made this for dinner tonight. We followed the instructions exactly as described, and it turned out absolutely delicious. Everything was cooked just right, including the pasta. We used the “no boil” oven ready lasagna as instructed, it came out perfectly, and everyone commented on how good it was. One guest made a point of saying, on two separate occasions, that “This was the best meal I ever had!” We have all recently turned vegetarian, and are really enjoying your recipes. Thank you!
Thank you for providing instructions for those readers who do not have a food processor (or a blender)!
Kate,
We just finished your spinach artichoke lasagna for dinner and it truly is the best lasagna that my husband and I have ever had. We can’t wait for tomorrow to have the leftovers for dinner. It is an awesome recipe!
I love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Christine.