I mentioned I was trying to eat healthier, and I am—mostly. Then I also make things like the dish you see here, so any strict health claims I make should be taken with a grain of salt.
I’m doing my best to exercise willpower, but sometimes I don’t stand a chance. This lasagna uses plenty of indulgent ingredients: heavy cream, butter, and a bounty of cheese. It’s a Roasted Garlic Spinach Alfredo Lasagna, and the response around our table was unanimous: “Delicious—now pass the comfy pants.”
The kids weren’t immediately sold. Only two of our children are fans of Alfredo, and they also tend to avoid visible vegetables. Plus, there’s no meat sauce, there are green vegetables, and, well, where’s the meat? My husband and I, on the other hand, were thrilled to have two pans to ourselves. We were a little surprised by how pleased we were. The Evil Genius joked, “This is great! Make more food the kids won’t like!”
Having parented these picky eaters for years, I expected their reaction and planned accordingly: I split the recipe between two smaller pans rather than one large one.
The plan was to freeze one pan for later or to share with a friend in need, and to enjoy the other pan right away. Since my husband and I are trying to make better choices, we each took one piece and wrapped the chilled leftovers in individual portions for the freezer.
When one of us is away on a trip, the other can heat a single serving of this comfort food without fuss.
Before the recipe, a little “keeping it real” moment: I often photograph food on the porch because the light is easy and natural. If you look at the left edge of one photo you might notice something unexpected.
Yes—it’s a chicken. That hen hopped up and tried to peck at the lasagna just as I whisked it out of reach. Who knew chickens enjoyed lasagna?
If you’d like to make the roasted garlic used in this recipe, check the tutorial for how to roast garlic in the oven; roasted garlic adds rich, mellow flavor to the Alfredo sauce.
Roasted Garlic Spinach Alfredo Lasagna | Make Ahead Mondays
Rebecca Lindamood
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Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce:
- 8-12 cloves of roasted garlic *Adjust amount depending on desired garlic intensity
- 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tablespoons
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
For the Lasagna:
- 2 boxes no-cook lasagna noodles (9 oz each)
- 1 batch Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
- 1 bag frozen cut leaf spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 container part-skim ricotta cheese 32 ounces
- 8 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups milk divided
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
To Make the Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce:
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In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and roasted garlic cloves. As the butter melts and the garlic warms, mash the garlic with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Let it simmer for about 3 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from heat.
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Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until uniform. While whisking, slowly drizzle in two ladles of the hot garlic cream to temper the eggs, then whisk the eggs back into the remaining hot cream. When combined, stir in the grated Parmesan and set the sauce aside.
To Assemble the Lasagna:
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Spray two 8″ x 8″ pans (at least 2″ deep) with non-stick spray. Lay three no-cook lasagna noodles in each pan, slightly overlapping to cover the bottom. Spread about 2/3 cup ricotta in each pan, distribute about one-sixth of the spinach over the ricotta, drizzle a ladle of Alfredo over the layer, and sprinkle about 1 cup mozzarella on top. Repeat these layers two more times.
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Finish with one more noodle layer, divide the remaining Alfredo between the two pans, and slowly pour about 3/4 cup milk over each pan to moisten (pour slowly to avoid overflow). Cover each pan tightly with foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
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Bake, covered, for 50–60 minutes, until noodles are tender and filling is bubbly. Uncover, divide the remaining mozzarella between the pans, and bake uncovered until the cheese melts and edges brown slightly.
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Let the lasagnas rest at least 15 minutes before cutting each into nine pieces and serving.
To Freeze and Reheat Leftover Lasagna:
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Method A: Chill the assembled lasagna in the pan overnight. Cover tightly with foil and then plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, remove plastic wrap but keep foil, place on a rimmed baking sheet in a cold oven, set oven to 350°F, and when it reaches temperature bake for about 30 minutes or until hot throughout.
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Method B: Chill overnight, cut into nine pieces, and remove each piece to a plate. Wrap pieces tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat a single piece, unwrap it, place on a microwave-safe plate, cover loosely, and microwave on high about 3 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, warm a piece in a small oven-safe dish at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until hot.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
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