Lasagna Verde (Vegetarian Green Lasagne Recipe) (2024)

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You will be in love with nutritious green vegetables in this decadently creamy Lasagna Verde! This vegetarian recipe uses two types of cheese – Parmesan and Mozzarella – and three green veggies to create a beautiful spring/summer season lasagna that will be enjoyed by the whole family!

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But What Is Lasagna Verde?

A classic Italian recipe, Lasagna Verde, literally translates into Green Lasagna, and that is exactly what it is. Packed full of nutritious green vegetables, this Italian dish is not only delicious but has plenty of healthy nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Similarly toRisotto Verde, this green lasagna has three main green veggies: asparagus, peas and spinach.

Is Lasagne Verdi Vegetarian? There are many types of this dish made these days. And whilst our recipe is vegetarian, others may not be (like Lasagne Verdi Alla Bolognese or Lasagna Verde Al Forno). If you are looking for more vegetarian lasagna recipes, check out ourAubergine and Courgette Lasagna Recipe.

Why Is This Green Lasagna So Good?

Do you know one person in this world who does not enjoy a good pasta dish? Me neither! But there are so many reasons to LOVE this Lasagna Verde more than your other pasta dishes:

• With three green vegetables, this is one of the healthiest lasagnas you will ever make.
• Lighter and full of vibrant green colours, it is a great alternative for the spring or summer months!
• This is a great recipe for meatless Mondays, or simply anyone who’s trying to cut down on meat.
• Two different kinds of cheese used in this gree lasagna dish make it utterly irresistible! So creamy and cheesy!
• This recipe uses fewer ingredients than Lasagna Al Forno – you will only need 11 ingredients if you count every single thing!
• Lasagna Verde is lower in calories than meat lasagna!

Ingredients and Substitutes

• spinach: we used baby spinach. You may choose to use frozen spinach, but make sure to defrost and squeeze out any excess moisture first.
• butter:salted or unsalted.
• flour:plain (all-purpose) flour.
• milk:we used whole milk, but you can use half-fat or low-fat too.
• ground nutmeg:just a small pinch goes a long way.
• garlic cloveor garlic powder (optional).
• Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano):can be substituted with Padano Grana or even sharp mature cheddar.
• egg:medium in the UK, large in the United States.
• asparagus:make sure to trim the hard woody ends, and slice the asparagus in half lengthways. You may use asparagus tips (leave them whole – no need to halve them).
• peas:garden peas or petit pois. Defrosted if frozen.
• mozzarella:use a ball of mozzarella, not the type that’s suitable for pizza.
• lasagna sheets:plain, wholewheat or even verde sheets!

Step-By-Step Method

Step 1: Prepare the Spinach For Bechamel Sauce

Boil a full kettle of water. Add the fresh spinach to a large colander and pour the boiling water slowly over the spinach to help it wilt (you may need more than one kettle depending on the size and shape of your colander). Leave the spinach to drain and cool down. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze as much water out of them as possible. You can squeeze it in your hands, or place the spinach in a piece of muslin cloth.

Step 2: Make Green Bechamel Sauce

In the meantime, place a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with butter on medium heat and warm just enough to melt butter. Whisk in the flour and carry on cooking for about 1 minute, until the flour cooks and starts coming away from the sides. Gradually pour the milk in, whisking continuously.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir continuously over medium-low heat. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until it thickens.

Add the parmesan, garlic, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir. Leave the mixture to cool down to lukewarm.

Pour your cooled bechamel sauce into a blender/ liquidiser or a food processor. Add a whole egg and prepared spinach. Blitz the spinach mixture into a smooth green sauce.

Step 3: Assemble Lasagna Verde

Preheat the oven to 180C Fan.

Start by adding a thin layer of béchamel sauce to the bottom of the ovenproof dish (casserole dish). Cover the creamy spinach béchamel with lasagna sheets. Then spoon ⅓ of the bechamel sauce on top. Arrange half of the asparagus and half of the spinach and scatter half the peas on top. Add half of the torn mozzarella ball.

Place the sheets of pasta on top. Then spoon another ⅓ of bechamel, and add the rest of the asparagus, spinach, peas and mozzarella. Cover the veggies with the last layer of pasta. Then pour the remaining bechamel sauce on top. Scatter a generous topping of grated Parmesan all over!

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Bake Lasagna Verde in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes. The top layer should be golden brown. If it browns too much, cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil towards the end of cooking Let the cooked lasagne rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving to ensure prominent lasagna layers!

Tips & Tricks For The Best Lasagne Verdi

• If you want a full green experience, why not use green lasagna sheets too? They are sometimes called spinach pasta sheets.
• Whilst bechamel sauce for lasagna is typically made without egg, we highly recommend that you add an egg to this green béchamel sauce. Vegetables in this Lasagna Verde add quite a bit of moisture, and the only element that absorbs the moisture is pasta sheets, so adding an egg helps the sauce set a little firmer, just like quiche. Making it less messy to slice and serve, without affecting the flavour too much.
• Add other green vegetables to this lasagne, but make sure not to add too much moisture. If you want to add courgette slices, for example, make sure to roast or pan-fry them first so that excess water evaporates before being added to the lasagna.
• Substitute the parmesan cheese with mature cheddar for a cheaper alternative.
• Do not par-boil lasagna sheets for this recipe. You want your pasta dry to absorb all the moisture in the cooking process.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

This recipe serves 4 people, but if you are cooking for fewer people, don’t worry. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just make sure to cool it down to room temperature first. This lasagna Verde is actually really nice cold (we often enjoy it as cold lunch the next day), or you can reheat it for a couple of minutes in a microwave.

Alternatively, Lasagna Verde freezes well too!

What To Serve With Lasagna Verde?

This decadently creamy green lasagna is really rather filling and deliciously healthy too, but feel free to add some side dishes to make your dinner into a real feast. As with many pasta dishes, garlic bread will not go amiss here. Alternatively, to keep this pasta dish on the healthier side, why not serve it with:

• Lemon and Garlic Tenderstem Broccoli
• Raw Courgette Ribbon Salad
• Quick Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Other Vegetarian Pasta Recipes To Try

Don’t you just love a tasty vegetarian pasta dish for any season of the year? We sure do. Here are some of our favourite veggie pasta dishes that we think you will enjoy too:

• Vegetable Lasagna With Courgette and Aubergine
• Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
• Mushroom Blue Cheese Pasta

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