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This creamy white lasagna with spinach and mushrooms is one of the best vegetarian lasagna recipes. A creamy white béchamel sauce is layered with lasagna noodles and a seasoned ricotta cheese mixture with spinach and mushrooms. The perfect homemade lasagna for Christmas Eve!
White sauce lasagna is made with a creamy béchamel sauce instead of the traditional marinara sauce typically used in a classic Italian lasagna. My version of white lasagna is the ultimate comfort food! It includes sautéed mushrooms and fresh spinach, for a delicious, earthy flavor.
This creamy white lasagna recipe is perfect for your holiday celebrations. Serve with Italian seafood salad, eggplant parmesan, and Italian struffoli.
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Notes About the Ingredients
- Pasta - No-boil or oven-ready lasagna noodles make this dish simple. For special occasions, use homemade fresh pasta. I find that oven-ready noodles or fresh pasta hold up the best for lasagna. If you use regular noodles, only cook the pasta until al dente so it's not mushy. Fresh lasagna sheets don't need to be cooked ahead of time. There is enough liquid in the sauce and cheese mixture to cook them while baking.
- Sauce - The creamy white sauce used for this lasagna recipe is a béchamel sauce. A béchamel is made with a roux and thickened with milk or cream. The sauce is flavored with nutmeg and Parmesan to make a thick and creamy cheese sauce. The sauce can be substituted for 6 cups of store-bought alfredo sauce, if needed.
- Cheese - I decided to use a mix of three Italian cheeses in this recipe: shredded mozzarella cheese, ricotta, and parmesan. Fontina, asiago, or pecorino romano cheese could also be added for extra flavor and cheesiness!
- Vegetables - The spinach and mushrooms can be eliminated if needed. Use other grilled or sauteed vegetables, such as broccolini, asparagus, or artichoke hearts.
Variations to Try
- Gluten-Free - Use a gluten-free flour substitute for the sauce and gluten-free noodles.
- Red Sauce - If you prefer a red sauce for your lasagna, you can substitute the bechamel with my Italian gravy or mix half white sauce and half red sauce.
How to Make White Lasagna
Make the Roux - Melt butter for the sauce, and then saute the garlic for a minute. Sprinkle in the flour to make the roux, and then whisk in the half and half and milk.
Finish the Sauce - Let the sauce simmer to thicken and then stir in the parmesan, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Cook the Veggies - Sauté the sliced mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat and then add the garlic and baby spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, and then set it aside to cool for a bit.
Make the Cheese Mixture - Mix the ricotta cheese with the parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Add in the mushrooms and spinach mixture and stir to combine.
First Layer - To assemble the lasagna, grease a 9x13 casserole dish with olive oil. Spread one or two cups of the white sauce on the bottom and then add 3 of the noodles. Spread about one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Second Layer - Sprinkle one-third of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Pour half of the remaining creamy sauce over the cheese. Repeat with another layer of noodles, another third of the ricotta mixture, and another third of both the mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
Third Layer - Add the remaining sauce and finish with the last layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
Bake and Cool - Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes at 375˚F. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes to brown the top. Let the lasagna sit for at least 15 minutes to cool, then slice and serve.
Glossary
If you don't recognize a tool or skill I mentioned, you can look it up in my Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information!
Amanda's Expert Tips
- Let the sauce only simmer, not boil. If it gets too hot, it can separate.
- Cool the mushrooms and spinach slightly before adding them to the cheese, or the filling with my runny.
- Don't cut the lasagna immediately out of the oven. It needs at least 15 minutes to set, or it will fall apart.
- If you like the cheese extra browned on top, turn on the broiler for the last minute or two.
Make Ahead and Storage instructions
White Lasagna is perfect for making ahead of time. Here are a few different ways to prep the ingredients and dish in advance.
FRIDGE - Fully assemble up until cooking time and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and then remove from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking time. Bake as directed.
FREEZER - To freeze, tightly wrap the dish in plastic and then cover it in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Fully defrost the lasagna in the refrigerator and then remove it to room temperature 30-60 minutes before cooking time. Bake as directed.
LEFTOVERS - Keep cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
Hearty Italian Pastas
If you loved this creamy white sauce lasagna recipe, check out these other hearty Italian pasta recipes that I know you will love too!
Recipe
White Lasagna Recipe
Video
Ingredients
White Bechamel Alfredo Sauce
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic, approximately 4-6 cloves
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 quart half and half
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Ricotta Cheese Filling
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach
- 32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Lasagna Assembly
- 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
White Bechamel Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat until it stops foaming. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour evenly over the butter and garlic and whisk until it is absorbed completely. Continue to whisk and cook for 1 more minute.
- Slowly pour in the half and half and milk while whisking constantly until it is combined. Continue to whisk and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and mix in the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Ricotta Cheese Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and then add the mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are softened and lightly browned.
- Add the minced garlic and fresh spinach and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the spinach is wilted. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.
- Add the sauteed mushrooms and spinach to the cheese mixture and mix to combine.
Lasagna Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ and grease a deep 9x13 casserole or lasagna pan with olive oil or baking spray.
- Add one to two cups of the white sauce to the bottom of the pan and spread it around to cover.
- Add three of the lasagna noodles on top and then spread one third of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with one third of the shredded mozzarella cheese and one third of the grated parmesan cheese.
- Add half of the remaining white sauce on top and then repeat with another layer of noodles, another third of the ricotta cheese, and another third of both mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Add the remaining white sauce and finish with the third layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta cheese mixture, and the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Noodles - Fresh pasta or regular lasagna noodles can be used instead of no-boil or oven-ready noodles. Fresh pasta does not need to be cooked prior to layering. Regular noodles should be cooked until al dente before layering.
- Sauce - Replace the white sauce with 6 cups of store-bought alfredo sauce. Red sauce can be substituted or mixed half and half with the white sauce for a different variety.
- Cheese - Substitute or mix the parmesan with pecorino romano, asiago, or fontina cheese. Flip on the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking to brown the cheese extra.
- Vegetables - Broccoli, rapini, asparagus, broccolini, or artichokes can be substituted or mixed with spinach and mushrooms.
- Gluten-Free - Use a gluten-free flour substitute in the sauce and gluten-free noodles.
- Make Ahead - Make the filling and sauce up to 3 days ahead of time and store cooled and covered in the refrigerator. Fully assemble the lasagna up until cooking time and wrap it in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or also cover the dish in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Frozen lasagna should be fully defrosted in the refrigerator. Baking times will be slightly longer.
- Leftovers - Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
Diand
I made this for a family birthday dinner as a side dish and it was wonderful! The instructions are very clear and similar to any type of layered lasagna dish. It was very straight-forward. This will be one of my new favorites, especially for the vegetarians in my family.
Amanda
Thank you Diane! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and it was easy to follow! Thank you for making it 🙂
Karen
This is one of the worst written recipes I’ve ever come across. Very confusing and the steps do not account the the correct amounts of mozzarella and Parmesan.
Amanda
What questions can I answer for you that weren't clear in the recipe? The mozzarella and parmesan are added in thirds as written in the steps of the recipe. The first third of the cheeses is added as written in the 3rd step of the lasagna assembly, the second third is added in the 4th step and finally the last third or remaining cheese is added in the 5th step right before baking. Did you try making the recipe and eating it or are you rating this simply based on not understanding the instructions?