This Vegetarian Pumpkin Spinach Lasagna makes the best weekday dinner. Made with a warm pumpkin and ricotta filling mixed with hearty spinach, layered between tender lasagna noodles and creamy cheese. This is a vegetarian main dish everyone will love!
My husband loves homemade lasagna of any kind and this pumpkin spinach lasagna was no exception. The combination of the creamy pumpkin filling mixed with ricotta cheese and spinach takes this comfort food dish to a whole new level. It is so hearty and flavorful that nobody will ever miss the meat.
We also love this Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna which is another vegetarian lasagna that everyone will go crazy for! Or try these spinach lasagna roll-ups for an easier lazy lasagna recipe. My family loves this NEW cottage cheese lasagna!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make with only a few ingredients like spinach, cheese, and pumpkin.
- A great healthy fall family meal everyone will love!
- A vegetarian lasagna that can easily be made vegan.
- Hearty spinach, creamy cheese, and pumpkin are a perfect combo of great flavors for fall!
- Kid-friendly and husband-approved!
- Stores and reheats beautifully.
Ingredients in this pumpkin spinach lasagna
- Pumpkin Puree – Opt for pumpkin puree over pumpkin pie filling. It’s readily available in most grocery stores, or you can make it at home.
- Spinach – Fresh spinach is the top choice for this recipe. However, if using frozen, ensure it’s thawed first.
- Lasagna Noodles – I personally vouch for no-boil noodles. If you prefer the traditional kind, pre-boil and let them cool before assembling the lasagna.
- Cheese – Use a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese for the best results.
- Aromatics – Incorporate fresh onion and garlic to enhance flavor.
- Egg – One large egg will suffice.
- Olive Oil – Choose extra virgin olive oil.
- Spices – Incorporate a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- Milk – I recommend dairy-free, unsweetened milk, but any unsweetened milk works well.
*Get the complete list of recipe ingredients and instructions in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How to make pumpkin spinach lasagna
- Sauté the spinach: Heat up a pan with some olive oil, add the onions, and cook until translucent. Then add in the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add in the spinach and turn it in the pan to mix it in with the onions and garlic until wilted. Let cool.
- While the spinach is cooking, you can prepare the pumpkin filling. Add the pumpkin puree to a medium-sized bowl. Pour in the plant-based milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
3. Mix up the ricotta cheese filling: Add the ricotta cheese, egg, parmesan, mozzarella, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl and mix.
4. Add the cooked, cool spinach mixture to the ricotta cheese filling and fold it in. So good!
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9×13 or lasagna pan. Layer as follows: Spread ⅓ cup pumpkin filling evenly at the base. Cover with 4-5 lasagna noodles. Add half each of the ricotta mix and mozzarella, then more pumpkin filling. Sprinkle on some parmesan. Repeat: Noodles, Cheese mix, Mozzarella, Pumpkin, and top with remaining cheeses.
6. Cover with foil and bake covered for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until golden brown – about another 15-20 minutes. Per the recipe card below.
7. Remove the spinach lasagna from the oven and let it cool, then top with fresh herbs like basil and parsley.
This pumpkin spinach lasagna is incredibly creamy and captures the essence of fall perfectly! Warm spices, comforting pumpkin, and nutrient-rich spinach combine to create a delectable dish.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- For the greens, either spinach or kale is suitable. If using frozen spinach, ensure you thaw, drain, and sauté it first.
- To make this a vegan lasagna, choose dairy-free ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. Many vegan lasagna noodles are available, with lentil lasagna noodles being my top pick. However, cook them as instructed on the package before layering.
- Any lasagna noodles work for this dish. I prefer no-boil noodles, which are also available gluten-free. If you opt for whole wheat noodles, pre-cook them as directed on their package.
- While mashed or canned sweet potato and butternut squash can replace pumpkin, I believe pumpkin reigns supreme.
- You can maintain a vegetarian approach or introduce cooked, crumbled sausage or ground turkey into the layers or the ricotta filling.
How to store and reheat this lasagna
Store the lasagna covered in the fridge for up to 5 days; it becomes even more flavorful over time, making it perfect for meal prep. Reheat portions in the microwave until warmed through.
How to freeze pumpkin lasagna: Let the lasagna cool completely after you bake it, cut it into individual pieces, layer it in a freezer-friendly container, and store it in the freezer for up to one month. You can also wrap the entire lasagna really well in plastic wrap then foil after you bake it and let it cool, then thaw and reheat it in the oven at 350°F until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is warmed through.
More pumpkin recipes to try
If you give this pumpkin spinach lasagna recipe a try, I’d appreciate your feedback! Leave a rating and comment below.
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Vegetarian Pumpkin Spinach Lasagna
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Pumpkin Spinach Lasagna makes the best weekday dinner! Made with a warm pumpkin ricotta filling, and hearty spinach layered between tender lasagna noodles and creamy cheese. This is a vegetarian main dish everyone will love!
Ingredients
For the cooked spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped white or yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper
For the Pumpkin Filling
- 2 (15oz) cans of pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling
- ½ cup plain unsweetened milk of choice – I used almond milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Ricotta Cheese Filling
- 15 ounces of reduced-fat, part-skim ricotta cheese or any kind of creamy ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano or dried basil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Additional ingredients for layering
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh chopped basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
To cook the spinach
- Heat up a skillet or non-stick pan to medium heat on the stovetop and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
- Once hot, add in the chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, toss and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add in the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add in the fresh spinach, it will seem like a lot in the pan but it will wilt down a lot. Try to toss the spinach with the cooked onions and garlic to get it nice and coated with all of that flavor. Taste and add in more salt and pepper if needed.
- Once the spinach has cooked and wilted down (about 3-4 minutes), set it aside to cool.
Make the pumpkin filling
- While the spinach is cooking, you can prepare the pumpkin filling. Add all ingredients to a medium size mixing bowl and stir into a nice creamy pumpkin sauce.
Make the creamy ricotta filling
- Add the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper to a medium-size mixing bowl and stir to combine. Fold in the cooked spinach. If you are adding in cooked sausage or ground turkey this is where you would add it in.
Layer and bake the lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish or lasagna pan with cooking spray.
- Assemble: Place ½ cup of the pumpkin filling into the bottom of your prepared pan. Layer in 5 of the lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with ½ of the ricotta cheese filling, ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese then more pumpkin filling and ½ of the shredded parmesan cheese. The repeat: Noodles, cheese filling, pumpkin filling, mozzarella, parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake in the center rack of the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake covered for another 15-20 minutes.
- Remove let cool for at least 25 minutes and top with freshly chopped herbs.
Notes
- For the greens you can use spinach or kale, both work. You can use frozen spinach but you will have to thaw it, ring out the excess liquid, and then sauté it.
- To make this recipe vegan, use dairy-free ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. There are a lot of vegan lasagna noodles that are pretty good. My fav is lentil lasagna noodles but you would need to cook them per the package instructions before layering the lasagna.
- You can use any lasagna noodles in this recipe. I opted for no-boil lasagna noodles, which you can also buy gluten-free, which I love! If you use whole wheat noodles then you will need to boil them per the package instructions before layering the lasagna. Make sure to rinse the noodles after cooking and lay them on a sprayed baking sheet to cool for a few minutes before you use them.
- Mashed or canned sweet potato or even butternut squash are all alternatives to the pumpkin in this recipe but I think the pumpkin is the best!
- You can leave this recipe vegetarian or add in some crumbled, cooked sausage or ground turkey and add it as a layer or mix it in with the ricotta cheese filling.
- You can store this lasagna covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It just gets better as it sits. Great for meal prep!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: healthy dinner ideas
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Itallian
Hi!
Can you freeze left overs?
Hi Angela, I have not tried freezing this lasagna but it would likely work fine if you keep it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Then defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it in the microwave.
You forgot to mention when to layer the spinach in the lasagna!
Hi Roe, the spinach is folded into the ricotta filling.