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Asparagus & Spinach Pesto Lasagna

January 28, 2015 By Marci Lutsky

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When I gave birth to my twins, I was living in a townhouse community in Pennsylvania.  My twins were born prematurely and spent six weeks in the NICU.  When they came home, my husband and I were completely overwhelmed with two fragile newborns.  The last thing on our minds was cooking.  We were fortunate to have the kindest, most thoughtful neighbors who set up a meal train so that a meal was delivered to us once a week for two months.  I can not begin to tell you how much this meant to us.  Besides the fact that it meant we would eat a good meal once a week, I welcomed the company each time a meal was delivered because it was January and getting out of the house was a rare occurrence.  I was so touched by their kindness that I vowed to pay it forward.  Whenever a friend has a baby or is in need, I take them a meal.  Lasagna is often the go-to meal to bring someone so I like bringing a different version than the standard one and this is one of my favorites.

You start by sautéing asparagus and garlic.

Asparagus and Garlic

You then combine ricotta, mozzarella, spinach and salt.

Spinach and Cheese

To make a béchamel sauce, you combine flour and milk, then add pesto.  It will be creamy and delicious.

Pesto Cream Sauce

Now you are ready to assemble your lasagna.  You start with noodles, add some of the spinach mixture, some of the asparagus, some of the cream sauce and repeat.  When all layered, it will look like this.

Layered Lasagna

After about 40 minutes in the oven uncovered you will get this.

Spinach & Asparagus Pesto Lasagna

Besides being packed with green vegetables, this lasagna is loaded with flavor from the pesto cream sauce.  This dish is so satisfying and filling, perfect alongside a green salad.  Next time you plan to take a meal to someone who is sick or just had a baby, try this.  It is sure to bring a smile to their face.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Asparagus & Spinach Pesto Lasagna
 
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into pieces about 1½ inch long
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese (I used low-fat)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 10 oz container frozen spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • 3½ cups milk (I used low-fat, do not use fat-free)
  • 6 tablespoons pesto (store bought or homemade)
  • 9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil over medium heat. Add asparagus and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, spinach, parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a saucepan combine flour with ½ cup milk. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Gradually add rest of milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in pesto and 1 teaspoon salt.
  4. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay three noodles on bottom. Spread half of spinach ricotta mixture on top of noodles, using hands or back of spoon to spread out. Top with ⅓ of asparagus and then ⅓ of pesto sauce. Repeat with another layer of noodles, rest of spinach mixture, ⅓ of asparagus and ⅓ of pesto mixture. For final layer add remaining 3 noodles, remaining sauce and asparagus. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella. Cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes, until cheese bubbly and starting to brown around edges. Let cool for five minutes before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
3.2.2885

 

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Filed Under: Vegetarian Main Dishes

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Comments

  1. Amy Pessolano says

    January 28, 2015 at 12:48

    Looks delicious!
  2. Julia says

    January 28, 2015 at 12:57

    That meal train sounds awesome and having meals made is such a huge help after having a baby.
  3. SMD @ Life According to Steph says

    January 28, 2015 at 15:12

    This looks right up my alley. Pinned it! Thank you.
  4. ChristianGal (@RealCouponDiva) says

    January 28, 2015 at 16:35

    sounds delish - one question - i have gout - are there any vegetables i can substitute for asparagus?
    • Marci Lutsky says

      January 28, 2015 at 16:39

      Thanks for stopping by. You could either leave out the asparagus or substitute another roasted or cooked vegetable. Butternut squash would be great in this.
  5. mryjhnsn says

    January 28, 2015 at 17:04

    This looks amazing! Funny how lasagna is always the go to meal!
  6. Sarah Mock (@HowIPinchAPenny) says

    January 28, 2015 at 17:19

    This looks absolutely delightful!!!
  7. Heather says

    January 28, 2015 at 17:30

    I just saw this on Instagram. It looks delicious!
  8. Caitlin says

    January 28, 2015 at 19:19

    Sounds good! I love asparagus
  9. Gina B says

    January 28, 2015 at 20:14

    That looks crazy delicious!! I have to try it. YUM.
  10. helenalemon says

    January 28, 2015 at 23:00

    Asparagus is one of my all-time most favorite vegetables and this looks so good! Thanks! Very Pin-worthy!
  11. Michellette "Mimi" Green says

    January 29, 2015 at 00:15

    Looks interesting, we had spinach lasagna for dinner this week. The family loved it.
  12. Rachel says

    January 29, 2015 at 01:54

    My husband would love this!
  13. reesa lewandowski says

    January 29, 2015 at 03:25

    This looks out of this world. Such a different take on a "traditional lasagna". Pinning this to make SOON!
  14. missmeliss0330 says

    January 29, 2015 at 12:53

    This looks really good! Can't wait to try it with some Jersey Fresh asparagus this spring!
  15. Joanne says

    January 29, 2015 at 13:32

    I always bring pasta to my friends who have just had babies - and lasagna is an especial favorite! Love that this has so many veggies in addition to be a comfort food!
  16. makinglemonadeblog says

    January 29, 2015 at 15:55

    Looks amazing! And as a mama to a NICU kiddo too, I can attest for the love of meal trains. <3
  17. Barb @ A Life in Balance says

    February 7, 2015 at 19:48

    Thank you for submitting to Motivation Monday!
  18. Inspire the Best You says

    December 29, 2016 at 20:03

    That looks mouthwatering! Yum!
  19. Leeann Cannon says

    June 21, 2020 at 20:15

    This is absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!!

    • Marci Lutsky says

      June 22, 2020 at 08:28

      Glad you enjoyed it!

Trackbacks

  1. weekly meal plan featuring says:
    February 8, 2015 at 04:42
    […] you catch #RealFoodRecipes RoundUp last week?  How delicious does this Asparagus and Spinach Pesto Lasagna from Vegging at the Shore Look? You can easily make this gluten-free by substituting […]
  2. 7QT: Before the Blizzard Descends Edition | Catholic CoffeeTalk says:
    January 22, 2016 at 10:00
    […] took a spin on this asparagus & spinach pesto lasagna.  By which I mean, I used zero asparagus and didn’t follow most of the measurements. I used a […]

Thank you for stopping by Vegging on the Mountain! My name is Marci and I live in the beautiful Green Mountain State of Vermont with my husband, 14 year-old twins and sweet dog.

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