Sausage & Spinach Lasagna

Three cheeses, Italian sausage, and spinach layered between noodles and sauce. This lasagna hits every mark: creamy ricotta filling, stretchy mozzarella, and a salty Parmesan crust on top.

The ricotta layer gets depth from cooked spinach, a beaten egg for binding, and a pinch of nutmeg that most people can’t identify but would absolutely miss if it weren’t there. Nutmeg and spinach are one of those pairings that just works.

Brown the Italian sausage until it’s crumbled and crispy before layering. That rendered fat and Maillard browning add a savory punch that raw sausage layered straight into the dish can’t match.

Pro Tips

• Squeeze excess water from the cooked spinach before mixing with ricotta. Wet spinach makes the filling runny and the lasagna soupy.
• Start and end with sauce on the bottom and Parmesan on top. Sauce on the bottom prevents sticking. Parmesan on top gets golden and crispy.
• Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes after baking before cutting. It firms up and the layers hold together instead of sliding apart.
• Use part-skim ricotta and mozzarella for a lighter dish that still melts and tastes rich.

Variations

• Use sweet Italian sausage for a milder flavor or hot Italian sausage for some kick.
• Replace spinach with sauteed kale or Swiss chard for a different green.
• Make it meatless by skipping the sausage and adding sliced mushrooms and roasted red peppers.