Slow Cooker Monday: Spinach Lasagna

/ Entree, Recipe, Slow Cooker, Vegetarian / 11 Comments

Growing up in an Italian household, we often had lasagna for dinner and even for holidays and special occasions. My mom always made her signature sauce from scratch – a simple but delicious combination of tomato sauce and paste with crushed tomatoes and spices.

Maybe because I had Italian food so much growing up, or because I typically only cook for 1-2 people, I can’t remember the last time I made lasagna. I occasionally make ravioli or pasta for an easy dinner, but never lasagna. So when I came upon slow cooker recipes for lasagna, I thought it would be a good chance to revisit my childhood. I didn’t have time to make sauce so I cheated and bought a jar of organic basil marinara at Trader Joe’s (which I highly recommend). I added in some old spinach that needed to be used, which could easily be omitted.

I wasn’t sure how lasagna would turn out in a slow cooker, but it was delicious! The noodles were tender but not overcooked, and although some of the pieces were funny shapes, the ooey gooey cheesy layers combined with slightly sweet tomato sauce were perfect. This was a simple way to make a lasagna of any size (I used a 3.5 quart slow cooker, which made enough for 2 of us to have dinner and lunch).

What was your favorite dinner as a child?

Recipe:

Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna

Note: I used a 3.5 quart slow cooker, but this recipe can be easily adjusted for a bigger or smaller one.

Makes 4-6 servings

  • 13 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 C low-fat milk
  • No-boil lasagna noodles (I used about 1/3 of a 16 oz. box)
  • 25 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
  • 2 C grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • Package of baby spinach

Combine ricotta and milk in a medium bowl. Lightly coat the interior of slow cooker with non-stick spray and pour enough tomato sauce to make a thin layer along the bottom. Top with a layer of noodles (you will have to break them to get them to fit – don’t worry, I put in lots of little pieces to fill in crevices and it turned out just fine). Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Add a layer of spinach, followed with layers of shredded mozzerella then sauce. Top with another layer of broken noodles and repeat (noodles, ricotta, spinach, mozzerella, sauce, noodles…) until you’ve run out of ricotta and spinach. For the last layer, put noodles, sauce and the remaining mozzerella cheese. Cover and cook on low for around 3-4 hours, until noodles are tender.

11 Comments on Slow Cooker Monday: Spinach Lasagna

  4. Christine @ Nourish the Budding Lotus
    March 7, 2011 at 6:30 pm (14 years ago)

    I had no idea you could make lasagne in a slow cooker! Awesome!

    I too grew up with homemade Lasagne or homemade Raviolis for our holidays… My grandparents were the best. I love the family traditions.

    Hmmm. My favorite dinner as a child? My mother used to make a sweet potato rice dish flavored with orange juice. I was always excited about that.
    Christine @ Nourish the Budding Lotus recently posted Kale and Coconut Mung Bean Stew

    Reply
  5. Kita
    March 7, 2011 at 7:29 pm (14 years ago)

    I am not sure what my favorite dinner was when I was little but I know I love tacos and they are probably the meal I can remember furthest back. Something about them… I do love a classic spaghetti dinner too and lasagna – who doesn’t love lasagna. I have got to try this in the slow cooker.

    Reply
  6. Medeja
    March 8, 2011 at 3:40 am (14 years ago)

    This is one of the dishes I like but have no idea how to make 🙂

    Reply
  9. Nina
    March 19, 2013 at 8:24 am (12 years ago)

    This lasagne looks so tasty I simply have to try this!

    Reply
  10. Lee
    June 30, 2015 at 2:25 pm (9 years ago)

    I want to print a recipe but I don’t see a way to get a print version of it.

    Reply

1Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Slow Cooker Monday: Spinach Lasagna

  1. Healthy crock pot recipes « Girl vs. Gym says:
    November 24, 2013 at 6:57 am

    […] lasagna, replace squash and sage mixture with a 25 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce. See my recipe for slow cooker spinach lasagna for more […]

    Reply

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