Green & White Lasagne

This lasagne skips the red sauce entirely and goes all white and green. A creamy bechamel-style sauce made with skim milk, cornstarch, and a hint of nutmeg gets loaded with spinach and sliced black olives, then layered with a ricotta-mozzarella-Parmesan filling between the noodles. It’s lighter than a meat lasagna but still rich and satisfying.

The white sauce uses cornstarch instead of the traditional butter-flour roux, which keeps it lighter while still thickening the milk into a smooth, coating consistency. The nutmeg is a classic Italian touch for any white sauce with spinach. Just ⅛ teaspoon adds a warm, aromatic note that makes the spinach taste sweeter and more complex.

Black olives mixed into the spinach sauce add a briny saltiness that keeps the dish from being one-note creamy. They’re an unexpected addition that gives each bite a little punch of Mediterranean flavor.

The three-cheese ricotta filling bound with beaten egg sets during baking, creating firm, sliceable layers. Mixing the mozzarella and half the Parmesan directly into the ricotta means cheese in every stratum, not just on top.

Let the finished lasagne rest 10 minutes before cutting. This isn’t optional. It needs time to set so the layers hold together on the plate.

Kitchen Tips

• Squeeze every drop of water from the thawed spinach. Wet spinach turns the white sauce watery and makes the noodles soggy
• Use part-skim ricotta for the best balance of creaminess and texture. Whole milk ricotta is richer but can make the filling too heavy
• Only 6 noodles are needed. This is a relatively thin lasagne with two layers, not a towering four-layer beast
• A 10-minute rest after baking makes clean slicing possible. Cut into it immediately and it collapses on the plate

Variations

• Add sauteed mushrooms to the spinach sauce for an earthy, meaty element
• Swap spinach for chopped artichoke hearts for a spinach-artichoke dip-inspired version
• Use fresh lasagna sheets instead of dried for a more delicate, silky texture