Assemble and freeze raw · Tested twice, then tested from frozen

Spinach Ricotta Freezer Lasagna

Name: Spinach Ricotta Freezer Lasagna
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8 portions
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 oz lasagna noodles, no-boil; 32 oz whole-milk ricotta; 2 (10-oz) packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry; 2 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan; 3 cups shredded mozzarella; 2 (24-oz) jars marinara, or 6 cups homemade; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; Black pepper, to taste

Built in two 8-inch pans rather than one big dish, so you can eat one this week and bake the other straight from frozen without thawing.

40 minHands-on

100 minTotal

8Portions

460Cal / portion*

Cook the batch

Squeeze the thawed spinach until no more water comes out, then squeeze again. Wet spinach is the main cause of a watery lasagna, and freezing makes that worse.
Mix the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the spinach, garlic, salt, nutmeg, and pepper.
Spread a thin layer of marinara in the base of two 8-inch square pans.
Layer each pan: noodles, ricotta mixture, marinara, a scatter of mozzarella. Repeat three times, finishing with marinara and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake one pan now if you like: 375 degrees F, covered 35 minutes, then uncovered 15 minutes until bubbling.

Portion and freeze

Cool any baked pan completely before freezing. For the unbaked pan, freeze it as assembled — do not pre-bake it.
Cover the surface with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the lasagna, then a layer of foil over the pan. The double layer is what prevents freezer burn on a three-month stay.
Label the foil with the details below, including the bake time, so nobody has to look it up later.

Copy this onto the container

ContentsSpinach ricotta lasagna, unbaked

Portions2 pans (4 portions each)

Use within3 months

ReheatOven 375°F covered, 75–90 min from frozen

Reheating, from frozen

Oven, from frozen375°F, covered with foil, 75–90 min

Then uncovered15 min, to brown the top

If thawed overnight375°F, covered 40 min, uncovered 15

Safe when165°F at the centre, bubbling at the edges

The bit that matters

Do not pre-bake the pan you intend to freeze. Baking, freezing and re-baking cooks the noodles three times and turns them to paste — an assembled raw lasagna bakes from frozen into something indistinguishable from fresh.

*Approximately 460 calories per portion. Calories are an estimate from standard ingredient databases; actual values vary by brand and portion. See our disclaimer.