Florentine Lasagna – Easy Olive Garden Copycat

This homemade Florentine Lasagna is a layered bake with spinach, mushrooms, ricotta, and melty mozzarella — all stacked between saucy noodles. It’s hearty, budget-friendly, and honestly not hard if you pace it out. Great for meal prep or just… feeding yourself properly for once.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 25 mins
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Flavor: creamy, herby, cheesy
• Great for: weeknight dinners, leftovers, meal prep comfort

Why I Like This Recipe

Okay, so I had spinach that needed using and zero energy to cook something fancy. But this felt easy enough to stack together — and it’s solid. Feels like you’re doing something good for your future self. Bonus: makes the kitchen smell unreal.

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 lb fresh spinach
• 1 lb mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups ricotta cheese
• ⅔ cup Parmesan (plus extra for topping)
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¾ tsp dried basil
• ¾ tsp dried oregano

Assembly:

• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 4½ cups shredded mozzarella
• 29 oz tomato sauce

How To Make Florentine Lasagna

1. Cook the spinach: Steam until just soft, squeeze out all the liquid, and chop it roughly. Set it aside.
2. Sauté the mushrooms: In a pan with olive oil, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic until soft and slightly golden. Let it cool a bit before mixing.
3. Mix the filling: In a bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, herbs, salt, pepper — then add in the spinach and cooled mushroom mix. Stir it all together.
4. Boil the noodles: Cook until flexible (not mush). Drain and rinse with cold water so they don’t stick together.
5. Layer it up: In a baking dish, go sauce → noodles → filling → mozzarella → Parmesan. Repeat layers. End with noodles + sauce on top.
6. Bake: Cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Let it rest for 30 mins before slicing.
7. Top it: Sprinkle with more Parmesan or fresh basil if you have it. Done.

Tips for Success

• Let the filling cool before adding the egg — nobody wants scrambled cheese
• Resting time = clean slices. Don’t skip it
• Salt your pasta water. Basic but easy to forget
• You can use no-boil noodles if you’re in a rush, just add extra sauce
• Add a bit of cream to the tomato sauce if you like it richer

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Store slices in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Reheat: Low oven or microwave (cover it so it doesn’t dry out). A splash of milk helps keep it creamy.
• Freezer: Wrap cooled slices individually and freeze. Reheat straight from frozen — oven is better than microwave here.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use frozen spinach?
  Yeah, just thaw and squeeze it really well. Skip the steaming step.
• What kind of mushrooms work best?
  Button or cremini. Nothing too watery — they’ll cook down anyway.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Yep. Assemble it, cover, and keep in the fridge overnight. Bake the next day.
• Is this vegetarian?
  Yup — no meat in sight.
• What sauce is best?
  Basic tomato or a tomato-cream mix if you want it more luxe. I usually do what I have.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Skipping the squeeze: If you don’t press out the spinach water, your lasagna will be soggy. Press like you mean it.
• Hot filling + egg: Let the veggies cool before mixing in the egg or it might scramble. Which… ew.
• Not salting pasta water: You only get one shot at seasoning the noodles. Don’t forget it.
• Overbaking uncovered: The cheese can dry out or get hard. Foil is your friend.
• Cutting too soon: The layers need time to settle. Let it rest for 30 mins before slicing or it’ll collapse like bad Jenga.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 740 kcal
• Total Fat: 38g
• Saturated Fat: 20g
• Cholesterol: 105mg
• Sodium: 830mg
• Potassium: 820mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 58g
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Sugars: 9g
• Protein: 34g

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