Pioneer Woman White Lasagna packs layers of grilled squash and wilted spinach into a satisfyingly dense pasta bake that redefines traditional vegetable bakes. The dish balances the subtle sweetness of char-marked yellow squash with the sharp punch of basil pesto and chopped artichoke hearts. You can have this entire comforting meal assembled, baked, and cooling on your counter in about 75 minutes.
Ree Drummond builds this version in her standard 13-by-9-inch baking dish, but she skips the heavy red sauce entirely to let the greens shine. She uses no-boil noodles layered between a velvety white roux, which completely changes how the pasta absorbs flavor. This structural choice keeps the final slices remarkably clean instead of turning into a watery puddle on your plate.
The absolute maker or breaker of this dish is how well you drain your wilted spinach. Squeezing out every drop of excess moisture on paper towels is vital because trapped water will thin out your white sauce. When water pools inside the layers, the starch weakens and the lasagna collapses into a messy soup during slicing.
Pioneer Woman White Lasagna
8
servings30
minutes45
minutes1150
kcalThis light yet deeply savory pasta bake swaps out heavy red meat for charred summer squash and a rich, pesto-infused cream sauce. Most of your hands-on kitchen time will go toward grilling the vegetable strips and whisking your roux smooth.
Ingredients
- Squash
2 large yellow squash, cut into long thin strips (about 10 slices)
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
- Spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
18 oz spinach
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
- Sauce
6 tbsp salted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, warmed
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
3 cups grated parmesan cheese (about 12 oz)
1/2 cup prepared pesto
2 (14-oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- Ricotta
16 oz ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large egg yolks, whisked
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
- To Assemble
Butter, for the baking dish
16 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella (about 10 oz)
Torn fresh basil, for topping
Directions
- Prep the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Grill the squash: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss the squash slices in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, then grill until distinct marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Wilt the spinach: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the spinach a few handfuls at a time until completely wilted, which takes about 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Press the cooked greens onto a paper-towel lined plate to drain thoroughly and wipe out your skillet.
- Simmer the white sauce: Melt the butter in your skillet over medium heat, then cook the garlic and onion until softened. Whisk in the flour to form your roux, cook for 2 minutes, then slowly pour in the warm milk and cream while whisking continuously. Once thickened, remove from the heat, season, then stir in the parmesan, pesto, and chopped artichokes.
- Mix the cheese: Stir the ricotta, smaller portion of parmesan, and egg yolks together in a medium bowl, finishing with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
- Build and bake: Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter. Layer 1 cup of sauce, 4 noodles, 1.5 cups of sauce, the spinach, and a half-cup of mozzarella. Repeat the noodle layer, add more sauce, spread the ricotta mix, and add another half-cup of mozzarella. Add 4 more noodles, another 1.5 cups of sauce, a half-cup of mozzarella, and the grilled squash. Top with the last 4 noodles, the remaining sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella, then bake for 40 to 45 minutes until bubbling. Rest for 15 minutes before scattering fresh basil on top.
FAQ
Why do my no-boil noodles stay hard?
No-boil noodles require direct contact with moisture to soften properly during baking. If you do not spread your pesto cream sauce completely to the edges of the dish, the exposed corners of the pasta will stay crunchy and dry. I always make sure the sheets are fully submerged under the liquid layers before putting the pan into the oven.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
You can easily substitute frozen spinach if you run out of fresh leaves. Frozen greens hold significantly more liquid, so you must thaw them completely and wring them dry inside a clean kitchen towel. Leaving that extra moisture in the greens will dilute your white sauce and ruin the texture of your pasta layers.
How do I stop the top cheese from burning?
The high fat content in low-moisture mozzarella can brown too quickly during a 45-minute bake. If you notice your cheese turning dark before the sauce bubbles, tent a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the baking dish. I remove the foil during the final five minutes of cooking to get a gorgeous speckling across the top.
Why is egg yolk necessary in the ricotta?
Egg yolks act as a crucial binding agent for the dairy layer. Without the eggs, the ricotta liquefies as the fat melts, making your layers slide apart when you slice into the pan. The yolk proteins set during baking, which gives the cheese layer enough structure to hold its shape beautifully.
Can I freeze this lasagna before baking it?
This specific assembly freezes beautifully for up to one full month if wrapped tightly in plastic and foil. Because the squash and noodles are uncooked, freezing preserves their structure without letting them turn mushy. Just remember to thaw the dish in your refrigerator for two full days before you plan to bake it.
