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A simple White Pesto Lasagna for these days in between Christmas and New Years…simply the BEST. Layers of creamy cheese bechamel sauce with basil pesto and spinach. This dinner is always a favorite with our family, who are all in town right now for the holidays. It’s a great meal for entertaining, just make it ahead of time, and bake it off before guests arrive. Serve with a big bright salad!
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Hi guys! Hope you all had an awesome Christmas! Ours was snowy and amazing. We had one new addition this year with little baby Walker – who will be here (with his parents) through February! Always thankful for my big family and the adventures they bring with them!
Keeping all these posts pretty short this week in an attempt to take a little time away from the computer. And honestly, really just give my mom a break who proofs these posts every single day!
So jumping into recipe things!
The details
This lasagna consist of 3 layers of noodles, pasta bechamel, and basil pesto. And we’re using pesto instead of ricotta cheese, so it has even more flavor and color!
Layer the sauce, then the noodles, then the pesto…and repeat! It’s super simple!
I made a homemade broccoli and basil pesto, but any store-bought pesto works great too. Just make sure if it’s extra oily to drain away the excess oil.
For serving
I make this, along with my more traditional meat lasagna, every single year for my family over the Christmas break. The girls usually prefer the white, while the boys devour the red. I serve each with my favorite winter salad and bread.
Perfect family dinner to feed a crowd!
Looking for other easy dinner recipes? Here are my favorites:
Crispy Tomato Herb Cheese Pan Pizza
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
My Family’s Favorite Pesto Pasta Bolognese
Lastly, if you make this White Pesto Lasagna, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
White Pesto Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups shredded provolone
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 2 packages (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 9×13 inch dish.2. In a medium saucepan, melt together the olive oil and butter. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove the garlic cloves and discard. 3. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add the milk and broth. Bring to a boil and stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the provolone and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. 4. To assemble, spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets. Spread with 1/2 the pesto and sprinkle over some spinach. Add another 1/4 of the cheese sauce. Place another 3-4 lasagna noodles on top, add the remaining pesto, spinach and then another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, sprinkle over the remaining spinach. Layer the remaining lasagna noodles and pour the remaining cheese sauce over top. Top with a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. 5. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes, until the cheese is browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made some tweaks. Instead of the Provolone, I used shredded mozzarella. Instead of using 3 smashed cloves of garlic and removing them, I minced it and left it in the cheese sauce. I also used additional spinach. I did eat it as is, fabulous! I also served it with a spoon of basil marinara over the top and a side of sautéed zucchini, yellow squash and onions onions.
Hey Jim,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Loved the flavor of this recipe but mine came out runny. Can’t figure out what I did wrong. Will definitely give it another try.
Hey Regina,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it was runny! Did you drain you pesto from the oil? Let me know how I can help for next time!! xTieghan
I made it and it was delicious! I think next time I might try adding a ground turkey or chicken? I used homemade pesto. So good, thank you Tieghan!
Hey Bridget,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Sure, either one of those would work well for you. Have the best week:) xT
Ooooh I want to make this tonight!! Do you think oat milk or coconut would sub ok for the milk??
Hey Amanda,
Sure, either of those would work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made this dish tonight and I honestly thought it was too much pesto. I used store bought stuff, so it could be that but I love the spinach flavor. It could also be that I didn’t spread it mix the pesto evenly as well. I definitely won’t be straying away from your recipes though because they are so good! Thank you for the recipe though 🙂
Hey Macy,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
I had the same experience the first time I tried this recipe. I didn’t read the fine print and I used store bought pesto which I did not drain. It turned out WAY too oily. I decided to try again but this time I used 1/3 the amount of pesto and made sure to drain the excess oil first and it turned out perfect!
I can’t wait to make this for a birthday dinner this weekend! It looks so delicious! Can you make these with regular lasagna noodles? I usually make my lasagna with uncooked lasagna noodles and love how it turns out, but I don’t want to chance it. Thanks!!
Hey Sharon,
I always like to use no boil noodles so I never have to worry about the noodles being cooked or not, but you could certainly try using regular lasagna noodles if that is what you like. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
This is so amazingly tasty! I did not make my own pesto but will try it next time. The flavors were so great and I have recommended it to many of my friends that are also big half-baked harvest fans!
Hey Anneli,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Made for Sunday dinner last night, and my goodness, was this a delicious treat! Especially like that you can make ahead for busy days/evenings. I used store-bought pesto, but will try again with homemade to compare. Since discovering your site in my search for Christmas cocktails last year, I have been delighted with all your recipes and content. Your joy shines through; keep doing what you’re doing. :)))
Hey Delia,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Can the frozen spinach be subbed for fresh spinach? I’m trying to use what I have on hand. Any tips would be so helpful! Thank you!
Hey Rebekah,
You bet! I would just cook it down first and then follow the recipe as is. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Yum! I couldn’t find ANY GF lasagna noodles, so I turned this into a pasta bake. I used store bought pesto, but it was delish none the less!
Hey Brooke,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Has anyone tried this recipe with gluten free lasagna noodles?
Hi Lisa,
Sorry, I have not tried this, but I am sure it would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Yes!! I used gluten free noodles and they worked great! I followed the cooking time/ temp on the box of noodles which differed slightly from the recipe.
This was a big hit at dinner for book group! I served it with the Pomegranate Avocado Salad and everything was delicious! Thank you for helping me “stretch” my cooking skills with fun ingredients (pesto and no boil lasagna noodles, persimmons and pomegranates) and recipes that look and taste great!
Hi Sue,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This is such an amazing recipe! I added shredded chicken that I mixed with the pesto. I also added mushrooms that I sauteed and added to the spinach. So…I layered sauce, lasagna pasta, spinach/mushroom, chicken pesto…It was absolutely OFF THE HOOK!!!
Hi Traci,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Your recipes are my favorite, especially when I am at a loss of what to cook. You mention chili flakes in the instructions but not in the ingredient list. How much chili flakes do you put in? Thanks so Much!!
Hey Patricia,
Just use a pinch or more to your liking:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Enjoy your recipes. Had a small jar of vegetable pesto and a basil one too. Used both and a bag of roasted Mediterranean veggies from freezer for the spinach. It’s baking now, so anxious to try!
Hi Celeste,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! xxTieghan