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The 25 Most Popular Recipes of 2021.
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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!
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
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 683 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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.
Really rich but excellent. My wife said I could eat this for a week and be happy. I added chopped Bella mushrooms, fresh chopped rosemary, chopped garlic, a layer of leftover puttenesca /marinara (great add), cubed fresh mozzarella (cuz why not), fresh cooked and squeezed spinach, bird’s eye chili flakes. A final layer of provolone (cuz why not) and a drizzle of olive oil. Pesto from the garden (why to
Make this in summer time). And a bed of vine ripened organic tomatoes with balsamic glaze, maldon flakes and Parmesan. Wow what a summer Sunday treat!
Hey Bruce,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
This is a fave in my family! I’ve made it three times now! So good.
Hi Kari,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
Prepping for a new baby! if i were to make this ahead of time and freeze it, should i freeze before or after baking?
thanks!
Hi Landon,
I would freeze before baking:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Not a provolone fan, suggestions for a substitute? Pecorino, riccotta?
thanks
Hey Jeffery,
Really any cheese that you like will work here, mozzarella and fontina cheeses would be great options! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This is a delicious recipe. What I did differently was use bouled lasagna noodles, ran them under cold water, and dipped each noodle in the cheese sauce, making sure it was completely covered before laying it in the pan. I also added some crumbled chorizo. So good!
Hey Lara,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
This was amazing! I prepped this the night before to bring to my family’s Easter potluck. It heated up nicely and everyone loved it! I added mushrooms and crumbled beyond Italian sausage. I definitely will be making this again!
Hey Amanda,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Have the best week!? xT
This is absolutely delicious! My husband loved it 🙂 Can you prepare the lasagna, refrigerate then bake later?
Hey Meghan,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try!! Yes, that will work well for you! Have the best day:) xx
Love this. Fast and easy. I make it for a quick and fancy dinner for guests regularly!
Hey Amber,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx
I made for my family today. Haven’t tasted it yet but it was easy to assemble and the sauce tasted great.
Hey Lucia,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Thank you!
Hey Holly,
Totally, just cook it down first! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was just ok for me, I am thinking it was the store pesto. It was just so greasy for us, I added ground chicken in with the pesto and still found it very overwhelming.
Hey Michelle,
So sorry to hear the recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
I love your recipes and am always willing to try something new! Everyone’s taste is different, you are my 100% go to for new recipes.
Thanks so much Michelle!!
YUM! Flavor was 10/10 , May need more practice on execution but I will for sure be making this again. Decided to add ground pork to the spinach which was a nice bit of protein & texture.
Hey Gracie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
So flavourful! I accidently minced the garlic and left it in. (I am not mad). I also added some shredded chicken and canned artichokes. Used a little paper towel to soak up some oil from the Costco pesto. Delicious. Next time I will add mushrooms.
Hey there,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was a winner!! xTieghan
Can I make this ahead of time?
Hey Beth,
You bet! Make up until the point of baking, cover and pop in the fridge, and then bake as directed. I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
This looks great and I’m excited to make it! I just wanted to point out that there are no chili flakes listed in the ingredient list but there are in the instructions. Just as a heads up!
Thanks so much for letting me know Michelle! Just use a pinch of chili flakes to your liking! Let me know how the recipe turns out! xTieghan
Hi! It’s in the oven as we speak! I added spicy Italian sausage and left the garlic in, in fact my husband snuck in an extra clove. I love love love everything I have made of yours! I have your super simple cook book, I’m obsessed!! My family loves it too. Your photogs are amazing too! Thank you for it all.
Hey Callie,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Thanks so much for your kind message. xxTieghan
Great recipe! I’m in the camp of thing no-boil lasagna noodles aren’t ever necessary – I used regular ones and it came out just fine.
I also added some ground turkey (sauteed on the stove until it was just a touch underdone and seasoned with similar seasonings as the rest of the recipe).
The next time I make it, I’ll add some sauteed mushrooms as well for some extra veggies.
Overall, I really enjoyed this recipe, it was simple to make, and satisfied my cheese craving! It also heats up nicely.
Hey Colleen,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT