4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine Lasagna.
This 4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine Lasagna is the perfect baked pasta for cozy November and December nights at home. Beautiful layers of creamy sage and garlic butter béchamel sauce, spinach, pesto, and lasagna noodles, all come together in this vegetable-focused lasagna. It’s vibrant, creamy, cheesy, and so delicious! Top the lasagna with herbs before baking for a warming dinner that’s mouth-wateringly delicious. This is a great make-ahead lasagna for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, and all the upcoming holiday dinner parties.
The Thanksgiving recipes continue on today! After sharing our 2020 Thanksgiving menu on Monday, I wanted to be sure to share all the new recipes with you guys as soon as possible. I know so many of us are in the midst of planning our holiday menus!
I shared my mini cranberry brie bites yesterday, and today it’s the vegetarian main course of our Thanksgiving menu. The extra cheesy, herby lasagna…that rivals the turkey itself. It just depends on the kinds of food you love most! Personally, if given the option between this lasagna and the Thanksgiving turkey, I’d have to go for the lasagna. But that’s just me. I’m much more of a cheesy carb person versus a meaty person. My brothers on the other hand?
The complete opposite.
With every Thanksgiving dinner, I think it’s always important to include at least one vegetarian main course. With so many people choosing to eat vegetarian these days, I think it’s really nice to have a main on the table that will satisfy those guests. Yes, I know the brussels sprouts and salad are delicious. But they aren’t quite the main course we’re looking for on Thanksgiving Day.
I never want anyone to feel left out, especially on such a fun holiday like Thanksgiving, so I always do at least one main that’s meat-free. And you know what? It’s almost always the first dish to fully disappear from the table.
The background.
When thinking about my menu for this year, I kept in mind that I wanted to keep things simple and on the classic side. I knew I wanted to include a version of my Aunt Katie’s white lasagna. When I was younger, my aunt would make her cheesy spinach lasagna for holiday parties. I remember loving it so much. When she passed, I kept her lasagna alive and have been making it for our holiday dinners every year since.
Some years I follow her recipe to a T. Other years I’ll switch it up slightly by adding new herbs or swapping cheeses.
Which is what I did this year. I left out the chicken, added lots of fresh sage and a pinch of rosemary, and doubled up on the cheese. It’s her base recipe, just with a few little twists and tweaks…that I know she would fully approve of!
4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine Lasagna – the details…
This lasagna is pretty straightforward and easy. My aunt didn’t like recipes that require a lot of work…and we all love her for that!
Start with the butter. She didn’t skimp on it, so we’re not going to either. Let the butter cook and slowly brown with plenty of garlic and sage. As the butter cooks, the garlic caramelizes and the sage becomes crispy and very fragrant. Once you’ve got the butter a light golden brown color, add a little flour to the mix. The flour will help thicken our sauce.
Next, add milk and a mix of fontina and parmesan cheese. Simmer until the sauce is creamy and all that cheese has melted. This is your béchamel sauce.
Once you’ve got the sauce, the rest comes together easily.
Mix ricotta with provolone and a spoonful of basil pesto, then grab the noodles and assemble.
In full disclosure, I did make homemade pasta for this. You can find my dough recipe here. However, making homemade pasta is not necessary at all, so please don’t feel like you need to follow my lead. When I made this, I had run out of lasagna noodles and decided that instead of going out in the snow, I’d just make my own pasta since it’s really pretty easy to do.
I knew it would make for an even better lasagna, so I just went for it. I will say that the fresh pasta does give you that authentic Italian style lasagna. So maybe if you have the time, give it a try, it is delicious.
If not, no big deal at all!
And moving along…
Once you have the béchamel sauce, the ricotta cheese mixture, and the noodles altogether, all that’s left to do is assemble. Simply layer everything together with easy, no-boil lasagna noodles (or that fresh pasta).
Bake and then begin to enjoy all the wonderful smells coming from the oven.
I really can’t begin to describe just how delicious this lasagna is. Something about these flavors all layered together and baked is just beyond GOOD. The caramelized garlic and sage add so much depth of flavor. And the sauce is incredibly rich and creamy and brightens up with the addition of spinach. When everything is put together you get a rich, creamy, and super cheesy pasta.
Every last bite is delicious.
One of my biggest tips for holiday entertaining, whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, is to use recipes that can be prepped ahead of time. I avoid planning too many recipes that require you to hover over the stove all night long. It’s best to work with recipes you can assemble in advance, like this lasagna!
When guests arrive, I can be more present and actually enjoy the evening (or afternoon). Amazing food is important, but that doesn’t mean we have to be huddled in the kitchen all day preparing it!
So with that, I’ll leave you with my favorite lasagna of the year. It’s going to be great on Thanksgiving, but will be equally special for nights ahead. Whether that’s a snowy Sunday dinner or a Tuesday night with friends. The holidays are all about family, friends, and delicious food.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a great salad to go along with this hearty pasta, I highly recommend this. It’s always a crowd favorite.
Looking for other vegetable focused holiday dinners? Here are my favorites:
Crispy Prosciutto Cheesy White Lasagna
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash 4 Cheese Pesto Lasagna
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Lastly, if you make this 4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine 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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine Lasagna
A great vegetarian option for Thanksgiving, or just for cozy November and December nights at home!
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk or canned coconut milk
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère or fontina cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 2 cups shredded provolone
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 large egg
- 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
-
1.Preheat the oven to 375° F. Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter, garlic, sage, rosemary, fennel, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook 3-4 minutes, until the butter is lightly browning. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and broth. Season with salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the Gruyère/fontina cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, and the nutmeg. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat.
3. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, provolone, spinach, pesto, and egg. Season with pepper.
4. Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets. Spread with 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture and another 1/4 of the cheese sauce. Repeat the layering. Repeat the layering until all the sauce has been used...don't stress about making it perfect. Top with a 1/2 cup of parmesan.
5. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To Make Ahead: Prepare the lasagna through step 4, but do not bake. Cover and store the assembled lasagna in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bake, remove the lasagna from the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
To Freeze: Prepare the lasagna through step 5, but do not bake. Cover and wrap tightly in foil, then plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw: thaw the lasagna overnight in the fridge. To bake from frozen, remove the plastic wrap and bake, covered at 375 for 1 hour or until the center is hot. Remove the foil and bake another 40-45 minutes, until the top has browned.
To Make Gluten Free: Use gluten free no-boil lasagna noodles and an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Our Favorite Recipes
Hasselback Butternut Squash with Sage Butter and Prosciutto Breadcrumbs.
This looks AMAZING!
Lasagna is my absolute favourite meal, for Christmas last year I made your Crispy Prosciutto Cheesy White Lasagna and everyone loved it. I’m planning our Christmas menu now and I was looking at your other white lasagnas to make this year, I think this one might be it!
Yes!! I hope you love this one, Jessica! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Plan to try it today. Can you clarify the cheeses. The ingredient list says Gruyère and Provolone but the directions say Fontina. I’m sure it would be fabulous with any cheese!!!
Hi Barbara! I am sorry for the confusion! You can use Gruyère or Fontina! I hope you love this recipe and it is all fixed! xTieghan
Sounds great. Question ingredients don’t say fontina cheeses but directions call for it. So which cheese are you talking about ?
Hi Caren! I am sorry for the confusion! You can use Gruyère or Fontina! I hope you love this recipe and it is all fixed! xTieghan
What if you don’t have no boil lasagna noodles? Can you still use those? This looks delicious…can’t wait to try it!!
Hey Alyssa,
Yes that is fine, you will want to boil them until al dente. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I WANT THIS> LASAGNA IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!😁😁😁😁😁
Thank you Johanna! xTieghan
Hi
This recipe looks awesome. I’m excited to try it. My question is that I’m confused about the cheese. I believe that you list Gruyere cheese and provolone in the ingredients list but in the directions you only mention fontina cheese.
Hi Cory! The recipe is fixed, I am sorry for the confusion! You can use either gruyere or fontina! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
When do you add the fennel?
Hey Dianne,
The fennel is added in step 2:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, looks amazing. Confused about ‘to make ahead vs. freezing’. One says end at step 4 the other step 5 but both say do no bake. If I am freezing should I bake it or not?
Thanks.
Hey Vee,
If you are making ahead to freeze you will not bake it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you use fontina or Gruyere? The recipe says Gruyere but all the instructions say Fontina. Thanks!
Hi Vanessa! You can use gruyere or fontina! Thank you! xTieghan
When do you add the provolone and gruyere? I only see instructions for fontina? Im confused!
Hi Sadie! I am really sorry for the confusion, the recipe is fixed. You can use either gruyere or fontina. They are added in step 2 and 3. Please let me know if you have any further questions! xTieghan
Can you please tell me more about the chicken option? 😀 I’d love t make this, but getting my carnivore husband and boys to eat it that way would be impossible, and I can’t eat a whole pan of lasagna, lol. How much chicken is used in the original, and what type if it’s not too much trouble (pre-cooked, chopped, etc). Thanks so much!
Hey Janet,
You will use 2 cups of cooked, cubed chicken, and just layer it into the lasagna. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
For all those that are questioning about which cheese to use (Gruyere or Fontina), it is stated in the ingredients that it is
1 cup Gruyere OR Fontina Cheese. In step 2, the instructions say to stir in the Gruyere / Fontina cheese (which means either or), 1/2 c. Parmesan & nutmeg. Provolone cheese is added in step 3. Hope this helps.
Thank you Leslie! xTieghan
Why not add cubed turkey and call it a meal?
You are more than welcome to! I hope you try this one, Hollianne! xTieghan
How would you change this recipe to use fresh lasagna?
Hey Jan,
No need to change anything, just follow the recipe as is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is on our list to try next week. Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you Trang! I hope you love this! xTieghan
This looks great! If I wanted to split this into two separate casseroles using the disposable baking tins do you think that would work? Thanks!
Hey Maddie,
You will want to double the recipe if you are using 2 pans. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was excellent! I did add a lb of chicken to the layers (cooked 1lb of chicken breast and shredded) and I really liked the addition. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly aside from broiling at the end to add some extra browning on the top. I did 3 layers of noodles with two layers of ricotta/chicken – topped the final layer of noodles with leftover sauce/Parmesan. Will definitely make again!! Great combination of flavors!
Hi Melissa! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
So yummy! This will be part of our regular dinner rotation. Thank you!
Love to hear that! Thank you Mary! xTieghan
My kiddos love zucchini, but aren’t huge spinach fans. Do you think zucchini would hold up in this recipe? Looking forward to giving this a try!
Hey Natalie,
Yes, I think that would work well here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Sounds amazing! Im going to attempt this recipe gluten free- do you think I could use corn starch for the thickening or use gf flour?
Thanks so much. Cant wait to try!
Lauren
Hey Lauren,
GF flour would be fine to use:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This lasagna was delicious! My family and I highly enjoyed every bite! I made homemade pesto because I forgot to buy it. (Thanking the basil gods that always remind me to keep extra in the freezer). Next time I’ll try the homemade noodles. If you’re making this during the week, I suggest breakup the process. It’s a bit consuming to make lasagna on weeknight when we all have extracurricular activities going on. Still worth all the time and effort.
Love that! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you both, Cynthia! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Would it be possible to use fresh spinach rather than frozen? If so, would you just mix it in with the other things in step three the way you would with frozen spinach? Thanks!
Hey Deb,
You can use fresh spinach I would just be sure to cook it down and drain any liquid. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Great recipe… So yummy! I added onions, mild Italian sausage and ground turkey with each layer.
Thank you for always being an inspiration…
Thank you Cristen! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
On my list to make this week! Wondering the same as someone above – if using fresh spinach, would there be any change in the prep?
Made this Sunday and every loved it So simple and the perfect Sunday meal
Thank you Marie! xTieghan
Hi there,
For the lasagna, how much will be needed? You link to a 3 pack of 9oz boxes. Does this mean the recipe calls for 27oz of lasagna?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try making the dish!
Hey Pavlina,
You need one box of noodles. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Another perfect recipe!! I made it with No Boil Gluten free noodles– worked very well (deleted the Rosemary)
I am really glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Would like to make it the night before and bake the following day. Just wondering if that’s ok with no boil gluten free noodles?
Thanks!
Hey Barbara,
That should work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Awesome recipe, everyone loved it!
Make sure you set aside enough time to thaw the spinach.
Thank you Mica! xTieghan
This recipe looks great! Can I use this recipe and make lasagna rolls instead in a skillet ? Would that work ?
Hey Asiya,
I haven’t tested this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’ve made this three times!! Each time we all say it’s the best lasagna we’ve ever had – I should say best meal we’ve ever shared! This is a family favorite and something that makes everyone happy – especially as we are a mix of vegetarians and meat eaters.
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made this for our Sunday night dinner and to have leftovers for the week. I did add two shredded carrots and a finely diced smaller shallot to the spinach/ricotta/provolone mixture. My family absolutely loved it! This is a delicious recipe that is definitely going into my repeat recipe folder!
Hey Chelsea,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this for family dinner and it did not disappoint! Wonderful flavors and easy to follow recipe – my family thought I was in the kitchen all day making this. But i actually made it the day before! I look forward to making this again. Thanks for the wonderful recipes!!
Hey Shelley,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Delish!!! Loved this and the whole family loved it. I used mozzarella instead of provolone. Great change from tomato based lasagna!
Hey Brenda,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Making this now, how thick should the sauce be?
I have everything done and need to put together.
Hey Karrie,
The sauce does not need to be super thick. I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I found this to be super greasy using the entire stick of butter that is called for – I almost used half and I wished I had. Butter pooled at the top of the lasagna and it was a turn off. If I make again I will definitely cut the butter down for the roux.
Hey Dana,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This was AHHHHMAZING. I didn’t have fennel seed, and added a few mushrooms, but it was definitely the recipe. Made this for NYE and it was worthy of a celebration!
Hey there,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Love how this turned out! I topped it with pepperoni slices, so good!
Hey Mercedes,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
We made this last night. It was amazing. So cheesy and so delecious.
Hey Jeanne,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Hands down the most heavenly lasagna I have ever eaten. Seriously, so good.
Hey Marcie,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan