Olive Garden Florentine Lasagna

This vegetarian lasagna goes heavy on the greens and cheese. A pound of fresh spinach steamed and pressed dry, a pound of mushrooms sautéed with onions and garlic, and a ricotta filling loaded with Parmesan, basil, and oregano make up the layers between the noodles.

Three rounds of layering build a tall, impressive lasagna: noodles, spinach-mushroom ricotta filling, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan, repeated three times. Just a thin spread of marinara or tomato-cream sauce goes on top before the foil goes on, letting the cheese and vegetables be the focus instead of drowning in red sauce.

The 30-minute rest after baking is not optional. That time lets the layers set so your slices hold together instead of collapsing into a cheesy puddle on the plate.

Pro Tips

• Press all the moisture out of the steamed spinach. Squeeze it in a clean towel until nothing drips. Wet spinach makes the filling watery and the layers slide.
• Cook the mushrooms and onions until the excess liquid cooks off. Same principle as the spinach: moisture is the enemy of clean layers.
• Cool the mushroom mixture before adding to the ricotta. Hot vegetables will start cooking the egg in the ricotta filling.
• Keep the foil on for the full bake. Removing it early dries out the top noodle layer.

Variations

• Add Italian sausage: Brown crumbled Italian sausage and scatter it between the layers for a meatier version.
• Tomato-cream sauce: Blend equal parts marinara and Alfredo for the top layer to match the Olive Garden style.