Polenta Lasagna With Spinach and Herby Ricotta

By Melissa Clark

Published January 26, 2021

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
2½ hours
Rating
4(1,717)
Comments
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With a dense, creamy texture and sweet corn flavor, this hearty and unexpected variation on the usual lasagna uses layers of Parmesan-topped baked polenta in place of pasta. This meatless recipe is speckled green with baby spinach and lots of parsley and basil. Be sure to get a good brand of marinara sauce, preferably a chunky one with bits of tomato, for the richest flavor and texture. Or even better, if you have homemade marinara sauce tucked away in the freezer, use it here instead.

Featured in: It’s Casserole Season. For That, There’s Polenta Lasagna.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

  • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 cups polenta (not instant)

  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups)

  • 2 cups grated Parmesan

  • 1 pound whole-milk ricotta (about 1 ⅔ cups), preferably fresh

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (or use more parsley)

  • 1 large egg

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ⅛ teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

  • 1 (25-ounce) jar good-quality marinara sauce (3 cups)

  • Large pinch of red-pepper flakes, 1 pinch of dried oregano, 1 grated garlic clove or a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil, or a combination (optional)

  • 1 pound shredded mozzarella (about 4 cups)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 12 servings)

36 grams carbs; 108 milligrams cholesterol; 518 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 29 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 975 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees and butter an 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet pan. Grease a rubber spatula with butter.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the polenta: In a large pot, bring 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking often, until polenta thickens, 8 to 12 minutes. Whisk in 4 tablespoons butter until melted. Whisk in spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in 1 cup grated Parmesan.

  3. Step 3

    Scrape polenta onto the prepared baking sheet. Using the greased rubber spatula, spread the mixture into a thin, even layer to cover the entire pan, all the way to corners. Sprinkle ½ cup grated Parmesan on top. Bake until polenta is firm and cheese has melted, 12 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled, about 1 to 1 ½ hours, or place in refrigerator until cool to touch, about 40 to 50 minutes. (Polenta can be baked the day before and refrigerated until needed.)

  4. Step 4

    When ready to bake the lasagna, heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

  5. Step 5

    Prepare the ricotta filling: In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parsley, basil, egg, black pepper, nutmeg and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.

  6. Step 6

    Taste the marinara sauce. If it needs some zip, stir in any or all of the optional ingredients.

  7. Step 7

    Assemble the lasagna: Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut cooled polenta in half widthwise, creating 2 pieces roughly 9 by 13 inches each. Using a large spatula, gently place one half in prepared baking dish. (It is important for polenta to be completely cooled and firm; otherwise, the pieces may break when transferring to baking dish. If anything breaks, just reassemble it in the pan. It won’t make much of a difference once it’s covered in sauce and baked.)

  8. Step 8

    Spread about half the ricotta mixture in an even layer on top of polenta. Pour about half of marinara sauce on top of ricotta, sprinkle with about half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat with remaining polenta, ricotta, marinara and mozzarella. Once assembled, sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan on top.

  9. Step 9

    Place baking dish on top of a rimmed sheet pan in case the lasagna bubbles over. Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes. If you like, you can broil lasagna for 2 minutes after baking until cheese starts to bubble and develop brown spots.

  10. Step 10

    Remove from oven and let lasagna stand for about 15 minutes to firm up before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,717 user ratings
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Comments

Gaston

Oh, Melissa. You always make it too hard! My nonna made polenta regularly. Start the polenta in cold water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then put it on the stove. No lumps and smooth consistency. Add some ricotta or marscapone to the polenta along with Parmesan cheese, and it also becomes more silky. Let it cool just a bit, then just ladle or spoon it over sauce and add layers of other delicious things. Bake it all and serve.

Nell

I've made a variation of this dish with the pre-cooked polenta in plastic sleeves (also adding more veggies like red peppers and onions to the sauce) and it is delicious, easy and quick to assemble.

bcolmers

This is in spirit very much like a dish we often had as kids made by a Swiss friend of our parents, which lacked the ricotta and mozzarella needed to make the lasagna, but which was layered with polenta and marinara. Each layer of the dish also contained lots of crisply fried onions (2-3 onions worth, crispy and brown) which also topped the dish. Perfect for a winter dinner, especially when the adults get to have a nice sangiovese or another juicy norther Italian red

Karin

Mix ricotta with diced white onion, garlic, parsley the night before. Day of, cook polenta starting in cold water after a 20 min soak. Add some butter/dairy at the end. Sauté spinach. Add egg to ricotta mixture. Assemble as directed, reducing mozzarella.

Jeff A

Another great Melissa Clark recipe. Made this exactly as written, and it was absolutely delicious. The only mod I will make next time is that I will cook the polenta in the Instant Pot to cut down on hands-on time. Regardless, this is an easy recipe—it just takes a bit of time. But it’s worth it. Serve this at a dinner party, and your guests will swoon.

Jeff A

Follow up: I made it again. It was delicious again. Here's a tip if you don't have time (or room in your refrigerator) for the polenta to cool down completely and solidify: slice it into 8 pieces—4 per layer. You will be able to lift the pieces with a spatula much sooner than you could if you left it in 2 pieces. I think it only took 20-30 minutes. It will have no effect on the final product, since everything is covered under sauce and cheese anyway.

Tbar

I make the polenta in the instapot and it works great. I also add half hot/half sweet sausage to the lasagna. As a gluten free eater, this recipe makes me so happy!

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