Recipe: Muffin-Pan Spinach Lasagna
On those nights you’re craving lasagna, but don’t quite have it in you to commit to a whole pan, reach for a muffin tin instead. This piece of cookware goes way beyond baked goods, and tonight it’s your solution for quick-cooking single-serve lasagna cups.
Layered with noodles, marinara, two doses of cheese, and spinach, muffin-pan lasagna delivers just what you’d expect from its full-size counterpart — but better.
Cooking up in a fraction of the time, this is the lasagna that’s worthy of a midweek dinner.
The individual portions also makes these easily customizable. Forgo the spinach, add extra veggies, or layer in some ground meat — make them just how you like.
Muffin-Pan Meals
This series shows you just how versatile the muffin pan can be. It’s the easy solution for turning larger-format meals into smaller, single-serve portions, and offers the ability for customization to accommodate all the tastes around the table.
Muffin-Pan Spinach Lasagna
Serves6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 12
dried lasagna noodles
- 1
(10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 cup
ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups
shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup
marinara sauce
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Coat the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package instructions, taking 2 minutes off the cook time to keep the noodles al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, stir together the spinach, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Cut all of the lasagna noodles in half crosswise. Set half of these pieces aside — these will line the bottom of the cups. Cut the remaining noodles in half crosswise again, so they are a quarter of the original size — these will be the lasagna layers.
Spread 1 teaspoon of sauce in the bottom of each muffin cup. Place 1 of the larger, half-size noodles in each of the muffin cups and press into the cups. Layer each with 1 tablespoon of the spinach-and-cheese filling and 1 teaspoon of marinara, followed by a smaller, quarter-size noodle. Repeat for a second layer of filling, marinara, and noodle. Top the final layer of pasta with 1 teaspoon of sauce and a sprinkle of the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover the muffin tin with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 3 minutes more. Let the lasagna cool and set for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: This dish can be assembled and refrigerated, covered in foil, up to 2 days in advance.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.