Healthy Nibbles

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Spinach Ricotta Lasagna in a Mug

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Fresh, easy spinach ricotta lasagna that’s ready in 15 minutes! All you need is a mug and a microwave. This dish is perfect for those days when you are craving a bit of comfort food. 

You can make delicious, fresh lasagna in a mug! All it takes is 15 minutes. Spinach Ricotta Lasagna In A Mug | healthynibblesandbits.com

We’ve all made food decisions that we regret. Most of mine happened during college. Finals time was a particularly dark period for me, literally and figuratively. My body switched to nocturnal mode, which meant late night studying/paper writing and energy drinks. On those nights, I was awake but not alert. As in, I usually had to read a sentence four times before processing what I meant. I don’t miss those days.

There was one thing that I always kept stocked in my freezer to get me through finals: Stouffer’s single-serving frozen lasagna. There was something about that cheesy, high sodium, carbohydrate-rich box of lasagna that brought comfort and a brief moment of solace in my hectic study schedule. I loved Stouffer’s lasagna so much that I even overlooked all the neon orange grease stains that it left on my books.

You can make delicious, fresh lasagna in a mug! All it takes is 15 minutes. Spinach Ricotta Lasagna In A Mug | healthynibblesandbits.com

Don’t worry, you won’t find frozen lasagna within my quarters anymore, but I do crave lasagna a lot. It’s that melty cheese that always gets me. But the only problem is that lasagna takes a long time to make, and my appetite has no time to wait. That’s where this lasagna comes in. Lasagna in a microwave. Get ready for some major yums.

Lasagna Sheets

The key to making lasagna in a mug is fresh lasagna sheets. They cut the cooking time significantly compared to the dry version. I found these lasagna sheets in the refrigerated pasta section of my supermarket, and one package goes a long way. This recipe is also incredibly versatile, so feel free to play around with the ingredients. I tried this with some collard greens, and it worked like a charm. If you want to add some ground meat, make sure it is fully cooked first!

You can make delicious, fresh lasagna in a mug! All it takes is 15 minutes. Spinach Ricotta Lasagna In A Mug | healthynibblesandbits.com

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Spinach Ricotta Lasagna in a Mug

You can make delicious, fresh lasagna in a mug! All it takes is 15 minutes. Spinach Ricotta Lasagna In A Mug | healthynibblesandbits.com

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Serves 1

  • Author: Lisa Lin
  • Prep Time: 12 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: vegetarian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 fresh lasagna sheet
  • 2 1/2 cups (75g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 3 large basil leaves, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
  • 6 TBS pasta sauce or tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

Instructions

  1. Cut the lasagna sheet in half, and cut each strip in half again. Place the pasta sheets into a bowl, and pour very hot water in it, until it covers all the pieces. I used boiled hot water from my electric kettle. Set the pasta pieces aside.
  2. Chop the spinach and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the top with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in it for ventilation. Microwave for 1 minute. Take out the spinach and let it rest.
  3. Grate the mozzarella while you wait for the spinach to cool.
  4. Mix the spinach with the ricotta, pepper, granulated garlic, and salt. Set mixture aside.
  5. Pour 2 tablespoons of pasta sauce at the bottom of the mug. Top with a piece of softened pasta sheet. Add some spinach mixture, 2 tablespoons of mozzarella, and a pasta sheet. Continue building the lasagna, ending with a layer of pasta sheet at the top. Sprinkle mozzarella over the pasta.
  6. Microwave everything for 1 minute 30 seconds. Check to make sure that the mozzarella is melted. If it isn’t, continue microwaving at 15-second intervals until the cheese is fully melted.
  7. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Loosely adapted from Meal in A Mug.

2. This recipe also works with collard greens instead of spinach. It tastes great, but do note that the collards will have less moisture than spinach.

Looking for more microwave recipes in a mug?

Egg Fried Rice in a Mug

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Lisa says

      YES! You should make this with your daughter! I’m sure she would love to know that she made lasagna all my herself!

      Reply

  5. Julia says

    I just made my very first mug cake the other day and I’m absolutely LOVING the idea of single-serve dinners in a mug. How effing brilliant!!! Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite meals, so you best believe I’ll be actioning this bad boy soon! Hope you had a fun and relaxing weekend, dear! xo

    Reply

    • Lisa says

      This whole mug thing started out with a cake for me too! Then, I started realizing that savories could be done in a mug, and ohh man. Life has changed. I’m not just using the microwave to melt my coconut oil now.

      Anyway, hope you had a splendid weekend!

      Reply

  6. Linda @ Veganosity says

    I’m loving all of the mug recipes that are on the blogoshpere lately. Most of them are cake recipes so I really like your creativity here. I love lasagna too. I’m going to bookmark this and make it vegan style the next time my husband is out of town. 🙂

    Reply

  7. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

    Lisa, you don’t want to know what I consumed while in college . . 100% grease probably. . and I was like 25 lbs heavier than I am now. . college was survival mode and not being health conscious at all. I LOVE this!! lasagna in a mug. . this is brilliant!!!!

    Reply

  8. Julie | This Gal Cooks says

    Oh this is so perfect! I always see mug recipes for sweets but I’m often craving something savory and something fast! This is just the best little mug recipe ever and so perfect for quick savory cravings! 🙂

    Reply

    • Lisa says

      Yes! I’ve been craving so many savory mug recipes lately that I thought of giving lasagna a go. It works so well!

      Reply

    • Lisa says

      Thanks, Jeanette! I know, most of the mug recipes I see are mug cakes. so I thought I would try something new. I was shocked by the results!

      Reply

  18. KT says

    I’ll switch out the ricotta for cottage cheese (I think it’s creamier and melts better, personal preference. I use it for all my lasagnas) keep the spinach and make this soon. Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply

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