A Spring Lasagna for the Season’s Greenest Moments
There’s something deeply satisfying about making lasagna in spring—when the world is waking up, the markets are alive with color, and tender greens demand to be layered into something comforting but light. This isn’t your nona’s Sunday lasagna. It’s a verdant stack of fresh spinach pasta, white béchamel, bright English pea purée, thin ribbons of zucchini, and purple amaranth greens standing tall in place of the usual mozzarella-laden mountain.
In our Kaliforno Kitchen, this dish is a quiet celebration of the season—an ode to the ingredients themselves, chosen because they’re at their best right now. Spring cooking, at its core, is about restraint. You let the vegetables speak, and you let the sunshine do most of the seasoning. The challenge—and the joy—is in getting out of their way.
From Market Crate to Lasagna Pan
The idea for this dish came straight from the Santa Monica Farmers Market. I’d picked up armfuls of young zucchini, early amaranth, and a bag of English peas so sweet they could’ve passed for dessert. A pasta vendor handed me a bundle of fresh spinach sheets that smelled faintly of chlorophyll and earth. That was all the inspiration I needed.
The bechamel is intentionally light—just enough to cradle everything without weighing it down. Instead of the traditional ricotta or tomato base, a silky pea purée gives you that rich, almost cheesy depth, but with a pop of fresh green. It’s elegant, herbaceous, and quietly luxurious.
A Kitchen Ritual
There’s a ritual to building lasagna that I love. You get to be both cook and composer, layering color, flavor, and texture into a single piece. And while most lasagnas feel like they belong to winter, this one is all about lightness and clarity. It’s the kind of dish you serve warm but not hot, with a chilled glass of white wine and maybe a salad of fennel and citrus alongside.
And while it presents beautifully—especially topped with a few raw amaranth leaves for that deep purple drama—it’s just as happy being eaten from a mismatched plate at the kitchen counter, barefoot, with your kid asking if they can “just have the green part.”
Making It Work in Real Life
What I love most is how adaptable it is. You can swap the pea purée for a light basil pesto, or the zucchini for thin slices of spring squash or even blanched asparagus. The bechamel can lean dairy-free if needed—olive oil and oat milk get you surprisingly far. And while I love using fresh pasta sheets, you could also use pre-cooked lasagna noodles and still get a dish that sings.
In a world where time is short and attention is stretched, this lasagna is a kind of anchor. It asks for a little focus, a little intention, and rewards you with a finished dish that feels like spring put on its Sunday best and sat down at your table.
Spring Zucchini, Amaranth, & Pea Lasagna
Ingredients
- For the Pea Purée:
- 2 cups English peas fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable or light chicken stock
- 1/4 cup Romano cheese grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Béchamel:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- Freshly grated nutmeg a pinch
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- Vegetables & Assembly:
- 2 medium zucchini thinly sliced (lengthwise with a mandoline or knife)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups amaranth greens or substitute with baby spinach or chard
- 1 pound fresh spinach pasta sheets or pre-cooked dry lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese for topping
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Pea Purée
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peas and cook for 3–4 minutes (longer if fresh). Add stock and simmer for 2 minutes, then transfer to a blender with Romano cheese and basil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the Béchamel
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure no lumps form. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened—about 6–8 minutes. Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.
- Sauté the Zucchini and Greens
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté zucchini slices until lightly golden and pliable, 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, quickly wilt the amaranth greens (30–60 seconds). Season lightly with salt. Set aside.
- Preheat Oven & Assemble
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a greased 9×13 baking dish, begin layering:
- A thin layer of béchamel
- Pasta sheets
- Pea purée
- Zucchini slices
- Amaranth greens
- Spoonfuls of béchamel
- Light Romano cheese sprinkle
- Repeat layers 2–3 more times depending on your pan depth. Finish with pasta, béchamel, and a generous shower of Romano cheese.
- Bake
- Cover with foil (tent slightly to avoid cheese sticking). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10–15 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
- Rest & Serve
- Let the lasagna rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.