Alfredo sauce in lasagna, known as white lasagna, is a completely different dish from the classic tomato version, richer and more delicate. This recipe walks through how to build it properly, including the one adjustment you need to make to the sauce before it goes in the oven.
Alfredo Sauce for Lasagna
A baked white lasagna using Alfredo sauce in place of red sauce, layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and your choice of filling.
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 cups cooked chicken or sauteed vegetables (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Make the Alfredo sauce: melt butter over medium heat, cook garlic 1 minute, add cream and simmer 4 minutes, whisk in Parmesan until smooth, season with half the salt and the pepper. The sauce should be slightly thinner than you want for pasta, it thickens in the oven.
- Mix the ricotta, egg, and remaining salt together in a bowl.
- Spread a thin layer of Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Layer 3 noodles, then one-third of the ricotta mixture, one-third of the filling if using, one-third of the mozzarella, and one-quarter of the remaining Alfredo sauce.
- Repeat for two more layers.
- Top with the final 3 noodles, the remaining Alfredo sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Make the Alfredo sauce slightly thinner than usual for pasta, it thickens significantly during baking as the cheese and egg in the lasagna absorb moisture.
Let the lasagna rest before cutting. Cutting too soon lets the layers slide apart rather than holding their shape.
Making the Sauce Thinner Than Usual
For pasta, you want Alfredo sauce thick enough to coat a noodle. For lasagna, you want it slightly thinner, almost pourable. The sauce thickens significantly during the 50 minutes it spends in the oven as the ricotta, egg, and pasta absorb moisture. If you start with a thick sauce, the finished lasagna will be dry and heavy.
Layering Order
Always start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then alternate noodles, ricotta, filling, mozzarella, and sauce. Reserve enough sauce to generously cover the top layer of noodles, this is what browns and bubbles in the oven.
Filling Options
This recipe works with cooked chicken (see our chicken Alfredo sauce method), sauteed spinach, sauteed mushrooms (see our mushroom Alfredo sauce for inspiration), or roasted vegetables. It also works as a pure cheese lasagna with no filling at all.
Make Ahead
Assemble the lasagna up to a day ahead and refrigerate covered. When baking from cold, add 10 to 15 extra minutes covered before removing the foil.