Looking for the best side dishes to go with comforting lasagna? Whether you’re hosting Christmas dinner, family meal, buffet, or potluck, stop fretting over what to serve with lasagna. Find here a complete recipe collection of vegetable sides, salads, breads, and desserts with expert tips for serving!
Regardless if you’re hosting a Christmas dinner, preparing a family meal, buffet, or bringing a dish to a friend in need, lasagna continues to be a popular choice! It can be prepared ahead of time, serves a crowd, and makes a great freezer meal.
Lasagna’s versatility also makes it a go-to recipe for home cooks. Recipes abound to fit any need, such as gluten-free lasagna, vegetarian, meat lovers with ground beef and Italian sausage, or a quick skillet lasagna for weeknight meals.
There is no question it is the ultimate comfort food (right up there with baked ziti). How can you go wrong with layers of lasagna noodles, marinara sauce, gooey mozzarella, and creamy ricotta cheese? It’s a dish adults nor kids can turn down!
Whether you need to know what goes with lasagna, the best side dishes, salads, breads, or even desserts, find an arsenal of ideas and recipes are all here!
Vegetables
Since lasagna can be so filling, it’s a difficult dish to pair with sides. Similar to figuring out what to serve with mac or cheese, baked ziti, or what goes with chili, a great side dish shouldn’t overwhelm the main entree.
If you are looking for what to serve with lasagna besides salad, find plenty of veggies and more easy lasagna sides below. These would work for holiday or Christmas dinner, a dinner party, or potluck.
Scroll down to find the specific recipes, plus expert tips for making and serving lasagna.
- Broccoli
- Steamed or roasted carrots
- Roasted or fried eggplant
- Corn
- Creamed spinach
- Green beans
- Zucchini
- Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted or steamed cauliflower
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Peas
- Giardiniera
Breads
Even with the filling pasta in classic Italian lasagna, many people prefer to serve their meal with a side of bread. It’s perfect for sopping up leftover bits of sauce and cheese with doughy breadsticks or crusty garlic butter bread.
Plus, if you are serving lasagna in winter, you can’t go wrong with layering on another comforting dish!
- Garlic bread
- Breadsticks
- Bruschetta
- Dinner rolls
- Focaccia
- Cheese bread
- Garlic knots
easy Salads
Light, fresh salads go well with lasagna and seem to be an easy choice. Pile leafy greens with red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and serve with a simple olive oil, lemon juice vinaigrette or any preferred dressing.
For festive meals, like Christmas or Easter, something sweeter such as jello salads, pretzel salad, or fruit salads, make a decadent accompaniment.
- Caprese salad with fresh basil
- Wedge salad
- Caesar salad with croutons
- Spinach
- Tossed Greens – spring mix, arugula salad, romaine, or iceberg lettuce
- Jello salads
- Antipasto platter
- Fruit salads
don’t forget desserts!
Of course it’s the perfect ending to a meal! Something lighter like fresh fruit or jello salad balances out the cheesy goodness.
However, if you are hosting a party and looking for something a little more decadent, consider almond joy cake, easy homemade brownies, banoffee cake, no bake strawberry cheesecake, or even a themed dessert platter.
best tips for making and serving lasagna
Although homemade lasagna is simple to make, don’t let your effort go to waste with dry, mushy or soupy layers. Follow the best expert tips below!
- A 9X13 lasagna casserole will serve 8 medium portions. If you plan on serving a buffet, or a lot of sides to go with it, it may serve up to 12.
- Lasagna needs to rest for 15 minutes, uncovered, before cutting and serving. This gives the layers time to cool slightly and congeal together, so they stay intact when slicing.
- Prepare homemade sauce ahead of time. Flavors enhance and meld as the sauce sits, so for best results make the sauce one to two days before assembling and baking.
- Adding an egg and a little parmesan cheese to the ricotta or cottage cheese filling, helps bind the layer.
- Do not boil fresh lasagna sheets or no boil noodles before layering. Boil traditional lasagna noodles (without salt in water) for 4-5 minutes, or just enough to be slightly pliable.
- Layer the sheets without overlapping noodles. Otherwise they will stick and glue themselves to each other during baking, leaving undercooked, chewy pasta.
- Cover the casserole with foil for at least half the baking time. Remove the foil halfway to brown the cheese. For a golden, bubbly mozzarella cheese topping, finish baking with a 1-2 minutes under the broiler.
fAQ about lasagna
Yes, lasagna may be baked from frozen, but plan on at least 30 minutes extra baking time. Be sure to keep the casserole covered with foil for at least 45 minutes, so it does not dry out. Then, remove the foil to brown the cheese for the last 20-30 minutes.
Lasagna may sit out for 2 hours after it has been cooked before you are in danger of bacteria forming. If the room temperature is higher than 90ºF, refrigerate the lasagna after 1 hour sitting out.
If reheating in the microwave, it’s best to do it in slices. Reheat at 50% power until it starts to warm. Once it’s almost hot, finish heating at full power to warm completely.
If you have a lot of leftovers to reheat at once, place in an oven-proof baking dish. Cover securely with foil and warm in a 325ºF oven until hot throughout.
Yes, but since it’s best reheated in smaller portions, freeze in serving-size slices. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then transfer to a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze up to three months.
Yes, but to make a truly great gluten-free recipe for lasagna use a no-boil noodle so it does not become mushy. I use and recommend Barilla Gluten-Free Oven-Ready Lasagne Noodles. Cover the baking dish with foil for three-fourths baking time before removing it to brown the cheese.
For best results, lasagna should be covered for at least half the time while baking. Spray a large sheet of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray so the cheese does not stick to it. Wrap the baking dish securely and bake for 30 minutes before removing.
Best sides to go with lasagna
1. 20 Minute Roasted Zucchini (Not Soggy!)
2. Cheesy Baked Tomatoes (in 10 Minutes!)
3. Harvest Salad
4. Soft Gluten-Free Breadsticks
5. Baked Broccoli and Cheese
6. Strawberry Feta Salad
7. Bacon Maple Brussels Sprouts
8. Cranberry Raspberry Jello Salad
9. Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
10. Overnight 7-Layer Salad
11. Sauteed Zucchini with Lemon and Garlic
12. Cream Cheese Jello Salad
13. Gluten-Free Corn Casserole
14. Marinated Green Bean Salad
15. Crispy Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks
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50+ Easy Sides to Serve with Fettuccine Alfredo: Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients
- 4 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), quartered lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and position rack to middle. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place cut zucchini, garlic, and olive oil on baking sheet. Toss to combine. Arrange zucchini so they are spread out and one cut side is down.4 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds),,1 tablespoon olive oil,2 cloves garlic,
- Bake for 8 minutes, flip zucchini to other cut side. Bake for 8 minutes longer, or until sides turn golden. While zucchini is baking, mix together spices in a small bowl.½ teaspoon dried basil,½ teaspoon seasoned salt,½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning,⅛ teaspoon salt
- Remove summer squash from oven and sprinkle with seasonings. Use a spatula to toss so seasonings are evenly coated. Serve immediately.
- DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?? DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AND/OR CLICK A STAR RATING ON THE RECIPE CARD
Recipe Notes
- Don’t salt the zucchini before roasting. Very important!!
- Use small-sized zucchini for best flavor and less seeds
- Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray first to prevent the zucchini from sticking
- Make sure the summer squash are spread out on the sheet and not touching. This helps the hot air circulate around the veggies so they brown instead of steam.
- Add a dash of cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese after roasting
- Try fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon, or chives
- Squeeze a lemon wedge over baked zucchini
Nutrition
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