This page requires that scripting be enabled in your browser to function properly. If you need help enabling scripting, please vist our
technical FAQ page.

READY IN 40 mins

Pesto Polenta Lasagna

Read Reviews (139)

"A quick and easy meal with lots of flavor. Put together in 10 minutes." — Fiffen

Next Recipe

GO Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients Edit and Save

Watch video tips and tricks

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

Linda's Lasagna

World’s Best Lasagna

Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna

Homemade Lasagna

American Lasagna

Potato Pesto and Feta Pizza

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

Easy Lasagna II

Original recipe makes 8 Servings Change Servings

1 (18 ounce) package polenta, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1/2 (24 ounce) jar bottled marinara sauce
1/4 cup pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Check All Add to Shopping List

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Oil an 11x7x2 inch baking dish.
Arrange a single layer of polenta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread a thin layer of pesto over the polenta. Spoon half of the sauce over the polenta. Top with another layer of polenta and sauce.
Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Top polenta with cheese and pine nuts, and broil until cheese browns and nuts are toasted.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 40 mins

More Recipes Like This See all

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

Simple Spinach Lasagna

Pasta Lasagna

Lasagna Roll Ups

Cheese Lasagna

Easy Lasagna II

Fabulous Foolproof Lasagna

Buffalo Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

Simply Traditional Lasagna

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

ADVERTISE WITH US

Rate This Recipe

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

Very smart base recipe! Polenta works wonderfully as a substitute for noodles, and makes the meal lighter and let the other ingredients used stand with their own flavors. I did mine in this order: layer of polenta, layer of pesto, layer of fresh spinach, layer of onions (1/2 of a white) and fresh tomatoes (about 7 romas), layer of ricotta cheese, layer of sauce, next layer of polenta,layer of mozzarella, then topped with pinenuts and fresh parmesean! It was fantastic and I may never eat noodle lasagna again!

—Maezystar

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 17, 2012

This was a good recipe but it needed tweaking. I sautéed veggies (onions, mushrooms, red pepper, and spinach), and roasted the polenta so that it would be a little crisper.

—gluten free girl

See full review »

202 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Jul 13, 2006

Very tasty. I improvised a bit. I pre-baked the polenta to crisp it up a bit. I also added fresh spinach, fresh toms, onions, and red bell peppers. Will make again and maybe improvise some more.

—deesnyder

See full review »

May 27, 2008

This was excellent! I used pizza sauce (that's all I had on hand), sauteed spinach and onion in some olive oil and layered that over the pesto, then added cottage cheese (again, that's all I had on hand), then sauce, polenta and more sauce. Before assembling the lasagna, I sprayed the polenta with Pam and baked it for about 8 mins, then put it under the broiler for about 5 mins each side. That helped with the consistency, I think. And I sprayed my pan with Pam instead of olive oil. This was delicious and I will definitely make again.

—Eblueiz11

See full review »

Sep 10, 2005

This is a great alternative to using pasta. I purchased pre-cooked polenta but it was expensive and didn't provide me enough to make 2 layers unless I sliced the rounds thin. Next time, I'll make the polenta myself-it's easy and much cheaper. I sauteed garlic, onions, zucchini and mushrooms, mixed them into some ricotta and added that as an additional layer. The pine nuts on top provide the perfect finishing touch. Yumm...

—VELISHA

See full review »

Aug 28, 2005

My best friend is allergic to wheat and gluten. Polenta lasagna is one of our favorite main dishes to share at dinner parties, since all us wheat-eaters love it too. I've made variations with spianch, sun-dried tomatoes, itallian sausage, and ricotta - the dish lends itself very nicely to variations and is suprisingly quick to prepare.

—Lauren

See full review »

Apr 11, 2007

Excellent. Delicious. Followed directions exactly except that my portions were off a bit: 16 ounces polenta; 32 ounces marinara (still used half). Plus, served as a main dish, would not serve eight...at least not in my household. My sixteen-ounce tube of purchased polenta stated four total servings on the nutritional label and that is what this casserole comfortably serves: four. We had a tossed Greek-style salad and green beans on the side. We will definitely have this again. We would like to try adding some veggies to make a total one dish meal: zucchini; onions; tomatoes; peppers?

—Thisni Caza

See full review »

May 27, 2008

Simple and deliscious. My one complaint is that the recipe calls for all pre-made ingredients (not always available). I made my own polenta (maise and water) and tomato sauce with spices. Since pre-made pesto is so expensive where I live, I dosed the tomatoe sauce with a lot of basil! Otherwise, polenta as a substitute for pasta is a great idea and a healthy alternative. Thanks for the idea!

—mcmeg12

See full review »

ADVERTISE WITH US

Nutrition

Calories
179 kcal
9%

Carbohydrates
16.7 g
5%

Cholesterol
12 mg
4%

Fat
9.1 g
14%

Fiber
2.1 g
9%

Protein
7.9 g
16%

Sodium
515 mg
21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Pesto Polenta Lasagna

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 179
Calories from Fat: 82

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.1g 14 %
Saturated Fat 3g 15 %
Cholesterol 12mg 4 %
Sodium 515mg 21 %
** Potassium 193mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 16.7g 5 %
Dietary Fiber 2.1g 9 %
Protein 7.9g 16 %
** Sugars 4.6g
** Vitamin A 7 %
** Vitamin C 2 %
** Calcium 22 %
** Iron 10 %
** Thiamin 6 %
** Niacin 21 %
** Vitamin B6 6 %
** Magnesium 9 %
** Folate 6 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.