Lasagna, a cornerstone of Italian-American cuisine, is beloved for its rich layers of pasta, cheese, and savory sauce. It’s a comforting and satisfying main course, perfect for family dinners or gatherings. But to truly elevate your lasagna meal, consider the perfect side dishes to accompany it. Wondering What To Serve With Lasagna to create a balanced and delightful dining experience? You’ve come to the right place. Here are over 20 exceptional side dishes, from vibrant vegetables to fresh salads and comforting breads, that will complement your hearty lasagna and impress your guests.
Vegetable Side Dishes to Enhance Your Lasagna Dinner
Adding vegetable side dishes to your lasagna meal is essential for balancing the richness and ensuring a well-rounded and nutritious dinner. Vegetables provide a welcome contrast in texture and flavor, cutting through the heaviness of the pasta and cheese. Whether you prefer something light and fresh or roasted and savory, these vegetable sides are ideal pairings for lasagna.
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic
Sautéed spinach is a quick and incredibly easy side dish that brings a healthy dose of greens to your lasagna dinner. The slight bitterness of spinach, when sautéed with fragrant garlic and a touch of olive oil, provides a wonderful counterpoint to the richness of the lasagna. It’s a simple yet flavorful way to add vitamins and minerals to your meal, ready in just minutes.
A bowl of sauteed spinach on a plate surrounded by fresh spinach leaves.
Grilled or Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus offers a touch of elegance and freshness that complements lasagna beautifully. Whether grilled for a smoky char or roasted for tender crispness, asparagus is easy to prepare and adds a sophisticated touch to your meal. A simple drizzle of lemon juice or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese after cooking enhances its natural flavors and makes it an irresistible side.
Fresh asparagus spears cooking on a grill.
Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash
Roasted zucchini and summer squash are mild, subtly sweet, and incredibly versatile, making them perfect companions for lasagna. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and creates a tender texture that contrasts nicely with the lasagna’s layers. Seasoning them with herbs like oregano and garlic before roasting adds depth of flavor and complements the Italian notes in lasagna.
A plate filled with seasoned and roasted zucchini slices, placed on a blue-gray cloth napkin with a silver spoon beside it.
Crisp Green Beans with Almonds
Green beans offer a satisfying crunch and fresh flavor that balances the richness of lasagna. Blanching them briefly to maintain their crispness and then sautéing or simply tossing them with toasted almonds creates a delightful side dish. The slight nuttiness of almonds and the bright green beans add both texture and visual appeal to your plate.
Green beans cooking in an air fryer.
Roasted Eggplant with Herbs
Roasted eggplant, with its slightly smoky and savory flavor, is a fantastic vegetable side dish for lasagna. Eggplant’s ability to absorb flavors makes it an excellent pairing, especially if you have extra tomato sauce from your lasagna. Roasting eggplant until tender and slightly caramelized enhances its natural sweetness and creates a satisfyingly hearty vegetable side.
Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini with Asparagus
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are a more substantial vegetable side that feels a bit more special. Filled with a savory mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, and cheese, and then baked until golden brown, they offer a rich and earthy flavor that complements lasagna beautifully. They can be prepared ahead of time, making them a convenient option for entertaining.
Vegan Stuffed Mushroom with Spinach and Ricotta – Happy Kitchen.
Fresh and Vibrant Salads to Serve with Lasagna
A fresh salad is an absolute must-have side dish for lasagna. The lightness and acidity of a salad cut through the richness of the pasta, cheese, and sauce, refreshing the palate and creating a more balanced meal. From simple greens to more elaborate Italian-inspired salads, there are countless options to choose from.
Italian Antipasto Salad
Antipasto salad is a celebration of Italian flavors, making it a natural partner for lasagna. Packed with marinated vegetables, olives, cured meats like salami or pepperoni, and cheese, all tossed in a zesty Italian dressing, this salad is both flavorful and visually appealing. It provides a delightful tangy and savory contrast to the creamy, comforting lasagna.
A bowl of fresh salad with tomatoes, avocado, mozzarella, red onions, and basil, garnished with lemon wedges. Two tomatoes on a vine rest on a textured cloth beside the bowl on a wooden surface.
Classic Italian Chopped Salad
An Italian chopped salad is all about fresh, crunchy textures and bright flavors. Typically featuring romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and mozzarella, dressed with a simple vinaigrette, it’s a refreshing and palate-cleansing side. Adding croutons provides an extra layer of texture, while Italian herbs enhance the overall flavor profile, perfectly complementing lasagna.
Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad
For a truly light and refreshing option, a cucumber and tomato salad is ideal. With minimal ingredients – cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, red onion, and a light vinaigrette – this salad is incredibly easy to prepare and emphasizes fresh, clean flavors. Its crispness and slight acidity make each bite of lasagna feel even more enjoyable.
A close-up of a bowl containing a fresh salad made from chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs.
Caprese Salad
Caprese salad, with its iconic Italian colors of red, white, and green, is a visually stunning and delicious side dish. Alternating slices of ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, topped with fragrant basil leaves and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic glaze, it’s a simple yet elegant salad. The creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and fresh basil create a harmonious flavor combination that pairs wonderfully with lasagna.
A plate of layered slices of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil.
Tomato and Feta Salad
Tomato and feta salad brings a Mediterranean twist to your lasagna meal. Combining juicy tomatoes, creamy and salty feta cheese, and fresh basil, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, this salad is bursting with bright, tangy flavors. The creamy feta and juicy tomatoes offer a delightful contrast in texture and flavor that elevates the entire lasagna experience.
A fresh salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, yellow bell pepper, olives, and a large piece of feta cheese, served on a white plate with a blue rim, set on a light wood table.
Tuscan Panzanella Salad
Panzanella salad is a hearty and flavorful Tuscan bread salad that’s perfect for using up day-old bread. Tossed with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and a vibrant vinaigrette, the bread soaks up all the delicious juices, creating a salad that’s both satisfying and refreshing. The slightly tangy and savory flavors of panzanella make it a unique and delicious side for lasagna.
A bowl of panzanella salad featuring tomatoes, red onions, basil, and toasted bread cubes, seasoned with pepper. A fork and slices of bread are beside the bowl.
Simple Green Side Salad
Sometimes, simplicity is best. A simple green side salad, made with mixed greens, your favorite vegetables like shredded carrots or cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette, is a classic choice for lasagna. It’s easy to prepare, refreshing, and provides a blank canvas that allows the lasagna to remain the star of the meal, while still offering a necessary element of freshness.
Close-up of a kale salad with roasted chickpeas and parmesan shavings in a large white bowl.
Bread Sides to Serve with Lasagna for a Complete Meal
Bread is an essential accompaniment to lasagna, perfect for soaking up every last bit of delicious sauce. Whether you opt for classic garlic bread, rustic bruschetta, or something in between, bread sides add a comforting and satisfying element to your lasagna dinner.
A collage of eight side dishes for lasagna lovers including spinach, asparagus, squash, Caprese salad, Italian chopped salad, garlic knots, green beans, and bruschetta.
Classic Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is the quintessential bread side for lasagna, and for good reason. Buttery, garlicky, and slightly crispy, it’s pure comfort food. Whether you use a baguette, Italian loaf, or even Texas toast, garlic bread is always a crowd-pleaser and perfect for scooping up that rich lasagna sauce.
Toasted garlic bread on a wooden cutting board with a blue and white checkered tablecloth.
Cheesy Garlic Knots
Garlic knots take the flavors of garlic bread and make them even more fun and shareable. Made from pizza dough tied into knots, baked until golden, and then generously brushed with garlic butter and herbs, they are irresistible. Their bite-sized shape makes them perfect for serving alongside lasagna.
Freshly baked garlic knots sprinkled with herbs on a cooling rack.
Breadsticks with Parmesan and Herbs
Breadsticks, whether soft or crispy, are a versatile and popular bread side. Seasoning them with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and Italian herbs elevates them beyond basic breadsticks and makes them a flavorful addition to your lasagna dinner. They are great for dipping into leftover sauce or enjoying on their own.
A stack of breadsticks garnished with thyme, a block of cheese, two green olives, and a tied bundle of cheese sticks are arranged on a wooden surface.
Flavorful Focaccia Bread
Focaccia, with its airy texture and rich olive oil flavor, is a more sophisticated bread option that pairs beautifully with lasagna. Infusing it with rosemary, garlic, or sun-dried tomatoes adds extra layers of flavor that complement the Italian theme of the meal. Focaccia is delicious served warm, either plain or with a drizzle of olive oil.
Close-up of a sliced artisan bread loaf topped with herbs and roasted tomato slices, served in a white dish. In the background, a wooden board with bread, a ramekin of sauce, and a plate with sliced meats and dipping oil.
Crispy Crostini
Crostini, small toasted slices of bread, offer a delightful crispy texture that contrasts nicely with the soft lasagna. While they can be topped with various ingredients, even plain crostini, brushed with a little olive oil or garlic oil, are a welcome addition to a lasagna meal, providing a satisfying crunch.
Two slices of bread topped with melted cheese, tomato slices, and basil leaves on a wooden cutting board, accompanied by a small bowl of olive oil.
Classic Bruschetta
Bruschetta, traditionally topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil, is a bright and flavorful appetizer that also works wonderfully as a side dish. The fresh tomato mixture adds a burst of summer flavors, while the toasted bread provides a satisfying crunch. Bruschetta is a light and refreshing bread option that balances the richness of lasagna.
Slices of bread topped with diced tomatoes, basil, and herbs, accompanied by a bottle of oil, tomatoes, bread, and a vase of daisies in the background.
What Are Your Favorite Lasagna Side Dishes?
Now you have a wealth of ideas for what to serve with lasagna! From vibrant vegetable sides to refreshing salads and comforting breads, there are countless ways to create a complete and delicious meal around this classic Italian dish. What are your go-to side dishes for lasagna? Share your favorites in the comments below – we’d love to hear your ideas!
Thank you for reading!
