There’s a case to be made that the classic lasagna recipe is the most popular and well-known casserole in the world. In fact, it may be one of the original famous casseroles.
Lasagna is loaded with melty cheese, meat, veggies, and flavorful sauce and spices. By itself, lasagna is an excellent meal, but when you serve this classic Italian casserole with enticing side dishes such as garlic bread or a salad, you have a full meal that is nice enough to serve to company.
But what are some of the best sides for lasagna?
This cheesy dish by itself is so hearty that it’s basically a full meal, so do you really need side dishes for lasagna? And if so, what goes with lasagna?
Lasagna, a classic Italian dish, is adored by many for its rich, comforting flavors. Often served as the main course, it can be challenging to find the perfect supporting cast to complete the meal. The plethora of options for sides to accompany lasagna makes it all the more important to choose wisely, enhancing the dining experience and satisfying the diverse tastes of guests.
Ideal side dishes should complement lasagna’s hearty flavors and textures without overshadowing the star of the meal. From fresh salads and vegetable medleys to warm, crusty bread, the options are numerous. Consider the preferences of your dinner guests, the season, and the specific type of lasagna being served to guide your selection of accompanying dishes.
With the al dente lasagna noodles, savory ground beef, gooey melted Mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, and creamy and decadent béchamel sauce, who can resist this delicious Italian classic?
To discover what to serve with lasagna, check out our list of 13 delicious side dishes for lasagna below.
Are you wondering what to serve with lasagna? You can’t go wrong with roasted veggies.
Any type of roasted vegetables are delicious when served with lasagna, but this is one of the side dishes for lasagna that uses Brussels sprout and green beans.
When they are properly cooked, Brussels sprouts drizzled with olive oil have a wonderful nutty, caramelized, sweet flavor that is to die for, and the sauce is wonderful for dipping bread into.
The green beans help to fill out this veggie side dish.
The balsamic vinegar gives this side dish a nice zing. However, you can substitute it with lemon juice.
If you don’t love Brussels sprouts, any roasted vegetables will work well as sides for lasagna. Consider roasted broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, or cauliflower for your lasagna sides.
To make the best antipasto platter, just find a huge platter and fill it up with your favorite cheese, meats, veggies, and fruits.
Here’s the secret to a gorgeous antipasto platter. Make it as colorful as you possibly can!
And they need to be foods your guests can eat with their fingers or small cocktail forks.
Cherry tomatoes, marinated mushrooms or sautéed mushrooms, slices of zucchini, whole green beans, green olives, black olives, bright yellow pepperoncini, beautiful Italian meats, fresh mozzarella cheese, and more all make for a gorgeous antipasto platter.
Served with a salad, antipasto is almost a meal that can stand on its own.
It’s also nice to have the meats in the antipasto if you’re serving veggie lasagna.
Not the bland iceberg salad of your youth, this delicious wedge salad is a work of art.
The iceberg lettuce is refreshing and crisp, and the salad is topped off with juicy cherry tomatoes cut in half, creamy blue cheese salad dressing, crispy real bacon bits, and beautiful crumbles of blue cheese.
Lasagna is a soft dish, and this salad complements it well with a crunchy contrast.
Here’s a unique idea for this salad. Sprinkle your wedge salad with Italian seasoning. Also, you can try chives and potato chip crumbs for a delightful salty surprise. We love this idea!
Bread and pasta go together like peanut butter and jelly! Having some delicious bread on hand to soak up the savory pasta sauce is a must.
When we visit one of our favorite Italian chain restaurants, a treat we really look forward to is the delicious soft warm breadsticks (and their signature salad or one of their famous soup recipes).
Here’s the good news: homemade breadsticks are fairly simple to make from scratch.
Breadsticks are a great side for nearly any meal or even as a complementary side dish for salad.
Best of all, when you’ve mastered your favorite easy breadsticks recipe, you can make them anytime you want.
This recipe has a lot of great ideas for changing up your breadsticks recipe to make them different when you want.
You can choose to go with a garlic butter sauce for one meal, and you can make cheesy breadsticks for your pasta dish the following week.
These breadsticks are also delicious dipped in either vegan butter or oil.
To make them part of a meal, serve with your lasagna and a colorful Caprese salad.
The tomato is ubiquitous in Italian cooking, and tomato dishes make excellent side dishes for lasagna.
This tomato recipe will add tons of flavor to any pasta dish.
The umami flavor is completely irresistible, and the tartness of the tomatoes is exactly what you’ve been dreaming of.
This simple recipe for roasted tomatoes makes use of only two spices: black pepper and thyme. Adding a little diced garlic will give this dish a whole new vibe.
A dash of sea salt and the extra-virgin olive oil are what make this side dish sing.
Here’s an idea: toss these roasted tomatoes into a delicious Caprese salad to make it even more interesting.
Note: the remaining sauce is delicious for dipping your breadsticks or garlic bread.
Lasagna is a pasta dish that is super filling by itself, so it’s great to pair this classic Italian casserole with something refreshing and light.
One of the most perfect side dishes for lasagna is a light salad like this cherry tomato and feta cheese salad.
The different colored cherry tomatoes cut in half make this salad so gorgeous and colorful. And the chunks of feta cheese add a healthy protein punch.
Consider champagne vinegar or lemon juice instead of the traditional balsamic or red wine vinegar.
When you’ve assembled your salad, be sure to drizzle it with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.
This salad reminds us of a Caprese salad or a hearty Italian salad. To make it more like a Caprese salad, use fresh mozzarella cheese or even goat cheese.
If you go to an Italian restaurant and order lasagna or spaghetti, you’re probably going to be served garlic bread with butter. And why not? It’s perfect for soaking up that delicious Italian sauce or any tomato sauce.
Garlic bread is the perfect accompaniment to nearly any meal, but it’s particularly perfect as one of the best side dishes for lasagna.
The best part is that that there’s no prep involved in cooking this tasty veggie side dish.
To cook it, you simply toss the broccolini in a hot pan with tons of garlic and some olive oil. When it turns bright green and tender, it’s ready to serve!
When you make your bruschetta, be sure to use high-quality tomatoes and fresh basil if you have it. Also, the extra-virgin olive oil makes this bruschetta super special
This recipe has the fresh tomato topping served on the side, and you can serve it that way or with the mixture spread on top of your bread.
Our BEST Tasty Sides for Lasagna (+Classic Wedge Salad)
These recipes are sure to please. So, gather your family and friends and enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
