41 Best Sides for Lasagna (Easy & Delicious)

Planning a lasagna dinner? Make a complete meal with these delicious side dishes for lasagna.

Ah, lasagna; the ultimate crowd favorite! This is a delicious Italian dish with a long, delicious history. From restaurants to weekend celebrations, this pasta dish appears everywhere.

While it may be the star of the show, there’s one thing we all know. Whether you’re making it from scratch or buying one made, you need a good side dish to go with your lasagna.

What to Serve with Lasagna

A side dish that can stand up to this delicious main course is a tough ask! After all, what contends with meaty, cheesy layers bookended by perfectly-cooked pasta?

Well, I have forty-one suggestions for you that I think fit the bill. Whether you want something Italian to match your lasagna or you’re looking for a healthy side, this list has what you need.

Italian Sides for Lasagna

What better to kick this list off with than some Italian lasagna side dishes? They’re the perfect dish to serve with the Naples-born lasagna. Each one will make your main dish sing with flavor!

1. Garlic Bread

We’re starting off with a classic: garlic bread! One of the best side dishes in Italian cuisine, garlic and tomato go hand-in-hand for a very good reason. The two flavors play off each other, making everything taste richer.

So, garlic bread is an obvious choice for the tomato-filled lasagna. Pair that with the crunchy, buttery bread base, and you’ve got a real winner on your hands.

If you’re serving many people, a loaf of garlic bread is a quick and easy way to stretch a lasagna even further.

2. Grilled Romaine Salad

Grilled romaine salad is one of my favorite sides to serve with lasagna. It’s such a simple recipe. So quick to make, it’s healthy, and the charred taste really brings out the flavor of your hero dish.

All you need to do is salt and char your romaine lettuce halves. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to make the side taste brighter, and you’re ready to serve!

Add some greenery to your meal without relying on the traditional salad. Get all the benefits of the greenery with all the taste of some scrumptious grill lines.

3. Pesto Garlic Bread

We’re back to garlic bread on this one, but can you blame me? This pesto garlic bread puts a delicious spin on an old classic. The pesto is quick to whip up, but it’s absolutely packed with flavor.

The recipe involves spreading pesto on garlic bread and baking it (which is wildly tasty). But if you want to give your guests some options, you can always serve the pesto on the side.

Lasagna already takes a while to make. So, if you want to whip this up in a hurry, grab some store-bought pesto instead!

This side dish is the perfect addition to any of your favorite pasta dishes.

4. Vegan Garlic Knots

This one goes out to all the vegans! These tasty vegan garlic knots are easy to make beforehand and warm up later. Plus, they’re a great twist on the traditional loaf of garlic bread.

If you’re serving up your lasagna for a special occasion, this is the perfect way to make sure everyone enjoys some of these best sides. They’re small and easy to dole out before dinner.

This is definitely the best thing you’ll ever try!

5. Focaccia Bread

Soak up the lasagna’s sauce with this spongy loaf. Foccaccia is one of the easiest breads to make. You just whip up the dough, let it sit, then spread in a pan and bake. No muss, no fuss.

Get creative with it and decorate the top with pieces of vegetables, herbs, or even cheese. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love creating their own picture on top of the foccacia.

Once you make this one, there’s no looking back. Trust me!

6. Caprese Spinach Salad

A caprese salad is the perfect Italian side to suit your lasagna. It celebrates fresh ingredients, so it’s amazing at balancing the rich, cheesy hero dish. Plus, it only has a few ingredients!

Impress your dinner guests with a true Italian feast. Serve up a plate of leafy green caprese salad along with the main course. The sweet roma tomatoes balance the rich, mellow mozzarella.

The spinach and basil are the final, perfect note in this Italian flavor symphony.

This makes for an amazing side dish for steak as well.

Vegetable Sides

Lasagna is a fairly rich main course. So, to balance it out, you might be seeking a great side dish! I’ve got ten dishes here that will perfectly complement your delicious, cheesy lasagna.

7. Grilled Broccoli

Starting off with this grilled broccoli recipe, you’re in for a treat. It’s quick and easy to make this once your lasagna is out of the oven. You only need a few ingredients to bring it to life.

The tender, fresh stalks of the broccoli become even sweeter when grilled. So, you’ve got a delicious char elevating the broccoli’s sweetness, all topped off by a satisfying crunch.

With some lemon and chili added to the mix, this broccoli might just steal the show.

8. Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Brussel sprouts have a bad reputation, but this recipe is going to fix that. Grilled to perfection and coated in cheese, these little balls of greenery look and taste amazing.

These are like the healthy version of a smashed burger patty. So, if you need to sneak some greens into your kid’s diet, look no further than this.

You’ll be using roasted garlic in this recipe. Pro tip: roasting garlic mellows it out quite a bit. So, don’t be shy when you’re portioning it out!

This is also just an amazing side for pork chops.

9. Air Fryer Green Beans

If you have an air fryer in your kitchen’s arsenal, you have to try this out! This is a healthy and easy way to cook your green beans. Step away from the oil, put the pan down, and hear me out.

These green beans are crunchy, salty, and perfect as a side dish to almost any meal. You can set them up in the air fryer and forget about them until you’re ready to plate up!

With a dish as complicated as lasagna for your main dish, a side dish as simple as this one will be a relief.

10. Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

This next dish relies on classic Italian flavors to bring your lasagna up a notch. Balsamic vinegar and feta turn some simple stalks of asparagus into your new favorite side dish.

The salty, rich taste of the feta perfectly balances the sweetness of the balsamic. Served alongside lasagna, the two flavor profiles will mean your guests can’t stop eating until it’s all gone!

If you have never liked asparagus a day in your life, trust me. This recipe will change that.

11. Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers

Whenever someone mentions roasted bell peppers, my mouth immediately begins to water. These marinated beauties are sweet, tender, and juicy. The perfect counterpoint to a rich lasagna!

The collection of Italian herbs and garlic brings out the sweetness of the peppers. Served hot, these will disappear from everyone’s plate before you can say ‘ciao’!

That said, if they’re not, these bell peppers are amazing as leftovers. Put them on sandwiches or in salads to immediately take them up a notch.

12. Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Lemon, parmesan cheese, and asparagus are a match made in heaven. The sourness of the lemon and the richness of the cheese bring out the sweet, tasty crunch of the asparagus.

This dish is so quick and easy to make. All you need is a pan and a few ingredients to make the asparagus sing. So, it’s easy to serve both your lasagna and the side dish hot at the same time.

13. Purple Mashed Potatoes

Yes, I said purple mashed potatoes. Hear me out! Purple potatoes taste exactly the same as regular potatoes. You’ll have all the benefit of a classically tasty side dish.

But you’ll also get to enjoy the looks of shock and awe as you serve purple potatoes! This adds a pop of color to the dinner table.

When you dig in, it’s the same buttery, delicious taste we all expect from good mashed potatoes. Put a twist on it with some roasted garlic if you like!

Love potatoes? You might also enjoy this apple sweet potato bake!

14. Broccoli Radish Salad

You don’t often hear broccoli and radish in the same sentence, but that’s about to change. Radish is the perfect little kick to add to a broccoli salad.

When you add the lasagna into the mix, this salad will have everyone at the table scrambling for more. It lightens the broccoli’s earthiness and lasagna’s cheesiness.

It’s almost like a mini palette cleanser between bites! Whip this up beforehand and let it sit in the fridge for the flavors to deepen even further.

This is a lovely side for your brisket meal as well.

15. Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

If we’re talking Italian food, we can’t leave cherry tomatoes out of the running. Sundried tomatoes are a staple in Italy. In this recipe, you can make some from scratch.

These aren’t dried down all the way, so they still have a deliciously juicy texture to them once you bite in. But all the rich, herby flavor of sundried tomatoes is waiting for you in every morsel.

Stick these on a pan and in the oven to roast. They require no brainpower, but they’re amazing with almost everything.

16. Air Fryer Vegetables

We’re back to the air fryer, and this time, we brought backup. This assortment of delicious, colorful vegetables is a beautiful and healthy side dish.

This is another one that’s easy to set and forget as you focus on whipping up your main dish. Sprinkle some garlic and salt through the vegetables to tie them into the Italian flavor.

17. Smothered Green Beans

We’ve all wished for a healthy version of loaded fries, right? Just me? Either way, these smothered green beans are the answer to that particular wish!

Covered in a creamy garlic sauce and speckled with bacon, these green beans are utterly mouth-watering. The rich flavor ties beautifully with your hero dish. In fact, it might just steal the show.

Using only six ingredients, you can have this on the dinner table in absolutely no time.

Healthy Sides for Lasagna

Lasagna is a fairly rich dish filled with cheese, creamy sauce, and carbohydrate-filled pasta. If you’re looking to balance out some of that indulgence with a healthy side dish, I’ve got your back.

Transform your lasagna meal and make it a little healthier.

18. Simple Side Salad

Let’s start this part of the list off with this very best salad. When done right, this side dish is the perfect thing to round out any meal with a healthy kick.

Featuring tasty, crunchy walnuts and two delicious dressings, this salad will block your socks off. Whip it together in a large batch to serve to your guests!

If you’ve got kids that are reluctant to eat their vegetables, I hear you. Don’t worry, the Caesar dressing and balsamic vinaigrette will bring them around in no time.

19. Arugula Shaved Fennel Salad

If you’re shooting for simplicity and taste, you can’t go past this arugula shaved fennel salad. It’s packed with flavor in every bite. The different elements play off each other flawlessly!

One minute you’re tasting the sharp arugula, then the aromatic fennel. The next bite, you get sweet balsamic, and it’s all topped off with creamy blue cheese crumbles.

If you shy away from any of these ingredients, this salad is the perfect introduction to them. They’re a tasty and well-rounded addition to any dinner table.

20. Avocado Tomato and Arugula Salad

Let’s stay on the arugula bandwagon with this next recipe! Can you blame me? It’s the perfect salad base.

This light and easy salad harness the power of avocado to take it to the next level. With creamy chunks of avocado peppered throughout the tasty salad, this one might steal the show.

If you’re looking to add some crunch, try adding some homemade croutons or even a Parmesan crisp! The signature saltiness will tie in beautifully with the Italian theme.

21. Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

Next up is a superfood that’s taken the world by storm: kale. When you treat it right, kale is by far one of the tastiest salad greens out there. It’s fluffy, crunchy, and packed with flavor.

And this recipe definitely treats it right! The raw brussel sprouts and kale form a crunchy base for your salad. Then, dress it with sweet grapes and almonds for a flavor and texture sensation.

This green salad is a great way to cut through the richness of a lasagna. But you can also whip this recipe out at your next cookout or potluck to wow the attendees!

22. Fall Kale Apple Salad

Kale and fruit is a wonderful combination. This super green has a mellow, slightly bitter flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of your favorite fruits.

That’s what makes it the perfect base for this Fall Apple Salad. Enjoy the tastes of apple and berry bursting across your tongue. It cuts perfectly through the heavy cheese and pasta in lasagna.

Walnuts and sunflower seeds lend a wonderful crunch to this dish. If you haven’t been a fan of kale in the past, I can almost guarantee this will convert you.

23. Arugula Parmesan Salad

We’re back to arugula, and this time we’re going even simpler. Arugula is one of those salad greens you can trust to shine on their own. This arugula and parmesan side salad promises to do just that.

Featuring only a few ingredients, this is a healthy side dish that only takes seconds to make. Whether you need something for the table last minute or have some fussy guests to satisfy, this will work!

I recommend using high-quality olive oil if you can find one. Since there are so few flavors in the dish, you need to make sure each one sings! Quality olive oil will tie the whole Italian affair together.

This is also a great side for pork chops.

24. Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad

This next dish is just bursting with Italian inspiration. The red, white, and green of the Italian flag will lend a stunning splash of color to your dinner table. That’s not even mentioning how good it tastes!

Roasted artichokes are a hearty, earthy treat. Combine them with some mellow mozzarella and the sweetness of Roma tomatoes for a delicious bite every time.

Top with fresh basil to spark the flavors together. Trust me, you and everyone at your table will be fighting for the next portion of this salad.

25. Savoury Vegan Muffins

Let’s step away from the salads for a moment into something a little unexpected: muffins. That’s right, muffins as a side dish to a lasagna! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Rather than relying on garlic bread to fill the side dish role, opt for something a little healthier. These vegetarian muffins are packed with fiber, grains, and flavor.

They’re made with an array of Italian herbs to slot easily onto the table alongside the lasagna. My recommendation? Double the batch and save them for lunch the next day. Genius!

26. Tomato Basil Salad

One of the best things to cut through a rich lasagna is a touch of sweetness. That’s exactly what this balsamic tomato salad offers: a well-balanced and refined sweetness.

The hero of the salad is the balsamic vinaigrette, highlighting the tomatoes’ natural sugar content. Top off with red onions and pepper for a kick. Make sure to use fresh basil for the best result.

This fresh salad is fantastic to make ahead of time and serve with dinner. The taste is only heightened after sitting in its own juices for a while. So, go ahead and make it a few hours beforehand!

This is a great side dish for steak as well!

27. Caesar Salad

Caesar salad is a classic side dish, and there’s a very good reason for that. It’s an absolutely scrumptious option to have with dinner, plus it’s good for you! There are no downsides!

Impress the family by whipping up your very own Caesar salad alongside the lasagna. The great thing about this salad is how easy it is to customize.

You can go all-in and add eggs, bacon, and various other ingredients, or just keep it simple. Whatever suits your tastes! Just know that you’ll have to fight everyone at the table to get to it first.

28. Grilled Delicata Squash

Similar to a butternut squash, delicata squash is a tasty winter vegetable with a lot of hidden flavor. When grilled, those beautiful char lines add a delightful smoky sweetness that’s hard to ignore.

This refreshing salad is so easy to put together. It’s also very impressive to look at! Customize the dish by serving it with a different vinaigrette or leaf. There are hundreds of ways to dress up this squash.

If you’re headed to a barbecue or a pot luck take this recipe and your lasagna along with you. It’s best eaten on a hot day with a cold drink in your hand, standing by the grill!

29. Pickled Beet Salad

This unique choice of side dish is packed with healthy antioxidants. Plus, it adds a stunning splash of color to your table! The natural sweetness of the beets pairs beautifully with a tasty lasagna.

You can make this up to four days in advance and have it sitting in your fridge, ready to go. Just add your mixed greens right before you serve to keep them fresh and crispy.

If you want to make this even healthier, why not substitute the dairy components for vegan yoghurt and mayo. These low-fat versions help the salad feel even lighter while remaining tasty.

30. Cauliflower Bread

Have you ever heard of cauliflower bread? If this is your first introduction, welcome! Your life is about to change for the better.

One of the struggles of serving Italian food is the instinct to serve buttery garlic bread with it. But that’s not always the healthiest option in the world. Enter: cauliflower bread.

This genius substitution has all the taste and texture of traditional bread with much fewer carbs. Use this to mop up your lasagna’s bechamel sauce or mince for a taste sensation you won’t forget.

31. Avocado Panzanella Salad

Our final healthy side dish is the perfect way to use up that loaf of stale bread you haven’t gotten around to throwing away yet. A panzanella is an Italian salad that uses stale bread as its base.

Combine the diced bread with dressed greens, sweet roma tomatoes, and our hero: avocado. The creamy texture of the avocado really helps balance this dish out.

This is a perfect healthy side dish to serve in place of garlic bread. You get all the crunch of your favorite traditional side with none of the downsides, and many times the vegetables!

Good Sides for Lasagna

Our final category is good sides for lasagna, and that can only mean one thing. These side dishes are completely and totally, without a doubt, insanely tasty.

Each one would be a perfect complementary dish to the scrumptious lasagna you’ve just whipped up. And even better? There are ten of them.

32. Twice Baked Potato Casserole

A potato casserole is like mashed potatoes on steroids. In fact, it’s the perfect way to give new life to any leftover mashed potatoes you might have floating around.

Covered in cheese and bacon and baked to a crisp, this twice-baked casserole is an absolute treat. You can serve it piping hot or cold from the fridge. Which is a bonus when making lasagna!

If you want to take this casserole to another level, try customizing it with some additions. Want to use sausage instead of bacon? Try it! Or how about using sweet potatoes? The world is your oyster!

33. Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Garlic bread is guaranteed fun for the whole family. This pull-apart version is the perfect way to make sure everyone can just dig in; no knives required! Plus, it’s a lot of fun to make with your kids.

Whip this bread up a day in advance to serve with your lasagna. It reduces the amount of tasks you’ll have to pay attention to as you’re creating a historically complicated pasta dish, which is a big relief.

If you’re a great multi-tasker, you can serve this piping hot from the oven. You’ll be serving this alongside lasagna, so you don’t need a sauce. If you ever make it solo, go for a tomato-based dip!

34. Herb and Cheese Pull Apart Bread

If garlic bread isn’t your favorite, you might like this herb and cheese version of the pull-apart bread instead. It’s so quick and easy to make. Plus, it packs a flavorful punch you certainly won’t forget.

This bread doesn’t just go with lasagna. Pull this together for winter soups, stews, or even your next last-minute neighborhood potluck. Change up the herbs, add a sauce, the possibilities are endless!

If I can offer one tip: don’t be shy with the cheese. There are few sights more appealing than stretching cheese as you pull the bread apart. And it ties the bread in with the hero dish perfectly.

35. Air Fryer Garlic Cheese Stuffed Crescent Rolls

I’ve mentioned an air fryer a couple of times in this list, but did you ever expect me to suggest air fryer rolls? That’s right, you can cook crescent rolls in your air fryer! It’s quick, easy, and absolutely scrumptious.

Elevate the standard rolls by stuffing them with a stick of mozzarella cheese. Brush them with garlic butter for a deep, earthy flavor. Then, set them to frying!

In about ten minutes, you’ll have warm and delicious rolls ready to serve up with your lasagna. This recipe is super kid-friendly, so get the little ones involved for a night of family cooking.

36. Homemade Coleslaw

A good coleslaw is just saucy enough to be full of flavor without being too runny. It’s light enough to be used as a side salad, but strong enough to stand on its own if need be.

I love this recipe because you can whip up a big batch ahead of time. Dole out however much you need for dinner and save the rest for a picnic lunch the very next day.

Plus, you can customize it by adding craisins or raisins for a little touch of added sweetness. This coleslaw recipe ticks all the boxes!

37. Tapioca Breadsticks

We all know that breadsticks belong on the dinner table on Italian night. It’s just a fact of life. Wow guests at your next dinner party or game day by walking out with a tray full of them.

This tapioca bread stick recipe will teach you the secret to getting crunchy, golden bread sticks every time. They’re much easier than you think! You only need half an hour to create these little delights.

The original recipe uses parmesan and rosemary for flavor. But there’s a lot of room for creativity! Make garlic bread sticks, cheddar bread sticks, anything you can dream up.

38. Texas Toast Garlic Bread

Everything is bigger in Texas, and with this recipe it’s all about taste. If you love garlic bread but don’t have any ready to go, this is a quick fix that might just replace your go-to brand.

You only need a few ingredients and they’re probably all in your pantry right now. Grab the kids and get to grating some cheese for these toasted delights. Serve with lasagna, and voila! Sensational.

Pro tip: spread tomato paste on the bread before adding the cheese for a lunchtime or picnic snack. It’s great in a pinch!

39. Roasted Bell Pepper Puff Pastry Bites

This next dish will bring some extra sophistication to your dinner table. Don’t worry about the pastry, they’re still super easy to make. The Italian flavors on display make for a great appetizer too!

The key to nailing this dish is getting the cook on the puff pastry just right. You want it to be puffy and golden brown, so watch them in the oven. They can tip into burnt territory quite quickly.

40. Rosemary Parmesan Bread

Next up, this rosemary parmesan bread is a quick and easy solution that will have your mouth watering. It’s perfect for a date night, or even just a night spent in with the family.

The rosemary and parmesan flavors blend beautifully when dipped into lasagna. The tastes bounce off each other, heightening each component until they’re singing on your taste buds.

Once you know how to make this perfect flatbread, you can use it for a pizza crust as well!

41. Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Mushrooms

Our final side dish on the list is the ultimate one-pot wonder. Just set and forget these mushrooms while you get on with making your lasagna. All you need is a slow cooker and some good aromatics.

Once you’re ready to serve, you’ll have tender and juicy mushrooms sure to impress. These mushrooms soak up the garlic and parmesan flavors so well, you won’t believe what you’re eating.

Save any leftovers to use the next day. Trust me, these mushrooms will blow your mind in a sandwich!