Vegetable Lasagna
Vegetable Lasagna, with its proud layers of ricotta and veggies, old-school status, and bronzed, cheesy top, belongs on a pasta pedestal. When I tell you declaratively that this is the ultimate, best vegetarian lasagna, know that I am staking my claim with the utmost respect!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
- ALL the Veggies. It’s meatless, yes, but this vegetable lasagna recipe is about far more than the absence of meat. It is a vegetable party! Spinach. Sweet potatoes. Bell peppers. Zucchini. This is a garden vegetable lasagna that celebrates bounty (as do my Vegetarian Tacos).
- The Comfort Food You Need. Cheesy, saucy, and bursting with hearty Italian zest, this easy vegetable lasagna does justice to the Italian classic. With its hug-you-from-the-inside vibe, this pan of comfort is exactly what you want when you find yourself craving lasagna.
- Lightened Up. This recipe blends traditional cheesy goodness with modern healthy touches. While traditional lasagna recipes are made with heavy ingredients, this vegetarian lasagna is lightened up enough to be healthy, yet still tastes decadent enough to satisfy.
- Easy to Make. This veggie lasagna is made of no-cook noodles, part-skim ricotta cheese, a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables, and doctored-up prepared tomato sauce to keep it easy.
5 Star Review
How to Make the Best Vegetable Lasagna
The Ingredients
- Oven Ready (No Boil) Lasagna Noodles. You can add these right to the vegetarian lasagna, without the fuss of boiling, draining, and drying them first. I use whole wheat noodles for an extra fiber boost, but If you can’t find them, you can swap regular oven-ready lasagna noodles.
- Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese. I find part-skim tastes plenty indulgent, and it helps to make the vegetable lasagna lighter. You can also use the same amount of low-fat cottage cheese in place of the ricotta in this recipe.
- Vegetables. For this vegetable lasagna, zucchini, sweet potato, bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini make up our nutritious garden of fresh veggies. They give the lasagna substance and delicious fresh flavor.
- Frozen Spinach. Using frozen spinach instead of fresh is a quick and easy shortcut that I love to use here (and in Crockpot Lasagna).
- Dried Basil. Adds wonderful flavor to this Italian vegetarian lasagna recipe.
- Tomato Sauce. As I share in my cookbook, using store-bought tomato sauce is a valuable timesaver. This stellar shortcut helps make this an easy vegetable lasagna recipe without sacrificing any of the flavor!
- Balsamic Vinegar. Brings a deep, simmered-all-day flavor to the sauce. Don’t skip it. It makes the sauce pop.
- Melty Cheese. A delicious melty cheese like mozzarella, Fontina, or Provolone (I used all three!) will create that all-important and beloved cheesy goodness.
- Parmesan. A must-have addition to our cheese layers.
A Vegetable Lasagna for All Seasons
Feel free to adjust the vegetables in this recipe for the vegetables you have in your garden or that are freshest at the market.
- For a summer vegetable lasagna, you might add more zucchini or eggplant in place of the sweet potatoes.
- For a fall lasagna, take a note from this Skillet Lasagna with Basil, Italian Sausage, and Butternut Squash and try diced butternut squash.
The Directions
- Sauté the Vegetables. Just until they’re beginning to brown.
- Make It Saucy. Stir in the tomato sauce and vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
- Make the Filling. Stir together the ricotta and spinach mixture.
- Start Layering. Add a thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture to the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles.
- Keep Layering. Spread more sauce over the noodles, then add half of the ricotta mixture. Top with additional sauce and part of the mozzarella.
- More Noodles and Cheese. Add 3 more noodles, then spread the remaining cheese mixture on top. Top with more mozzarella.
- Almost Done. Lay the 3 final noodles on top, then add the remaining sauce.
- Finish. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake vegetable lasagna at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover and rotate the dish, then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- More Vegetable Ideas. If you’d like to incorporate additional vegetables into this lasagna, you could try some Sautéed Mushrooms, yellow squash, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Broccoli, or carrots.
- Spicy Vegetable Lasagna. For vegetable lasagna with a little heat, add red pepper flakes to taste. You can stir them into the tomato sauce or add them to individual servings.
- Vegetable Lasagna With White Sauce. I haven’t tried making this as a healthy vegetable lasagna with white sauce, so I can’t say for certain how it would turn out. (If you’d like a white sauce recipe, check out my Chicken Alfredo Bake.)
- Low Carb Veggie Lasagna. If you are looking to avoid pasta (or enjoy a gluten-free vegetable lasagna), check out my Eggplant Lasagna, Crock Pot Low Carb Lasagna, or Spaghetti Squash Lasagna.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate vegetable lasagna in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. I like to cut my leftover lasagna into individual portions before freezing, which makes it easy to thaw meals on demand. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Plan Tip
Prepare the unbaked, layered vegetable lasagna as directed, then cover and refrigerate it for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months (make sure your dish is freezer-safe). If refrigerated, let the lasagna come to room temperature prior to baking. If frozen, let the lasagna thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature and baking.
What to Serve with Vegetable Lasagna
- Salad. This Arugula Salad is my go-to side dish for heavier pasta dishes, but greens with Caesar Dressing are also a great pairing with vegetarian lasagna.
- Bread. No Knead Focaccia, Homemade Dinner Rolls, and Rosemary Olive Oil Bread are excellent for sopping up the last bits of sauce on your plate.
- Veggies. Add more veggies to the side of your vegetable lasagna! Try Air Fryer Green Beans, Sautéed Zucchini, or Roasted Frozen Broccoli.
- Meatballs. Please the meat eaters in your family with Chicken Meatballs, Air Fryer Meatballs, or Crockpot Meatballs.
Wine Pairing
Pair this lasagna with an Italian red wine, like Sangiovese or Chianti Classico. White wine fans can try a smooth, creamy Chardonnay.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Baking Dish. Great for baking this casserole and beautiful for serving.
- Dutch Oven. Perfect for preparing the vegetable mixture.
- Extra Large Cutting Board. Ideal for recipes with lots of veggies to chop.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Drain the Spinach Well. When using frozen spinach, it is important to drain it and squeeze it VERY dry before using it in the recipe. Wrap it in a flour sack towel (one you don’t mind staining!), cheesecloth, or thick paper towels and wring it dry.
- Use No-Cook Noodles. Or, if you use noodles that need to be boiled, you must drain them and let them dry completely before adding them to the layers or you’ll end up with a soggy vegetable lasagna.
- Let It Cool. You should let the lasagna cool for a few minutes prior to cutting it, or it can become runny.
- Get a Toasty Top. If you like the cheese on top browned and bubbly, you can give this vegetarian lasagna a quick broil for a minute or two before pulling it out of the oven. Just keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
Vegetable Lasagna Recipe Video
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Vegetable Lasagna
With zucchini, spinach, creamy ricotta and more, this is the best vegetable lasagna recipe! A vegetarian main dish that steals the show.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour
Resting Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 356kcal
Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and 1/4-to 1/2-inch diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 red bell peppers chopped
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 (24-ounce jars) good quality tomato pasta sauce I use Roasted Garlic
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach drained and squeezed dry
- 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated melty Italian cheese such as mozzarella, Fontina, or Provolone (I did a blend of all three. DELISH!)
- 1/2 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 large egg
- 9 oven-ready (no boil) whole wheat lasagna noodles (I like Delallo), about 5.5 ounces
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, dried basil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender and begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and balsamic to the vegetables. Stir to combine then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl add the ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Stir in the spinach, using a fork to break it up and distribute it as evenly with the ricotta mixture as possible.
- Spread a thin layer of the vegetable tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top, breaking the ends if needed so that they fit. Leave some space around the noodles, as they will expand as they cook.
- Top the noodles with 1/3 of the remaining sauce, half of the ricotta mixture, the next 1/3 portion of the sauce, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
- Top with 3 more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1/2 cup mozzarella (no tomato sauce in this layer).
- Top the cheese with the 3 final noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Cover the lasagna with foil (be careful not to let the foil touch the top of the cheese or it will stick—I like to stick a few toothpicks in the top of the lasagna so that they are poking up and keep the foil off of the cheese). Bake it covered for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, uncover, and rotate the pan by 180. Continue cooking uncovered for 15 to 20 more minutes, until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is beginning to have brown spots.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes to set. Sprinkle with fresh basil, then slice and serve.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate lasagna in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare the lasagna as directed, then cover and refrigerate it for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months (make sure your dish is freezer-safe). If refrigerated, let the lasagna come to room temperature prior to baking. If frozen, let the lasagna thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature and baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8) | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 9520IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 443mg | Iron: 3mg
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