This vegetable lasagna is layers of noodles, veggies, marinara sauce and three different kinds of cheese, all baked to golden brown perfection. A vegetarian main course option that’s perfect for feeding a crowd.
You can never go wrong with a cheesy baked pasta, some of my favorite renditions include chicken spaghetti, Mexican stuffed shells and this lasagna loaded with plenty of vegetables.
Lasagna is a comfort food classic, no one can resist all those layers of baked pasta with melted cheese. This vegetable lasagna contains a generous amount of veggies, and is loaded with flavor. You won’t miss the meat, I promise!
How do you make vegetable lasagna?
The first step to make vegetable lasagna is to make a veggie packed marinara sauce. Start with cooking carrots and onions in a pan. When they have cooked for a few minutes add zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper to the pan. When all the veggies are tender, add spinach leaves and let them cook down. A little garlic, marinara sauce, tomato sauce and salt and pepper go in the pan, then it’s time to simmer the sauce. Make the cheesy filling for the lasagna by mixing together ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses with eggs and seasoning.
Put the lasagna together by layering sauce, cooked lasagna noodles, and the ricotta mixture. Repeat the pattern until the pan is full, just make sure you end with the sauce on top. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake it. Finally, remove the foil, put some mozzarella on top and put it back in the oven so the cheese can brown. Once the lasagna is done, let it stand for a few minutes to firm up and serve it with a sprinkle of parsley.
Tips for vegetable lasagna
- Cut the vegetables into small pieces so that they won’t fall out of the layers when you slice your lasagna.
- I recommend using whole milk ricotta and mozzarella cheese for the best flavor.
- Use freshly shredded cheese, not the bags of pre-shredded cheese. The pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents and stabilizers and doesn’t melt smoothly.
- Pick your favorite brand of marinara sauce – I typically use Newman’s Own or Classico.
- This lasagna can be assembled up to 6 hours before you plan to bake it. Cover it and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to put it in the oven. You may need to add more baking time to compensate for starting with a cold dish.
- You can store the baked lasagna in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- The vegetable marinara sauce can be made up to 2 days before you plan to use it. Sometimes I even make a double batch and freeze some for another night.
Vegetarian lasagna variations
While this veggie lasagna is fantastic as written, you can change up the recipe to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: If you want an even heartier meal, you can add some protein to the sauce such as chicken, ground beef, sausage, or even crumbled tofu or white beans if you’re a vegetarian.
- Vegetables: You can never have too many veggies, am I right?! You can substitute other vegetables in the sauce such as artichokes, kale, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, or mushrooms.
- Sauce: Swap out the marinara sauce for Alfredo sauce, or mix 1/2 cup of pesto into your marinara sauce for a fresh and savory flavor.
Do you have to cook lasagna noodles?
This recipe requires cooked lasagna noodles. Simply boil the noodles according to package directions, then immediately drain, rinse and place flat on a sheet pan so that the noodles don’t stick together.
How to reheat lasagna
If you want to reheat a pan of refrigerated lasagna in an oven, cover the lasagna with foil and bake it at 350 degrees F. The lasagna will take around 30 – 40 minutes to heat up. You can cut into the lasagna to check if it is hot inside.
Feel free to reheat a single slice of refrigerated lasagna in a microwave by cooking it on high for 1 1/2 minutes. If the lasagna is not hot all the way through at that time, rotate it and microwave it for another 20 seconds.
Can you freeze veggie lasagna?
You can freeze a whole pan of lasagna or you can freeze individual servings. Keep the lasagna in an airtight container or baking dish. When you are ready to serve the lasagna, thaw it in a refrigerator and reheat it. You can also reheat the lasagna from frozen, just add another 20-30 minutes to the baking time.
This veggie lasagna is full of flavor from all the delicious vegetables. This savory dish is hearty enough to please friends and family, even the dedicated meat eaters. Do yourself a favor and give this recipe a try.
More pasta recipes you’ll enjoy
Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 3/4 cup carrots peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup zucchini finely diced
- 3/4 cup yellow squash finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and finely diced
- 5 ounce bag fresh baby spinach leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
For the filling
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
For assembly
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, yellow squash and red bell pepper to the pan. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the spinach to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the marinara and tomato sauces into the pan, then bring to a simmer.
- Cook the sauce for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, prepare the cheese filling.
- Place the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.
- Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of noodles, then spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
- Top the cheese mixture with 1/3 of the vegetable sauce.
- Repeat the layers, ending with the vegetable sauce.
- Cover the lasagna with foil, then bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover the lasagna, then add the remaining 2 cups for mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
- Sprinkle lasagna with parsley. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then cut into slices and serve.
Sandra says
I loved it! Packed full of flavors!
Tiffany La Forge-Grau says
Veggie lasagnas are so delicious! They are a ton easier to cook; way less prep time!
annie says
Look at those layers! This will be dinner tomorrow!
Stephanie says
I think I figured out how to get my kids to eat veggies…cover them in cheese! Excellent recipe, thank you!
Lora says
Comfort in every bite! Perfect way to get in more veggies!
Taylor says
Love this recipe for sneaking in a bunch of extra veggies! So yummy!
Erin says
This lasagna needs to happen at my house very soon!!
Beth says
We love any kind of lasagna especially one that involves ricotta cheese ! This looks incredibly good!
Kimberly says
The oozing cheesy filling is my favorite and this vegetable lasagna is such a welcome alternative over meat!
Anna says
My kids devoured this lasagna! It’s absolutely delicious!
Jennifer says
Vegetable lasagna is the BEST and your recipe was so tasty! The hubby loved it! Thank you!
Erin says
This is total comfort food, and I love how loaded with veggies it is!