This vegetable lasagna recipe is a reader favorite! Tender vegetables, a light and tasty tomato sauce and lots of cheese make this the best vegetarian lasagna ever. Jump to the vegetable lasagna recipe
We really think this is the best lasagna recipe out there
I know saying this is the “best lasagna ever” is a bold statement, but we really believe it. I love lasagna in all its forms. We’ve shared a variety of them, including beef and sausage lasagna, this five-cheese lasagna, our super easy lasagna, and even this creamy chicken lasagna with white sauce. While they’re all delicious, it’s this easy vegetable lasagna that really tugs at my heartstrings.
- This vegetarian lasagna is easy to make, made from scratch and requires simple ingredients.
- The recipe can be adjusted according to the vegetables you have available. In our photos, we used zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and onion, but a variety of vegetables can work in their place.
- You can make this lasagna gluten free, dairy free and vegan. Check out our comments below for suggestions.
How to make vegetable lasagna
Just like making a classic lasagna, the method for our recipe is quite simple. Here’s an overview of how to make our vegetable lasagna (full recipe below):
Cook your lasagna noodles Or skip this step and use unboiled noodles. Although we use regular lasagna noodles in our video, I like to use no-boil noodles because they require less prep time.
Prepare the simple tomato sauce, which takes about 20 minutes. If you intend to shorten the time, the sauce can be prepared up to three days in advance.
Mix ricotta cheese, egg and a little salt together. Choose a quality ricotta for this. Unfortunately, quite a few brands miss the mark when it comes to great tasting ricotta. I love BelGioioso Ricotta Con Latte Whole Milk, Sorrento, and if I can find it, fresh ricotta from our local cheese shop.
To make the lasagna by layering the vegetable sauce, the noodles, the ricotta mixture and the grated cheese.
The lasagna is baked in the oven for about 35 minutes. I like to bake it covered in foil for 20 minutes and then remove it so the top and cheese get some color.
Variations of a recipe for vegetable lasagna
I really like this meatless lasagna recipe because it’s so easy to adapt to what we have at home (or what’s in season).
You will need 4 to 5 cups of chopped vegetables to succeed. In our video we use zucchini, summer squash and roasted red peppers, but here are some other suggestions for vegetables you can use:
- Mushrooms, chopped or torn into small pieces
- Spinach, kale or other greens
- A winter squash like butternut squash or delicata would be great for a fall-inspired lasagna. I would peel and cut them into cubes.
- Carrot, chopped or grated
- Peppers, fresh or roasted (I like to add roasted red peppers)
- Eggplant cut into cubes
Gluten-free vegetable lasagna, use gluten-free noodles or vegetables to make the noodle layer. Layer long, thin slices of eggplant or zucchini instead of the noodles. I prefer to partially cook the slices by grilling or broiling first, so they don’t add too much moisture to the lasagna.
Dairy-free vegetable lasagna, replace the ricotta cheese and egg with almond ricotta. You can make it yourself or buy it (Kate Hill is a popular brand). I also like to swap out the cheese for a generous sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
Creamy vegetable lasagnaUse the sauce of our creamy chicken lasagna, and replace the chicken sausage with sauteed vegetables.
Prepare ahead and store tips
Lasagna is the perfect meal to prepare in advance. Here’s how I do it:
The vegetable sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days and in your freezer for about three months. We recommend using freezer-safe glassware or double layers of freezer bags to store sauces. To thaw, leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
Unbaked lasagna can be refrigerated. Cover and refrigerate the assembled unbaked lasagna for up to two days. When you cover it, use parchment paper or wax between the lasagna and the aluminum foil because aluminum foil can react with tomatoes.
Baked lasagna also freezes well. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before freezing, then wrap tightly in foil (we use two layers). To reheat, thaw the frozen lasagna overnight in the refrigerator and then bake at 400°F for about an hour. (I prefer to bake and freeze the lasagna instead of freezing uncooked lasagna.)
More vegetable pasta recipes
Recipe updated, originally posted in May 2013. Since we posted this in 2013, we’ve refined the recipe to make it clearer and added a quick recipe video. In 2022, we also updated the recipe video. you can watch The older video is here. – Adam and Joan
Easy vegetable lasagna
- PREP
This vegetable lasagna recipe is a reader favorite! Tender vegetables, a light tomato sauce and lots of cheese make this the best vegetarian lasagna ever. We really don’t miss the meat. Feel free to add or substitute your favorite vegetables. We gave suggestions in the article above.
Makes 8 servings
Watch us prepare the recipe
you will need
14 lasagna noodlessee notes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (140 grams) chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 to 4 cloves
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakesor more according to taste
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 full cup
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
A generous handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta or cottage cheese
2 large eggs
2 ounces (60 grams) parmesan cheese, grated About 2/3 cup
8 oz (230 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded About 2 cups
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
directions
- Cook noodles
- Prepare vegetable sauce
- Prepare the cheeses
- Lasagna ingredients
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. To prevent the noodles from sticking after draining, add two teaspoons of olive oil to the pasta water. Drain, then place flat on a sheet of aluminum foil.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan with sides over medium heat.
Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, zucchini, yellow pumpkin and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but still crisp, another 5 to 8 minutes.
Mix in the roasted red peppers and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a low boil and cook until the liquid thickens and reduces by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the basil and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
While the sauce is cooking, mix the ricotta cheese, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
Throw the parmesan cheese with the mozzarella. set aside.
Spoon vegetable mixture into the baking dish to lightly cover the bottom (about 1 cup). Arrange four noodles lengthwise side by side to cover the bottom. If the noodles are short on one end, you may need to cut more noodles and place it in the dish to cover where the rest of the noodles are not.
Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles, then sprinkle a third of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on top of the ricotta. Finally, sprinkle over a third of the vegetable sauce.
Add another layer of four noodles and spread the rest of the ricotta cheese over them. Sprinkle half of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on the ricotta. Spread over half of the remaining vegetable sauce.
Finish with a third layer of noodles and the remaining vegetable sauce. Finally, finish with the rest of the cheese sprinkled on top.
Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes; Uncover, then bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is set on the edges.
To brown the cheese on top, slide the pan under the broiler and set over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joan’s tips
- You will need 12 lasagna noodles, but we like to cook two extra noodles in case we need to fill holes while building the noodles.
- For a vegetarian lasagna, leave out the Parmesan cheese.
- Tips for preparing ahead are shared in the article above. The sauce can be prepared up to three days in advance, complex and unbaked lasagna in the refrigerator for up to two days, and the baked lasagna can be frozen.
- For gluten-free lasagna, use gluten-free noodles or vegetables to make the noodle layer. Tips shared in the article above.
- For a dairy-free and egg-free lasagna, replace the ricotta cheese and egg with almond ricotta. You can make it yourself or buy it (Kate Hill is a popular brand). I also like to replace the cheese in the recipe with a generous sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts listed below are estimates. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag it #inspiredtaste — we love seeing your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition per serving: portion size 1/8 lasagna / calories 381 / total fat 20.9 grams / Saturated fat 11 grams / Cholesterol 104 mg / sodium 773 mg / carbohydrate 28.2 grams / Dietary fiber 4.3 grams / Total sugars 6.5 grams / protein 20.7 grams
