Posted Feb 23, 2024, Updated May 19, 2024 If you’re looking for a meatless meal that is hearty and satisfying, I suggest making this vegetable lasagna recipe. It’s a delicious vegetarian lasagna that’s perfect to serve to guests (alongside a pan of this beef lasagna for the meat lovers). In this recipe, a flavorful, veggie-packed marinara sauce is layered with an herbed ricotta filling between lasagna noodles. Then, it’s topped with even more cheese and baked to bubbly perfection. It’s easy to make veggie lasagna at home that is just as delicious as your favorite Italian restaurant!
Vegetable Lasagna: Ingredients & Substitutions
Marinara sauce. choose your favorite variety, I suggest tomato basil. Or, make this homemade marinara sauce. Parmesan cheese. Romano is a good substitute. Fresh basil & parsley. I highly recommend fresh herbs for this recipe, however you can use freeze-dried herbs if necessary. Vegetables. This recipe is highly customizable. You can choose any of your favorite veggies and add them to this vegetarian lasagna.
How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
We’ll walk through this recipe step-by-step, and remember to watch the video for additional guidance. Begin by cooking the lasagna noodles until they are al dente. Then, drain the noodles but do not rinse.
Make the Vegetable Marinara
Prepare the marinara layer by cooking the firmer veggies – onion, garlic, and bell pepper – until the onions are soft (5 minutes). Then, add the softer vegetables – zucchini and yellow squash – and cook until soft they are slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Next, stir in the marinara sauce, spinach, salt and pepper and heat until the sauce just begins to boil. Taste and adjust seasonings (salt and pepper) to your preferences. Once the sauce is finished, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the Ricotta Filling
While the sauce is cooling, combine the ricotta filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir until they are combined.
Assemble the Vegetarian Lasagna
Once all the components are ready, it’s time to assemble the veggie lasagna. Start by spreading 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish. Then, top the sauce with a layer of lasagna noodles (5 lasagna noodles per layer). Then, spread one-third of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Next, spread 1 cup of sauce over the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, making 3 layers of cheese/sauce. Top with the last layer with noodles and the spread the remaining sauce over the noodles. Then, sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese evenly over top sauce layer. Loosely cover with aluminum foil (tenting it slightly so the foil does not touch the cheese). Bake the vegetable lasagna recipe in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, remove the foil then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbling. Once it has finished baking, let the vegetarian lasagna cool slightly and serve garnished with fresh parsley and basil.
Serve
I suggest serving this recipe with your favorite Italian recipes, here are some ideas:
If you’re feeding a crowd, make this beef lasagna for meat lovers! Tomato bruschetta is a perfect appetizer. A side salad – like panzanella salad or burrata salad pair beautifully with this lasagna. We love serving it with homemade french bread or no knead bread to sop up all the yummy sauce. A vegetable side like roasted broccoli or balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts are great choices.
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven set to warm.
Freeze
You can freeze this vegetable lasagna two ways. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
