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This vegetarian lasagna recipe is a fun twist on classic lasagna. It’s so good even meat lovers will want seconds.
Table of Contents
Best vegetable lasagna recipe
Lasagna is made up of a few basic components: standard lasagna noodles, which are flat and wavy on the edges; the marinara sauce, which can be with or without meat; the cheese on top; and most importantly, the creamy ricotta cheese inside.
I had no idea the impact that ricotta cheese makes on this dish. When following past lasagna recipes, I always bought a tub of ricotta at the grocery.
Sometimes, I even tried using cottage cheese (it was a low-fat recipe). For some reason, I just wasn’t impressed.
Recently, I learned that you could make your own ricotta cheese at home. Oh it’s the little things that get me so excited. While the cheese was forming, it was time to make the sauce.
Homemade tomato sauce is so easy. Sauté some onion and garlic; throw in some fresh tomatoes and let the tomatoes break down. Season with fresh basil, salt, pepper, and a little sugar and finish it off with some nice red wine. I went with a 2009 Bordeaux. In 30 minutes, you’ll have really fresh, authentic sauce.
Since I wasn’t making a meat lasagna, I grabbed my favorite meaty vegetable, cremini mushrooms. I sautéed them in some butter, added some spinach and more red wine and let that reduce until the spinach was wilted.
The next dilemma was the noodle. You could make them from scratch, too, but I cheated. The first time I made this recipe, I boiled some whole-wheat lasagna noodles and they were fabulous. The second time I made it, I used the noodles that you can put in the pan without boiling. I didn’t care for them as much.
This vegetarian lasagna takes about 30 minutes to make, including the sauce, cheese, and mushroom filling and another 35 minutes in the oven. And unlike the red box that stalks me in the grocery, I know that this meal is healthy for my family, and by gosh, it’s made with homemade ricotta cheese. How many people can say they’ve made homemade ricotta cheese? If you follow this recipe, you can! And your family won’t miss the meat.
Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tbls lemon juice
- 3 tbls olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 10 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbls fresh basil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 3 tbls butter
- 3 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Ricotta Cheese
- Boil: Bring the milk and cream to a boil. Add lemon juice and let curdle.
- Pour: Place a piece of cheesecloth over a mesh sieve and place it over a bowl. Pour the liquid into the cheesecloth and let it set for 30 minutes.
Tomato Sauce
- Saute: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the basil, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, sugar and 1/2 cup wine. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
Mushroom-Spinach Filling
- Simmer: Heat the butter in a pot. Add the mushrooms and sauté, until tender. Add the spinach, 1/4 cup red wine and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Assemble
- Layer: The first layer is noodles. You should be able to fit three in a 13 x 9 pan.
- Spread: Then, spread half of your homemade tomato sauce onto the noodles.
- Layer: Add another layer of three noodles.
- Spread: Now, spread your homemade ricotta cheese on top. You won’t believe how the milk and cream turned to cheese in just 30 minutes. And, you’ll totally lick the spoon when you’re done because the cheese is so good.
- Spread: On top of the cheese, spread on the mushroom and spinach mixture.
- Layer: Then, layer on three more noodles.
- Spread: Spread on the remaining half of the tomato sauce.
- Top: Finish it all off with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. If you use the hard noodles, you’ll need to cover the dish with foil. If you boiled your noodles, you don’t need foil.
- Bake: Bake 25 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
- Melt: Then, in the last 10 minutes, crank up the heat to 450 degrees, and let that cheese get all nice and bubbly.
- Rest: Let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for vegetarian lasagna
- Whole milk: Typically found in the dairy section. Used to make the homemade ricotta cheese.
- Heavy cream: Also found in the dairy section. Used to make the homemade ricotta cheese.
- Lemon juice: Often in the produce section. Used to make homemade ricotta cheese.
- Olive oil: Usually in the oil and condiments aisle. Used for sautéing vegetables and adding flavor.
- Garlic cloves: Found in the produce section. Adds aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Onion: Available in the produce section. Provides a savory base for the sauce.
- Roma tomatoes: In the produce section. Forms the base of a fresh tomato sauce.
- Fresh basil: Often in the fresh herbs section. Adds a fragrant and herby flavor.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar: Found in the baking aisle. Balances acidity in the tomato sauce.
- Red wine: Usually in the alcohol section. Adds depth and richness to the sauce.
- Butter: In the dairy section. Adds richness to the mushroom and spinach filling.
- Cremini mushrooms: In the produce section. Creates a hearty, meaty layer in the lasagna.
- Spinach: In the fresh produce section. Adds freshness and nutritional value.
- Lasagna noodles: Typically in the pasta aisle. Forms the layers of the lasagna.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Usually in the cheese section. Adds a savory, cheesy flavor.
- Grated mozzarella cheese: Also in the cheese section. Provides gooey, melty goodness to the lasagna.
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make this easy vegetable lasagna recipe
- Boil: Bring the milk and cream to a boil. Add lemon juice and let curdle.
- Pour: Place a piece of cheesecloth over a mesh sieve and place it over a bowl. Pour the liquid into the cheesecloth and let it set for 30 minutes.
- Saute: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the basil, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, sugar and 1/2 cup wine. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Simmer: Heat the butter in a pot. Add the mushrooms and sauté, until tender. Add the spinach, 1/4 cup red wine and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
✔️ PRO TIP
Boil lasagna noodles ahead of time to save time.
- Layer: The first layer is noodles. You should be able to fit three in a 13 x 9 pan.
- Spread: Then, spread half of your homemade tomato sauce onto the noodles.
- Layer: Add another layer of three noodles.
- Spread: Now, spread your homemade ricotta cheese mixture on top of the lasagna. You won’t believe how the milk and cream turned to cheese in just 30 minutes. And you’ll totally lick the spoon when you’re done because the cheese is so good.
- Spread: On top of the cheese, spread on the mushroom and spinach mixture.
- Layer: Then, layer on three more noodles.
- Spread: Spread on the remaining sauce.
- Top: Finish it all off with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. If you use the hard noodles, you’ll need to cover the dish with aluminum foil. If you boiled your noodles, you don’t need foil.
- Bake: Bake for 25 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
- Melt: Then, in the last 10 minutes, crank up the heat to 450F and let that cheese get all bubbly and golden brown.
- Rest: Let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes before serving.
How to serve this veggie lasagna recipe
Serve up this delicious lasagna with a salad with Caesar dressing and a side of rosemary bread.
Storage
Leftover vegetarian lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can freeze baked and unbaked lasagna for up to 3 months. For unbaked, make the lasagna up until the point of baking, wrap in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. For baked lasagna, wrap it in foil and freeze it for up to 3 months once it’s cooled down after baking.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Place your leftover lasagna in an oven-safe dish.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until warm.
You can also pop it in the microwave and heat it up for at least 1 minute, adding 30-second intervals until warm. Just make sure to cover your lasagna with a paper towel or paper plate to prevent it from getting sauce all over your microwave.
Yes. Some great options would be bell peppers or yellow squash. These blend well with the other flavors in this lasagna.
We just had a fresh batch made by none other than Christie and I highly recommend it. Was very good and you would not know it had no meat. , 5 stars for sure.
I love the idea of making vegetable lasagna with a red, tomato based sauce. Most veggie version are with a white alfredo-like sauce which is very heavy. If you’re going to eat veggie lasagna , shouldn’t it be lighter or as light as it’s meaty cousin? Nicely done!
Thanks Jackie.