Vegetable Lasagna is what you make when you want to load up on veggies with something that’s filling, comforting and so moreish, you don’t even think twice about it being Meat Free!
This incredible Vegetarian Lasagna is made with a creamy ricotta and spinach filling as well as layers of roasted vegetables and a homemade tomato lasagna sauce. It’s one of my favourite fridge clean out recipes because it can be made with just about any roastable veggies!
Why you’ll love this Vegetable Lasagna
It is hard to top an epic, meat lasagna made with layers of slow cooker ragu, béchamel sauce and oodles of cheese. But if there’s anything that can give it a run for its money, it’s this Vegetarian Lasagna. Here’s why you’ll love this so much:
- Roasted Vegetables – Roasting trumps stove sautéing when it comes to bringing out flavour in vegetables;
- Jar Roasted Red Peppers – with a touch of smokiness and sweetness, this is an optional extra that I love to add because it adds that extra special touch;
- Customisable – use whatever roast-able veggies you please;
- Spinach and Ricotta layer – It just takes this over the top! But it’s optional – you could easily just double up with another layer of roasted vegetables;
- Simple homemade lasagna sauce – skip the jar, this homemade tomato sauce is simple and so good!
- Cheese – goes without saying that melty cheese is all part of a great lasagna experience!
How to make Veggie Lasagna
There are a few components to putting together a Veggie Lasagna so we love that it makes a BIG batch and that it reheats 100% perfectly!
- Roast vegetables;
- Mix up ricotta and spinach;
- Make the simple tomato lasagna sauce;
- Layer the lasagna as follows:
- Smear tomato on base (to stop lasagna sheets from sliding)
- Top with lasagna sheets
- Roasted vegetables
- Some tomato pasta sauce plus cheese
- Another layer of lasagna sheets
- Spinach and ricotta filling for lasagna
- Top with lasagna sheets and pasta sauce
- Sprinkle with cheese. Ready to bake!
Vegetarian Lasagna ingredients – vegetables
Roasted Vegetables
I used pumpkin, zucchini and onion as my roasted veggies, but feel free to use whatever you have / want. Anything roastable is fine, just chop it so it cooks in the same time.
I cut mine pretty chunky because otherwise they cook too quickly in the oven – I like to roast veggies for at least 20 minutes minimum to get the maximum benefit of caramelisation.
Roasted Red Peppers
My “special ingredient” – Roasted Red Peppers! Basically, it’s capsicum / bell peppers that have been fire roasted so they have that gorgeous smokey flavour.
It’s sweet, soft and slippery and it adds an awesome extra dimension to this lasagna. Yep, I take the easy route and buy it in a jar but if you’re a keen bean, make your own!
Vegetable lasagna is sensational served fresh out of the oven, but it’s also one of those dishes that are terrific the next day. The flavour of those roasted veggies and that spinach ricotta layer develop overnight, and just a quick reheat in the microwave is all that’s required to bring it back to the original molten state.
So, fellow Carnivores. Have I convinced you to give this a go??? 😜 – Nagi x
My favourite Meat-Free Comfort Foods
- Chickpea Potato Curry – big curry flavours made with pantry staple spices!
- Cream of Vegetable Soup with Noodles
- One Pot Vegetable Pasta
- French Onion Soup
- Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto
- Browse the Vegetarian recipes collection
Vegetable Lasagna
Watch how to make it
Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make this Vegetarian Lasagna recipe!
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Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables (Note 1):
- 500 g / 1 lb pumpkin , 2cm / 4/5" cubes
- 2 large zucchinis , cut into 2cm / 4/5" chunks
- 2 onions (any type) , cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- Salt and pepper
Spinach Ricotta:
- 250 g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach , thawed
- 500 g / 1 lb ricotta (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup / 50 g grated parmesan (or 3/4 cup shredded cheese)
- 1 egg
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg, optional (fresh or powder)
- 1/2 tsp each Salt and pepper
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small onion , finely chopped (any, I use brown)
- 700 g / 24 oz tomato passata (Note 3)
- 400 g / 14 oz crushed tomato
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml water
- 3/4 tsp each dried thyme and oregano (or basil, parsley)
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (can omit / adjust to taste)
- Salt and pepper
Lasagna:
- 330g / 11 oz jar roasted red pepper strips, drained (Note 4)
- 375 g / 13 oz fresh lasagne sheets (Note 5)
- 300 g / 3 cups shredded mozzarella (or MORE!)
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
- Place vegetables on the tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper. Toss.
- Roast for 25 minutes, turning at 15 minutes, until tender and browned.
- Remove from oven, loosen from tray with spatula while warm (can stick when cools).
Sauce:
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until golden.
- Add passata, crushed tomato, water, dried herbs, chilli, salt and pepper. Stir. Simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes. Adjust salt at the end. *Add a teeny touch of sugar if it's a bit sour, depends on quality of tomatoes used.*
- Remove from stove and let cool for 5 minutes before using.
Ricotta Mixture:
- Place ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.
Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 160C/320F.
- Spread a ladle of tomato sauce on the base of a large baking dish (Note 5).
- Cover with lasagna sheets, tearing as required to fit.
- Top with roasted vegetables, scatter over red peppers. Spoon over 2 1/2 cups of Sauce, then sprinkle with half the cheese.
- Cover with lasagna sheets. Spread over Ricotta mixture.
- Cover with lasagna sheets. Pour over remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden. If using dried lasagna sheets, stick a knife in the middle to ensure it's cooked - if it needs longer, cover and stick it back in the oven.
- Rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Store leftovers per notes - brilliant reheated!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This Vegetarian Lasagna recipe was originally published February 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!
Life of Dozer
Whenever I go away, I never pack until the night before. Because the sight of a suitcase reduces Dozer to this:
Wow this is a total hit – I made it with spinach wraps instead of the lasagna sheets – SO SO good 😊.
I also included potato in the roast veggies and used fresh spinach instead of frozen. YOWZA!
Sounds like you nailed it Mar!
I can’t wait to try this! Just wondering if a big bag of baby spinach would work instead of the frozen spinach?
Hi Rachel, you’d need quite a lot to get the same amount as frozen, you’d also need to wilt it down and drain the excess moisture – N x
I am enjoying the leftovers now after making this lasagne for friends last night. YUM! This lasagne has been on high rotation since I discovered this recipe- so tasty. I’m also living your Beef Stroganoff and Pork Carnitas Nagi, and looking forward to trying out more if your recipes. 👌
That’s great to hear Karla!
I’m making this dish the day before. Should I just put it together or can I cook and then reheat?????
Hi Margie, I’d just cook it completely then reheat to serve – N x
Can this be assembled the day before and then cooked the next day ?
Sure can Anne!
Made this yesterday and it turned out so good! Thank you for sharing. Definitely will become a regular in our house
Woot! I’m so happy it was a hit Jemma ❤️
I made this months ago and absolutely loved it! We are having meat loving guests for dinner on Saturday. If I wanted to add some high quality hamburger, how much should I add or would it taste awful?! 🙂
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad you loved it! I’m not quite sure I understand the next request though!
I just pulled this out of the oven! Can’t wait to try it at work tomorrow! Strangely enough, I followed all your instructions to the letter, hunted around Woollies for my roasted capsicum, rather generously layered my things, and I have leftovers of all the layers! Not enough to make another whole one, unfortunately (I couldn’t stop mysef from picking at the veggies while they sat in their roasting tray), but enough to make me consider making wonky cannelloni with the bits and pieces with leftover pasta sheets. Thank you for yet another cracker of a recipe, Nagi! I’m slowly but surely working my way through as many as I can
I have the SAME problem every single time!!
Hi Nagi….. I am a huge fan of yours. I always get some raving comments on the food I make from your recipes. On this one…what can I substite the egg with? Thanks much x
Hi Kamini you could just leave it out if you wanted to – N x
I liked the sound and look of this recipe though didn’t think it would taste as good as it actually. My husband is Italian and a big critic on lasagna and he even approved. Will 100% make again.
Woah that’s a great thing to hear Sally!
I made this tonight for Friday dinner during Lent & we absolutely loved it! I will make again ❤️
Awesome Carolyn!
I have 2 questions for you. What is the difference between raw sugar and brown sugar and are they interchangeable in cooking? Secondly can you explain what you mean by broiling as opposed to baking or grilling. Thanks.
Hi Annie, Raw and brown sugar are very different. Raw sugar is unrefined whereas brown sugar has molasses added to it, so technically they aren’t interchangeable. Broiling is similar to grilling, it’s essentially putting something under a high heat. Whereas baking is a heat source that surrounds the item rather than directional heat ❤️
Hi Nagi, I have just made your meat lasagna (lovely) and have left over sheets. Can the vegetarian lasagna be frozen?
Hi Julie, yes it definitely can!
Thank you Nagi, I have made this recipe again and received very positive comments.
Simple and easy steps to follow with a very taste result.
That’s awesome Susan!
I made this tonight with butternut squash, zucchini, and sweet potatoes…it was yummy!
Yessss sounds fabulous Nisha!
Made this last night…it was very, very tasty. I used frozen cubed butternut squash, which when thawed was too wet and goopy to brown properly in the oven. Won’t use that again! For those of you unfamiliar with the metric system, a 2 cm cube (chopping directions) is about 0.8 inch.
I’m so glad you loved it anyway Janet!