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Home Vegetarian Recipes

Vegetarian Lasagna

By:Nagi
Published:21 Feb '19Updated:21 Sep '22
344 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Close up of a slice of Vegetable Lasagna on a white plate, ready to be eaten

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!

A piece of Vegetarian Lasagna being scooped out of a casserole dish, fresh out of the oven.

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:

    1. Smear tomato on base (to stop lasagna sheets from sliding)

    2. Top with lasagna sheets

    3. Roasted vegetables

    4. Some tomato pasta sauce plus cheese

    5. Another layer of lasagna sheets

    6. Spinach and ricotta filling for lasagna

    7. Top with lasagna sheets and pasta sauce

    8. Sprinkle with cheese. Ready to bake!

How to make Vegetarian Lasagna

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!

Roasted Vegetables and Chargrilled Peppers for Vegetarian Lasagna

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

  • Pasta alla Norma

  • Browse the Vegetarian recipes collection

A wonderful Vegetarian Lasagna with layers of roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, and a spinach ricotta filling. www.recipetineats.com

Vegetarian Lasagna on a white plate, ready to be eaten

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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A piece of Vegetarian Lasagna being scooped out of a casserole dish, fresh out of the oven.

Vegetable Lasagna

Author: Nagi
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Mains
Western
4.97 from 121 votes
Servings8 - 12 people
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe VIDEO above. Layered with roasted vegetables, spinach and ricotta, a homemade sauce and as much cheese as you see fit, this big batch vegetarian lasagna reheats brilliantly. Epic meat-free food for carnivores! 

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:

1. Veggies - feel free to use any vegetables you want, just cut them so they roast in around 20 to 25 minutes. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, squash are some I've used in the past.
Pumpkin: 600g/1.2lb unpeeled weight.
2. Ricotta - It's best to get ricotta over the counter at the deli, even at supermarkets, rather than buying in tubs unless it's a brand you know is good like Paesanella. Harris Farms brand ricotta is also good. I find ricotta in tubs at supermarkets is typically grainy and kind of powdery - even the "big" brands (like Perfect Italiano).
3. Tomato passata is pureed tomato, just plain tomato with no flavourings. It is so good for making sauces like this because it's smooth even without cooking it down for ages ie no tomato lumps. It comes in tall bottles and is better value than canned tomato (by weight). Found in the pasta aisle of supermarkets in Australia - it's becoming increasingly popular. I like to use a combination of passata and crushed tomato for for texture and flavour.
If you can't find passata, use the same weight of crushed tomato.
America - if you can't find tomato passata, use Tomato Puree or what you call Tomato Sauce.
4. Roasted Red Peppers - optional, adds sweetness and extra flavour dimension. I use Always Fresh. You could just add chopped capsicum / bell peppers to the roasted vegetables.
5. LASAGNA SHEETS: I like using fresh lasagne sheets sold in the fridge section. If you can only get dried, use No Boil sheets for convenience, or if required pre cooking, cook the lasagna sheets per the packet directions.
If using dried instant / No Boil lasagne sheets, add an extra 1/2 cup of water into your sauce (because the lasagne sheets absorb liquid while cooking). Note, sometimes dried instant lasagna sheets usually end up with a buckled surface, but doesn't affect flavour.
I prefer fresh lasagna because it doesn't absorb liquid while cooking so the lasagna stays really nice and saucy. 
SUB: Believe it or not, tortillas make an excellent substitute for lasagna sheets! Ideal gluten free option - use corn tortillas.
6. My baking pan is 33 x 22 x 7 cm / 13 x 9 x 2.5".
7. STORAGE: This keeps so well in both the fridge and freezer. Cool before covering, then refrigerate or freeze. Defrost before warming. I just reheat in the microwave, but you can also reheat in the oven.
Make ahead: Best way is to assemble then refrigerate or freeze, then bake (defrosted) when required per recipe.
8. Nutrition per serving, assuming 10 servings. 

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 524cal (26%)Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)Protein: 27g (54%)Fat: 25g (38%)Saturated Fat: 12g (75%)Cholesterol: 121mg (40%)Sodium: 1175mg (51%)Potassium: 996mg (28%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 11g (12%)Vitamin A: 6390IU (128%)Vitamin C: 30.4mg (37%)Calcium: 475mg (48%)Iron: 4.7mg (26%)
Keywords: Vegetable Lasagna, Vegetarian Lasagna
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

This Vegetarian Lasagna recipe was originally published February 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!

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344 Comments

  1. Victoria says

    November 27, 2022 at 4:16 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you Nagi, another great dish.
    As we are only 3 – I made 2 smaller dishes. One for the freezer and one for dinner tonight.

    Reply
  2. Jo Butler says

    November 22, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    5 stars
    Another cracker of a dish. My 11yo likes having meat free meals a couple of times a week. This one has made him very happy. Yum!

    Reply
  3. Dana says

    November 7, 2022 at 11:25 pm

    5 stars
    Made your veggie lasagna for company yesterday for many. Followed the recipe but already had my own sauce frozen so used that & added an extra layer with eggplant. Everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing another great recipe! Btw love those videos of Dozer waiting for a tasting of whatever your cooking!

    Reply
  4. Maria says

    September 30, 2022 at 12:56 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe. I used fresh silverbeet and spinach from the garden (500g) which I chopped finely and sauteed in a little oil before assembling the lasagna. A little time consuming but definitely worth it! And left overs for lunch the next day were just as delicious. 😋

    Reply
  5. Kristy says

    August 22, 2022 at 8:59 pm

    5 stars
    I loved it with eggplant and fresh capsicum (I left out the roasted). The warmth of the chilli flakes is mild but noticeable. Yummy!

    Reply
  6. Anne says

    August 7, 2022 at 11:38 am

    5 stars
    My meat lasagna is well loved by the family, however, my daughter has declared that this is better!! Great recipe

    Reply
  7. Kay says

    July 26, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    Hi need some help here please , if I use only 2litres of full cream milk to make the ricotta would I then use less spinach as I’ve read 2 litres don’t make up to 500 g so prob be lots less would that still taste nice or be lacking liquid & of course I need to know whether I’d use still 250 g frozen spinach , j want to make this up 2moro do I hope I get a reply soon thanks

    Reply
  8. Kath R says

    July 10, 2022 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    My husband loves this lasagne and he is very much a meat person! I made mine a bit lower in carbs and dairy by omitting the pasta sheets on the bottom and cheese over the veggies (as the cheese on the veggies doesn’t seem to melt easily when reheating). I did though add some milk to the ricotta layer to make it more runny, and I always use 500g frozen spinach.

    Reply
  9. Jessica says

    June 8, 2022 at 9:10 pm

    Hi Nagi – looking at cooking this for a friend who is allergic to eggs. Can you omit the egg from the spinach and ricotta mix or use something else as a substitute? Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Emma says

    June 8, 2022 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    Not a huge fan of vegetarian lasagna as it can be a bit watery and flavorless, but this is definitely the best lasagna I’ve ever made! The roasted vegetables are crisp and tasty and with the sweetness of the pumpkin (or sweet potato which I subbed), the smokiness from the roasted peppers and the creamy spinach ricotta the flavor and texture combo is perfect. Hands down the best and will be making it for my mom’s 70th tomorrow!

    Reply
  11. Emma says

    June 8, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    Not a huge fan of vegetarian lasagna as it can be a bit watery and flavorless, but this is definitely the best lasagna I’ve ever made! The roasted vegetables are crisp and tasty and with the sweetness of the pumpkin (or sweet potato which I subbed), the smokiness from the roasted peppers and the creamy spinach ricotta the flavor and texture combo is perfect. Hands down the best and will be making it for my mom’s 70th tomorrow!

    Reply
  12. Grace says

    May 18, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    Oh man – this exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t that excited to make it, but needed some more veggie options for the week and this was so good. My husband went back for seconds and asked for the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I used sweet potato, eggplant, zuchinni and capsicum and it was delicious. I definitely needed to add sugar, which I forgot to do, but thankfully the sweet potato alleviated the sourness of the passata!

    Reply
  13. jacqueline says

    March 27, 2022 at 7:59 pm

    5 stars
    A new family favourite!
    Even the ‘meat eaters’ went back for seconds.
    I will definitely be adding this delicious recipe to my repertoire.
    Nagi nails it again!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 28, 2022 at 3:48 pm

      Thanks Jacqueline!! N x

      Reply
  14. Claudia says

    March 20, 2022 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    This was my first vegetarian lasagna. A great recipe and amazing flavor. One thing I will do differently next time is buy the fresh lasagna sheets. I used the no-boil dried type and put the lasagna in, forgetting I needed to cover it and cook longer to fully cook the pasta. After 25 minutes, I placed aluminum foil on it and it took another 30 minutes for the pasta to reach al dente. But it still tasted delish, just took longer.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2022 at 10:13 pm

      I am happy that you enjoyed it Claudia! N x

      Reply
  15. Nick says

    March 10, 2022 at 5:04 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,

    How would I go about substituting frozen spinach with fresh? What would be the amount of fresh spinach that would render the right amount for this recipe?

    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 11, 2022 at 10:29 am

      I have found that 500 grams of fresh spinach should yield 250 grams when wilted! N x

      Reply
  16. Tamara says

    March 9, 2022 at 11:48 am

    Hi Nagi
    This recipe looks fantastic, but this time I am wanting to incorporate a bechamel/white/cheese sauce to satisfy a craving. Do you have any suggestions on how I could do this? I am thinking maybe removing the spinach and ricotta layer and doing two layers of the roasted veg, and layer the white sauce on these? Or will this remove the lasagna’s structural integrity haha? Thank you.

    Reply
  17. Ainsley says

    March 7, 2022 at 11:20 am

    Hi Nagi, could I do the unspeakable here and use a few jars of pasta sauce (instead of make my own)?! On a tight timeframe mid-week and looking for a shortcut x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 7, 2022 at 12:47 pm

      Hi Ainsley – it would be much better if you make a single or double batch of my Napoli sauce and keep that on hand in the freezer for quicker midweek meals (just thaw in the microwave or overnight in the fridge!) Recipe here in my Malfatti recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/malfatti-italian-spinach-ricotta-dumplings/#wprm-recipe-container-64484

      Reply
  18. Sally says

    March 4, 2022 at 6:40 am

    This beats my old ‘go to’ vegetarian lasagne hands down – no contest! Roasting the vegetables is such a brilliant flavour improvement. Plus the big batch allows me to freeze portions for future meals – love it! I can’t wait to try this one out on my friends. Thank you Nagi!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 4, 2022 at 12:50 pm

      I am so happy you enjoyed it Sally! N x

      Reply
  19. Brian says

    March 1, 2022 at 10:37 pm

    5 stars
    Without doubt the best vegetarian lasagne recipe I’ve made yet. Even my teenagers, who were “can I have a small portion, I’m not very hungry” before I served it, came back for seconds. A big hit with three generations of my family.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 2, 2022 at 5:59 pm

      Thanks Brian – I am happy you enjoyed it! N x

      Reply
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