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!
-
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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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:
Jo Butler says
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!
Dana says
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!
MichelleS says
Its so nice when my family also enjoys vegetarian versions of things so we can all eat teh same meal!! Roasting the veggies makes it!! (I roast pumpkin and zucchini in the air fryer first)
Maria says
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. 😋
Kristy says
I loved it with eggplant and fresh capsicum (I left out the roasted). The warmth of the chilli flakes is mild but noticeable. Yummy!
Tess says
I absolutely love this recipe and it is absolutely true – meat eaters aren’t concerned about the lack of meat because it’s just so filling, full of flavour and ridiculously delicious. Very highly recommended. This is my third time making the recipe and cannot get enough. So good!!! THANK YOU.
Anne says
My meat lasagna is well loved by the family, however, my daughter has declared that this is better!! Great recipe
Kay says
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
Sharon says
This recipe is a keeper, the best veggie lasagna, so tasty. Because it is just my husband and I, I made up four foil serving dishes, and only baked the one tonight. I’m thrilled to have three more delicious meals in the deep freeze for another day .
Kath R says
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.
Rachel Samuel says
Do you simmer the sauce with the lid on or off?
Julie says
Fantastic veg lasagne! My family love it. It’s now become one of our go to veg meals. Our weekly average is now 4 veg meals. Result!
Nikita says
Absolutely delicious!! It was so flavorsome and definitely the best lasagna I have ever made. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks Nagi!
Kylie says
This lasagne is next level! I couldn’t find our smaller measuring spoons so just used 1/2 tsp each of herbs. And it was a lot so I was able to make a larger and a smaller dish, so can freeze one AND will have leftovers from the larger one. Nagi’s recipes have never let me down and this is no exception.
grace says
absolutely delicious!! Best vegetarian lasagna I have made. I also added a few dollops of pesto throughout 🙂
Jessica says
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!
Emma says
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!
Emma says
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!
Grace says
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!
jacqueline says
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!
Nagi says
Thanks Jacqueline!! N x