Vegetarian Lasagna

An image of a slice of vegetable lasagna being scooped out of the baking dish.

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 55

Total Time: 1 20

Servings:

Calories: 711kcal

Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

This easy and delicious vegetable lasagna is meatless and is made with layers of pasta, ricotta cheese, and roasted vegetables. It's a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables!

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Ingredients

For the vegetable sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz white button mushrooms sliced
1 medium eggplant cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium zucchini cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium carrot diced
1 medium yellow onion chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cloves garlic minced
5 oz baby spinach
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the lasagna:

8 oz no-boil lasagna noodles about 6–8 sheets
12 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
¼ cup fresh basil chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Make the vegetable sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
Add mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, carrot, onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until vegetables are softened and golden at the edges, 10–12 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add spinach in batches, stirring until each batch wilts before adding more, about 3 minutes total.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, black pepper, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if sauce starts to stick. Remove from heat.

Assemble and bake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spread about ½ cup vegetable sauce on the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish.
Layer 2–3 lasagna noodles over the sauce, trimming to fit as needed.
Spread one-third of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Dollop one-third of the ricotta in spoonfuls over the sauce. Sprinkle with about ¾ cup mozzarella. Repeat layers twice more: noodles, sauce, ricotta dollops, mozzarella.
For the top layer, add final noodles, remaining sauce, remaining ricotta dollops, and remaining mozzarella.
Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes more, until cheese is melted and bubbling. For a browned top, broil on low for 2–3 minutes (watch carefully).
Let rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Notes

Don't skip the resting time—it lets the lasagna set up so slices hold together.
Dolloping the ricotta (rather than spreading) creates pockets of creamy cheese throughout.
Cover with foil for the first part of baking to ensure noodles cook through, then uncover to brown the top.
If the sauce seems dry, add a splash of water—no-boil noodles need moisture to cook properly.

Storage: Refrigerate covered up to 5 days; freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating: Oven at 350°F, covered with foil, for 20–30 minutes until heated through; microwave works for individual portions

Nutrition