Vegetable Lasagna

Impress your guests with this mouthwatering Vegetable Lasagna Recipe. Perfect for making ahead and baking before serving. It is a very filling vegetarian dish.

This vegetable lasagna recipe is inspired by one my stepmom made for my Dad’s birthday dinner. She made it in addition to the other dinner dishes, for the vegetarians who would be at the party, but it stole the show.

This recipe requires more prep time than most recipes in my repertoire, but it is definitely worth it. 45 minutes elapsed from the time I started chopping vegetables until I put the lasagna in the oven, but I had lots of help from my toddler, so you may be able to assemble everything in less time. Quite a few dishes are dirtied in the process, as well. It is one of those recipes where you will definitely want to call out to your spouse, “I cooked, so I don’t have to do the dishes”.

If you are going to serve this vegetarian lasagna to company, I recommend assembling it earlier in the day in a metal baking pan, store it in the refrigerator, and then putting it into the oven 45 minutes before you would like to serve dinner. Don’t place a cold Pyrex dish or pottery dish in a hot oven as the dish may crack or explode. By assembling it early in the day, you have plenty of time to get the prep dishes in the dishwasher, so your guests don’t walk into a dirty kitchen.

Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

This isn’t like your usual white lasagna recipe. There are lots of different layers, so the ingredient list is rather long. Don’t let this intimidate you. I intentionally broke up the directions into many small steps so you can see each layer of the lasagna as it goes together.

Ingredients:

6-8 lasagna noodles (or gluten-free noodles)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 head broccoli, finely chopped
2 carrots, julienned
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
6 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or 1/4 – 1/3 cup cornstarch
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon oregano, divided
1/2 teaspoon basil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed with liquid squeezed out
8 ounces small curd cottage cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs
4 –5 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded
3 – 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot add zucchini. Add a 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 –7 minutes. Place zucchini on a plate, but do not rinse out the pan.
2. Reheat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the large skillet adding a little more if necessary. When oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Add a 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 6 – 8 minutes; set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour (or cornstarch) then gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and add a dash or two of pepper. cook for 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture for the topping.
5. In a small bowl combine cottage and ricotta cheeses; stir well.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and coat a 9 x 13 pan with a light coat of oil.
7. Spread about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan.
   
8. Place 3- 4 lasagna noodles on top of the spinach mixture.
   
9. Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. 
10. Layer zucchini on top of ricotta mixture.
11. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the zucchini. 
12. Layer the broccoli and carrots over the cheese.
13. Spread another 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture over the vegetables.
14. Lay another 3-4 lasagna noodles over the spinach mixture.
15. Top the noodles with the reserved spinach mixture.
16. Layer the sliced tomatoes over the spinach mixture. Then sprinkle the shredded basil over the tomatoes.
17. Spread 1 – 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top of the tomatoes.
18. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

How to Store and Free Leftovers

Store any leftover Vegetable Lasagna in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To freeze the lasagna, allow it to cool.. Then store it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Thaw Frozen Lasagna

Thaw the lasagna overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Reheat Rice Lasagna

Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. For larger portions, place in a skillet or oven-safe pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes or until heated through.

Printable Recipe for Vegetable Lasagna

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Vegetable Lasagna

Impress your guests with this mouthwatering Vegetable Lasagna Recipe. Perfect for making ahead and baking before serving dinner.

Course Casserole, Dinner, Main

Cuisine American, Italian-American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Vegetable Lasagna Recipe, Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Alea

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 lasagna noodles I used rice noodles
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 2 small zucchini thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 head broccoli finely chopped
• ▢ 2 carrots julienned
• ▢ 1 large onion chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or 1/4 - 1/3 cup cornstarch
• ▢ 3 cups milk
• ▢ 1/4 cup butter
• ▢ 1 cup Parmesan cheese divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon oregano divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon basil divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon pepper divided
• ▢ 1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
• ▢ 8 ounces small curd cottage cheese
• ▢ 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 4 –5 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh basil shredded
• ▢ 3 - 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot add zucchini. Add a 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 –7 minutes. Place zucchini on a plate, but do not rinse out the pan.
• Reheat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the large skillet adding a little more if necessary. When oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Add a 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 6 - 8 minutes; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour (or cornstarch) then gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and add a dash or two of pepper. cook for 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture for the topping.
• In a small bowl combine cottage and ricotta cheeses; stir well.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and coat a 9 x 13 pan with a light coat of oil.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Place 3- 4 lasagna noodles on top of the spinach mixture.
• Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. 
• Spoon ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.
• Layer zucchini on top of ricotta mixture.
• Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the zucchini.
• Layer the broccoli and carrots over the cheese.
• Spread another 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture over the vegetables.
• Lay another 3-4 lasagna noodles over the spinach mixture.
• Top the noodles with the reserved spinach mixture.
• Layer the sliced tomatoes over the spinach mixture.
• Sprinkle the shredded basil  1 - 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top of the tomatoes.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving

More Lasagna Recipes:

Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Artichoke Lasagna Recipe

Rice Lasagna Recipe