I love this vegetable lasagna recipe so much! It’s been on rotation in our house for years! I’ve made it so many times for friends, and I can always count on at least someone asking for the recipe. It’s that good. We make our veggie lasagna from scratch, which is easier than you might think. I use zucchini and summer squash in our photos, but you can always substitute other veggies. If you love this veggie filling, try our veggie spaghetti recipe inspired by this lasagna.
Key Ingredients
Lasagna noodles: Make this vegetable lasagna with cooked regular noodles or no-boil noodles. I love no-boil noodles for their convenience! Some of our readers use regular lasagna noodles but add them to the lasagna without boiling them first. I prefer the thinner, no-boil noodles, but use what you love. Veggies: This lasagna needs 4 to 5 cups of chopped vegetables. I use zucchini, summer squash, and a jar of roasted red peppers, but you can swap or add different veggies based on what you love. I’ve listed a few suggestions in the variations section below. Canned crushed tomatoes: Make the base of our homemade tomato sauce (it only takes 20 minutes to make). Ricotta cheese: Creates our creamy cheese layer between the lasagna noodles and veggies. I love to use high-quality whole milk ricotta like BelGioioso, Sorrento, or fresh ricotta. Cottage cheese is a great substitute if you do not enjoy ricotta cheese. Mozzarella and parmesan cheese: Make our vegetable lasagna extra delicious. For a vegetarian lasagna, leave out the parmesan cheese. Eggs: Help firm up the cheese layer. For egg-free lasagna, leave them out. The final result will still taste great, but the ricotta layer will be softer.
How to Make the Best Vegetable Lasagna
Making our easy veggie lasagna is quicker than you might think. First, make our homemade veggie sauce. Cook onions until soft in olive oil, then add garlic, red pepper flakes (for heat), and veggies. Add crushed tomatoes and roasted red peppers, then simmer until the veggies are tender, and stir in fresh basil. We still want the vegetables to have a little crunch since they will continue to cook in the oven. For the cheesy layer, stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, and a bit of salt. Then get ready to assemble! I start with the vegetable sauce on the bottom and add noodles, ricotta, shredded cheese, and another layer of noodles. Repeat this to have 3 layers of noodles, and finish with sauce and extra shredded cheese on top. If you wanted a slightly different spin on this recipe, try our veggie lasagna roll-ups, which use the same lasagna filling. When baking veggie lasagna, I cover it with foil for the first 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese on top is melty and golden brown. It bakes for about 35 minutes in total. Before serving, make sure you leave it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes so that the middle firms up a bit.
Veggie Lasagna Recipe Variations
I absolutely love this meatless lasagna recipe! It’s so flexible based on what’s fresh or what I already have. Remember, you’ll need 4 to 5 cups of chopped veggies. In our photos and video, we use zucchini, summer squash, and roasted red peppers, but I have listed a few more ideas (for lasagna made with meat, see our ultimate homemade lasagna):
Mushrooms: chopped or torn into small pieces Greens: spinach, kale or other greens (we also have this spinach lasagna) Winter squash: chopped butternut or delicata or roasted squash are perfect for fall. Carrots: chopped or shredded Bell peppers: fresh or roasted (I love adding roasted red peppers) Eggplant: cut into cubes or use roasted eggplant.
What to Serve with Vegetable Lasagna
I love serving this lasagna with a simple salad. Toss your favorite fresh salad ingredients into a bowl (I love baby lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes). Then, drizzle over your favorite salad dressing. My family’s favorites include homemade Italian dressing, simple Caesar dressing, or this balsamic vinaigrette. We also love siding this veggie-packed lasagna with a slice of classic garlic bread, cheesy garlic bread, or this homemade focaccia. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup (140g) chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 to 4 cloves 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces One (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 heaping cup 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes Generous handful fresh basil leaves, chopped One (15-oz) container ricotta cheese or cottage cheese 2 large eggs 2 ounces (60g) parmesan cheese, grated, about 2/3 cup 8 ounces (230g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded, about 2 cups Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 2Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet with sides over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. 3Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, zucchini, yellow squash, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened but still have some crunch, another 5 to 8 minutes. 4Stir in the roasted red peppers and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the liquid has thickened and reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the basil and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. 2Toss the parmesan cheese with the mozzarella. Set aside. 2Spread half of your ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with a third of your parmesan and mozzarella. Top this with a third of the remaining vegetable sauce. 3Add another layer of four noodles. Spread the rest of your ricotta mixture and half of the remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Top this with half of your remaining vegetable sauce. 4Add a final layer of noodles and the rest of your vegetable sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. 5Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then, uncover it and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is crusty around the edges. 6For a golden-brown cheesy top, broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
