Best Vegetable Lasagna
Seriously the best veggie lasagna! This meatless lasagna recipe is packed with bell pepper, zucchini and carrots, sautéed until golden on the edges.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
I set out to create the best vegetable lasagna recipe. Here it is! This vegetarian lasagna is cheesy (of course), and loaded with vegetables, spinach and a simple tomato sauce.
If you have any meatless-meal skeptics in your life, this lasagna will change their mind. I’m sure of it.
This lasagna is based on my spinach artichoke lasagna on the blog and the roasted eggplant lasagna in my cookbook. I love those less-conventional vegetarian lasagnas.
Yet, I wanted to offer a classic vegetable lasagna suitable for holidays and weeknights, and this is it. The tomato sauce is the same across all three recipes, but the vegetables vary.
For this recipe, you’ll chop bell pepper, zucchini and carrot into very small pieces and sauté them until they’re nice and golden on the edges. That caramelization brings out so much more flavor. Then, add spinach to the skillet and cooked it down for a few minutes so it doesn’t get too soggy.
The Best Vegetable Lasagna
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- You can easily adjust the vegetables to suit the seasons or your pantry (see recipe notes).
- The sauce is made from scratch with basic ingredients. It only takes a few minutes to make.
- Use no-boil noodles and you don’t have to bother cooking them. Just layer them up!
- I recommend cottage cheese instead of ricotta, which has more protein and flavor (trust me).
- You can even make this recipe gluten free and/or vegan. See the recipe notes for details.
The end result is a super flavorful, nutrient-dense, veggie-packed lasagna. This lasagna might not be the quickest weeknight option around, but it is a reasonably simple recipe that will absolutely satisfy your comfort food cravings.
Enjoy, and please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
Craving more vegetable-packed casseroles? Here are more of my favorites:
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Lentil Baked Ziti
- Better Broccoli Casserole
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Watch How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
Best Vegetable Lasagna
Seriously the best veggie lasagna! This lasagna recipe is packed with bell pepper, zucchini and carrots, sautéed until golden and tender on the edges. Recipe yields one 9-inch lasagna, enough for 8 slices.
Ingredients
Veggies and spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Remaining ingredients
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles*
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.
- Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
- Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
- Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 15 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.
- Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.
Notes
*Lasagna noodle recommendations: I like to use DeLallo’s Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (affiliate link) and Whole Foods’ 365 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles. See below for gluten-free suggestions.
Change it up: Feel free to play around with the vegetables here. You’ll want to use about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding the onion). Mushrooms or butternut squash might be nice!
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles. Choose no-boil (oven ready) noodles if possible; if not, cook them according to package directions. (Fair warning, I tried using DeBoles brand of no-bake lasagna noodles and they weren’t done cooking in the time specified here. Reheated leftovers were ok, though.)
Make it dairy free/vegan: Double the recipe for my vegan sour cream (also available in my cookbook, page 217) and use 2 cups instead of the cottage cheese. Skip the step where you would blend the cottage cheese and just barely blend the spinach/veggies into the sour cream. Omit the mozzarella and use all of the tomato sauce for the final layer. Serve the lasagna with a dollop of additional sour cream on top or, better yet, my basil pesto.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This recipe is amazing! I see people complaining about the chopping but I don’t mind it. Plus it says best veggie lasagna, not fast veggie lasagna so ♀️
I get compliments every time I make this for dinner from my husband and kids alike! It is also one of my favorite meals to drop off when someone is sick or recently had a baby. So nourishing!
Thank you for sharing, Sarah! I appreciate your review.
Do you have a white sauce vegetarian lasagna recipe?
I don’t yet, sorry!
Loved this recipe! Sometimes I don’t want to eat meat, other times I know we have tons of veggies in the fridge that will go bad soon. I work from home and meal prep is essential. Thanks Kate!
Thank you for your review, Kai!
We have a robust garden and I wanted to try making a veggie lasagna but the ones I’ve eaten in the past have been watered down and bland, making me hesitant to go through the labor of trying it. This recipe rocked my world. This lasagna is popping with flavor and fun to make. I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow where I can eat some more. Many thanks for this and bravo!
You’re welcome, Erin! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I think this is my fave veg lasagne recipe. Thank you so much for your kind generosity. After this particular one comes out of the oven, I’m going to post it on Instagram.
You’re welcome, Donna! I appreciate your review.
Veggie lasagna is the best meal prepped ahead of time, frozen and reheated. I love making a huge batch and then freezing individual portions to pull out for a satisfying meal! I like this recipe, and I use a jar sauce if I want to make it faster
Any recommendations on best reheating method?
Love this recipe. I will surely make it again. I only had enough cheese and sauce for 2 layers but I used 4 noodles per layer. Was great and hearty.
That’s great to hear, Ann!
This is literally THE BEST vegetable lasagna. We’ve made it several times. It’s perfect!
Great to hear, Marie!
This sounds wonderful! Can I make ahead and freeze? If so, should I cook it first? Thank you!
Hi Jane! I believe others have made and froze not minding the results. I find it does release some water once frozen and then reheated.
Does that mean that cooked it before or after freezing?
This is seriously the best veggie lasagna recipe! I’ve been using it for years! It’s a process, but the end result is worth it! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Harry!
I’ve never made vegie lasagne before but my step daughter came for Easter (from England to Australia) and as she is vegetarian, I thought I would give this a go. What a winner. We all loved it and it was so easy to make. I came back on today to find the recipe to make again – and whilst I was here, leave a comment for your amazing recipe. thank you
You’re welcome, Ali! I’m delighted it was a hit.
This really is the best vegetable lasagna I’ve ever eaten! I left out the bell peppers, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly as written. It’s so good; everybody who ate it loved it. I’ll be making it for years!
That’s great to hear, Stacy! I appreciate your review.
I make this alllllll the time and everyone who tries it is obsessed. Wondering if anyone has tried it without blending some of the veggies and what the results were!
Thank you for your review, Claire! I appreciate your review.
My first time ever to make Lasagne. I don’t know why, but I always thought, it was too complicated. This was so easy and fun! I have tried a bunch of #CookieandKate recipes and they are all amazing! I don’t tend to stick very strictly to recipes, and this recipe also worked well with my way of cooking.
I whipped this together within 40 minutes, the amount of time my teenage daughter gave me before she was heading out to her next event…
I am not a big fan of tomatoe sauce, so I used a small amount of prepared tomato sauce, added a small can of diced tomatoes and mixed a good amount of ricotta cheese into the sauce, because that’s what I had in the fridge. Also, I did not have spinach, but used the veggies, garlic and onions that I had and sautéed it all together (carrots, zucchini and broccoli).
The no-cook lasagne leafs worked perfectly well.
I simply intuitively layered everything, topped it with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan, which I had in the fridge.
Thank you!
I’m excited you made it! Thank you for sharing, Gunda.
I have made this twice now so yummy and easy! Thanks Kate I love your recipes
Great to hear, Sue! Thank you for your review.
Thank you so much for this recipe… This lasagna is absolutely amazing! I’ve made it multiple times and it’s always a big hit!
What would you suggest doing if making the recipe for a crowd? Do you think doubling it would fit in a 9×13 dish?
Hi! I’m glad you love this recipe. I know others have doubled it in a 9×13 dish. I recommend it being a deeper dish.
I’m not sure if you’ve already tried it, but since she is using a 9×9 inch dish, you will not be able to fit a double recipe in the extra 4 inches you’d get from a 9×13 pan. You might be able to play around with the addition of some more vegetables. Keep in mind that lasagna bubbles, so if you tried to double this in a 9×13 pan, it would be stacked too high and would create a big mess in the oven. :)
I love everything about this recipe! I chop the veggies day ahead to save time. I’m making it for the 3rd time today to use fresh summer vegetables from the farm.
Thank you for sharing it!
You’re welcome, Patricia! I appreciate your review.
I keep coming back to this recipe – glad it keeps popping up on my search for vegetarian lasagna. Love that it uses simple ingredients.
I’m glad you keep coming back to it, Brault!
I think this is the fourth or fifth time I have made this recipe. It’s excellent! I have switched up veggies at times (roasted eggplant!) and sometimes I have added Impossible Sausage to the sauce. It always turns out great. I am trying to add more meatless recipes to my repertoire, and this is a star.
Love it! Thank you for your review, Tee.
Can you freeze? Thanks ☺️
Others have frozen and didn’t mind the results.
This is a great recipe, I come back to it time and time again!
Great to hear, Mattie! I appreciate your review.
Some of my friends are vegetarian, and this dish has become a staple- In fact, even when I have company that isn’t vegetarian, this lasagna has become the number one request!
Traditionally I haven’t enjoyed lasagna but this recipe is a game changer. Easily better than any lasagna with meat I’ve ever had. I always have to make this in the biggest dish I own and I still seldom wind up with leftovers.
I love to hear that, Gabriel! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate! We loooove this recipe! Since I am GF, I use the GF Jovial no boil lasagna noodles and it works beautifully. Just saying thank you for creating this delicious, best veggie lasagna EVER!
Excited to try this but I have a couple questions: 1. How far ahead can I put this together before baking? 2. Can I freeze this before baking?
It does release water as it sits so I would suggest as soon as you can. Others have had best results freezing once baked. Let me know if you try it and your results!
Yesterday I made this for the 4th time at the soup kitchen where I cook once a week. This recipe has been a huge hit and everyone always wants seconds. I scale it for 75 people (3 huge pans). It needs more time in the oven and at a higher temperature. Because of the size we don’t mix the veggies with the cottage cheese, we just layer it on top. The only problem is that the ingredients are a little expensive and I usually have to donate most of the ingredients. Thank you for a great crowd pleasing lasagna. I have made other vegetarian lasagna recipes and I think this is by far the best. There is a lot of chopping: 2 people chopping for 90 minutes! If you have a good knife it goes faster.
I made this for the first time tonight and it is great! I substituted broccoli for the spinach and used ricotta plus an egg and italian seasoning for the cottage cheese, both because of what I had on hand. I like my sauces chunky, so I chopped the veggies pretty small but did not process them. Delicious! I will make again, for sure.
That’s great to hear, David!
Can we refrigerate the left overs?
Yes!
This is a great recipe! I am planning to make this for a Labor day get together. Are there any steps that I can prep ahead? Thanks !
I believe others have tried it and didn’t mind the results. It does release liquid as it sits, so you may get a soggier result.
My 2 year old loved this!! “More zania” she kept saying. I just about fainted from happiness the that I have dish the whole family can eat. Thank you!
my whole family loves this recipe. I always make an extra and store it in the freezer. thank you
Lovely recipe.
Thankyou so much and I tried for the first time to make it and it turned out great.
Only I need one tip I need that is how to make the sheet of the lasagna soft.
As one of my layer was not soft.
Great to hear, Swas! I appreciate you sharing.
This veggie lasagna is the cheese! So much fun to make, eye pleasing, full of vegetables and delicious. What more can you ask for?
This has been a favorite recipe of mine for a few years now. I love all of the vegetables and cottage cheese. It’s delicious and healthy!
Had to use a blender in leu of a food processor and regular cottage cheese and mozzarella. Added a pinch of nutmeg and a little parmesan. Then I had to bake for a full hour. Everyone’s loved it. Thanks.
Any advice on prepping ahead? Cook then freeze or Freeze then cook?
I believe others have froze it once baked and didn’t mind the results. I find it does release some liquid from the dairy and vegetables.
Made this tonight and LOVED it! I did add a few things- Mushrooms (cook first to get the water out); added oregano to the veggies as they cooked, and doubled the garlic, because who doesn’t love garlic? I also made about half again more veggies to get a really stuffed lasagna, and added parmesan to the mozzarella layer for the sharp nuttiness of it. All in all, FANTASTIC recipe that I will make again!
Wonderful to hear, Cindy! I appreciate your review.
How many does the x1 serve?
See the recipe card above the scale – 8 servings.
This is SO SO SO good
I’m delighted you enjoyed it, Kelly!
Since I don’t have a food processor, I used crushed tomatoes, added a few cherry tomatoes and sliced the veggies in halves.
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to use cottage cheese or ricotta-so I used 1 cup of each!
Fantastic! Can’t wait to try the leftovers tomorrow, afterall lasagna always tastes better the next day!
Thanks so much for this, as I have been craving vegetarian lasagna and it’s the first meal I’ve cooked in my newly renovated kitchen.
Next up-your homemade enchilada sauce!
Wonderful, Tracey! I hope you love my enchilada sauce too.
I have a family member who has difficulty with meat,dairy and fish. Is there a lasanga which doesnt have milk and cheese
Hello! I haven’t made this yet, but plan to for a dinner on Saturday. I’m a big ricotta lover, but I’m also a recipe follower so I’m tor between the cottage cheese and using ricotta. My question is, is there a very noticeable difference? Why was the cottage cheese chosen over ricotta? And on another note, has anyone tried roasting the veggies rather than cooking on the stove top?
I prefer cottage cheese, but I know others enjoy ricotta too. Let me know what you think!
Really delicious. I cooked my own noodles.
Thank you for your review, Kaavee!
Really delicious and full of texture ! I added a packet of beluga lentils for some crunch. Can’t wait to make again!!
Amazing! Not veggie myself but personally think it’s nicer than ordinary lasagne and my partner loves it!
Going to try mix around with some other veg now and see what else works just as good!
I made this recently and my husband had a great idea to add fennel seed to the dish… It made it taste like it had italian sausage in it, which was fun! :) Delicious lasagna recipe!
Great to hear, Taylor! I appreciate your review.
This was incredible! I’m a huge proponent of cottage cheese so I was pleasantly surprised to see it in this recipe. All in all it’s a time consuming process that requires some counter space (tiny kitchen problems) and a dish washer (*cough* my husband) but was well with it. I added a handful of shiitake mushrooms and felt I needed more sauce on top than I had left, but otherwise this is perfect and I can’t wait to do it again!
Great to hear, Lyndsay! I appreciate your review.
Can I make ahead and store in the refrigerator? We have a weekend trip coming up and this feels like a great first dinner!
I don’t recommend it as I find it can release liquid as it sits. However, I know others have tried it and didn’t mind the results.
Did you use convection or conventional oven feature.
Can you bake the lasagna at 400 instead of 425
This is for a conventional oven. It’s best baked as written. I hope you try it!
Making it GF and DF today using dairy free ricotta and dairy free mozzarella.
I’ve prepared many of your recipes and have never been disappointed, so I thought I would try the veggies lasagna. Made for family, who are not wholly plant based. They couldn’t believe how absolutely delicious it was, nor could I!! Absolutely the best recipe. I did opt for a prepared high quality marinara, but will make my own sauce the next time. This recipe is a winner!!! I added mushrooms, that was my only adjustment, maybe 7 or 8, sliced and sautéed with the other veggies. The flavour just blew me away!
Thanks Kate! I’ve made this one several times and it always gets a big thumbs up from my guests. I just listen to podcasts while I’m chopping vegetables and the time flies.
I always look forward to your recipes – thank you!!
I love to hear that, Cindy!
Delicious. I used mushrooms instead of bell peppers. Also used store marinara sauce. I added 1 TB pesto and 2 cloves garlic to the pan while cooking the veggie mix. Also added 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes to cottage cheese/vegetable mixture. As one family member likes everything spicy, I diced a jalapeno to combine with veggie mix at one end of the casserole dish. I used a 9×11 instead of 9×9 Pyrex. Everything fit perfectly. I will say that the time required is more than 30 minutes.
Thanks for a yummy recipe.
Thank you for sharing what you did, Steph! I appreciate your review.