This vegetarian lasagna recipe is my favorite dish to make for family and friends! Filled with savory roasted vegetables, it's healthy and delicious.
Vegetarian lasagna was the first big dinner I learned how to make. When I was in college, a vegetable lasagna would always be the main event when I cooked a meal for a group. Fast forward to now, and I still like to make one when I’m serving a crowd, especially around the holidays. A veggie lasagna is comforting, flavorful, and great for making ahead. Plus, who doesn’t love to swap stories at the table over red sauce and pasta?!
I’m sharing my favorite vegetarian lasagna recipe below. It’s savory and satisfying, filled with roasted veggies, creamy ricotta cheese, ruffly noodles, and plenty of marinara sauce. I think you’re going to love it!
How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
My vegetarian lasagna recipe starts with these ingredients:
Vegetarian Lasagna Ingredients
- Fresh veggies, of course! I pack this vegetable lasagna with roasted red bell peppers, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and baby spinach. They add SO much flavor.
- Lasagna noodles – No-boil noodles seem convenient—but trust me, the regular kind are better. They take less than 10 minutes to cook, and they have a perfect tender texture in the final lasagna.
- Marinara sauce – Make homemade marinara sauce, or use a 24-ounce jar of store-bought sauce. I like Rao’s.
- Ricotta cheese – It creates a creamy, cheesy layer between the noodles, sauce, and veggies. I season it with garlic and lemon zest for bright, savory flavor.
- Shredded pecorino and mozzarella cheese – For topping the lasagna. Not a pecorino person? Parmesan cheese works too!
- And fresh basil and/or parsley – For garnish.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Before you assemble the lasagna, complete these 3 prep steps:
- Roast the veggies. Toss the peppers, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 425°F until they’re tender and caramelized.
- Boil the noodles until al dente. Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking!
- Make the ricotta filling. Mix the ricotta cheese with the lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.
You’re ready to layer!
How to Layer Vegetable Lasagna
Start with a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom.
- Then, add a layer of noodles.
- Top the noodles with half the ricotta mixture.
- Layer half the spinach over the ricotta, and scatter half the roasted vegetables in an even layer.
- Dot the vegetables with 2/3 cup of the marinara sauce.
Repeat the layering process in the same order:
- Noodles
- Ricotta
- Spinach + roasted veggies
- 2/3 cup marinara sauce
Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the shredded cheese.
That’s it!
How Long to Bake Vegetarian Lasagna
If using fully cooked lasagna noodles: Bake uncovered at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
If using no-boil lasagna noodles: Cover the veggie lasagna with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Let the vegetable lasagna stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Variation
To make vegan lasagna: Replace the ricotta mixture with this vegan ricotta. Skip the cheese on top of the lasagna. Bake, covered, until the pasta is tender and the lasagna is heated through, 30 to 50 minutes at 400°F.
What to Serve with Vegetarian Lasagna
This vegetable lasagna recipe is a satisfying meal on its own, but it pairs well with all sorts of side dishes, too!
Serve it with a salad, such as
- this green salad,
- this kale Caesar salad,
- or this chopped salad.
Or pair it with a veggie side dish like
You also can’t go wrong with garlic knots or garlic bread!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Leftover vegetarian lasagna keeps well in an airtight container or covered dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or a 350°F oven.
To freeze vegetable lasagna: Assemble the lasagna in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge before baking. When ready to serve, bake, covered, for 20 minutes at 400°F. Uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the lasagna is heated through.
More Veggie Comfort Food Recipes
If you love this vegetarian lasagna, try one of these veggie comfort food recipes next:
Best Vegetarian Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ medium yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 15 lasagna noodles*
- 3 cups (24 ounces) marinara sauce,
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 2 cups grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated pecorino cheese
- Fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Ricotta Filling
- 3 cups (24 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Place the mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini, and onion on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender and browned around the edges. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles.* Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Make the ricotta filling: In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Assemble the lasagna. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce at the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, followed by half the ricotta mixture. Spread the ricotta in an even layer, then arrange half the spinach evenly on top. Top with half the vegetables and dot with ⅔ cup of the remaining marinara sauce.
- Repeat with another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta, spinach, vegetables, and another ⅔ cup sauce. Top with the remaining noodles.
- Spread the remaining ⅔ cup marinara over the pasta, then evenly sprinkle with the mozzarella and pecorino cheeses. Bake in the 400°F oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Let stand for 20 minutes before garnishing with fresh basil or parsley, slicing, and serving.
Notes
- No-boil noodles tend to be shorter than regular lasagna noodles. Instead of counting noodles, expect to use about ¾ of a 1-pound box.
- Change the bake time: Cover the lasagna and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, then uncover and bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Made this lasagna today and had a nice dinner with my family. We all loved it. Being vegan I topped it with a nut cheese. It’s been a long time since I’ve made lasagna but I loved the process and it turned out perfectly. It set well and was easy to slice. Looking forward to the leftovers! Thanks for a great recipe.
The recipe was super easy-to-follow, and the lasagna was super tasty! Perfect for a weekend dinner!
Literally the best vegetarian lasagna there is!! I made this with the Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce (pg. 251 in the first book) and the Vegan “Ricotta.” It was absolutely DELICIOUS! I couldn’t believe how much flavor was packed in every single bite! The Vegan “Ricotta” gave it an especially creamy texture and zesty zing. I already can’t wait for the leftovers for breakfast before tomorrow’s hike 😀 This is yet another wonderful, simple, delicious, healthy recipe from Love & Lemons – you just can’t go wrong!
Hi , it seems so gooood ! Any idea to replace mushrooms in vegetarian or vegan recipes ?
thank you so much
Lena
Hi Lena, you can skip them and just add a little extra of one of the other veggies!
Hi Terry, you can totally use those here, thanks for the recommendations!
This was simply DELICIOUS! Used the veggies I had in the fridge (onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchinis + kale). Tofu ricotta is a strike of genius! Will definitely make again!
Hi Lucie, I’m so glad you loved the lasagna!
If Im using ACTUAL ricotta instead of tofu, should I still mix all that stuff with the ricotta or should i just use ricotta by itself?
Hi Greg, I would mix these things into the ricotta for flavor: lemon zest, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
This lasagna is great!! I’ve made it with different batches of veggies, and it’s always awesome. The tofu ricotta has been loved by vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
Hi Kelsey, I’m so glad it’s been a hit with everyone!
Hi Jeanine! This lasagna looks great! I have most of the ingredients, but in smaller amounts. Since we’re trying to avoid having to go out, I was thinking I’d just make a smaller lasagna, and I was hoping you could advise on pan size. How big is the big pan that you used? And, this might be a long shot, but do you have any sense of how using a ceramic (Corningware) pan might affect the cooking time? Than you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have loved every single one I”ve made 🙂
Oh, wait, duh, I just saw that you listed pan size further down in the instructions. Sorry about that. Must. Read. Whole. Recipe. First. Anyway, thank you again for your marvelous recipes 🙂
Ha :). Yes, a ceramic Corningware pan will work just fine!
Thank you so much for the quick response! I made your recipe as soon as I saw it and it came out amazing!!! Even though I didn’t have all the ingredients (including what I would have assumed to be critical – the mozzarella – I just used a couple oz Parmesan on top), it was just so so so good. And like you said, no one could tell it wasn’t real ricotta. Excited to try this once I can get my hands on all the ingredients again. Such a wonderful versatile recipe. I am curious, though – how long does it take you to make this – start to finish? I’m a slow cook and it took me aaaaall afternoon,. And totally worth it 🙂
Hi Elizabeth, I’m glad you loved it and that it was so flexible! There are a few things you can do in advance to speed things up: the ricotta can be made a day or so in advance (or you could skip it and use regular store-bought ricotta and mix in herbs). The veggies could be roasted the day before. Of course, assembling lasagna is just a bit time consuming!
Do you really need the nutritional yeast in the tofu filling? If so, what is the difference between active dry yeast and nutritional yeast?
Hi Chantal, you can skip it if you want. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that has a slight cheesy flavor. It’s often added to non-dairy creamy recipes, but this recipe will be fine without it. Active dry yeast is totally different.
Possible to add a drop of two of liquid smoke to the tofu-ricotta to make a smoky flavor and in-place of the smoked mozzarella? I only have normal mozzarella on hand (didnt know there was smoked mozzarella) but love the idea of a smoky cheese/smoky lasagna.
Thanks!
Hi AJ, I personally don’t love the artificial taste of liquid smoke and I think regular mozzarella would be just fine! You could also try adding a pinch of smoked paprika to your marinara if you really wanted a touch of smoky flavor. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this for both my non-vegetarian boyfriend and family. It was a huge hit! Used vegan cheese instead of mozzarella, and the jarred marinara I had on-hand. Turned out awesome. Thanks for the delish recipe 🙂
I’m so glad it was a hit!!
Just made this – great recipe! Love all the veggies. Biggest surprise was the “ricotta” filling. Kids loved it- more than regular ricotta cheese. I thought the consistency of the tofu mixture was great- I’d use it as a spread as well. Had a hummus like quality. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that you and your family loved it so much!
Can you please leave a link to the Staub dish?
here it is! https://amzn.to/2ESAU0o
Thank you 🙂
Tried this recipe tonight in a 9×9 pan with Rao’s sauce and whole wheat no boil noodles. My husband and I are not vegan so he was skeptical of the tofu ricotta. We were both pleasantly surprised. Next time I think I will even skip the milk cheeses I added to the top, they really weren’t necessary with the tasty ricotta. I will definitely make this again 🤤
I don’t normally review recipes but just made this yesterday and ate tonight for dinner. Loved it!!! Did not miss the ricotta cheese at all. The tofu ricotta was very rich. My only change was using some homemade basil pesto in the “tofu ricotta” since it is winter and fresh basil is a site for sore eyes at the grocery store. I just hope my husband does not like it so I get all of the leftovers, but I am not optimistic on that one!
I just wanted to let you know how much i LOVED this recipe!!! I had some Kite Hill ricotta on hand so i just used that instead of the tofu (but i’ve made tofu ricotta before with success!) and added the basil and crushed red pepper flakes to it and omg it was all so good. will DEFINITELY be making this recipe again! Thank you!!! I have one question though – i’m already thinking of making it again – could you assemble and freeze and thaw & bake or would you assemble, bake & freeze?
Hi Heather! I’m so glad you loved it! I haven’t tried assembling it and freezing it before baking – I *think* it should work, because most lasagnas freeze well like that… if you try it, can you let me know how it goes?
Dear J.,
Yesterday I came across your veggie lasagna on the net, went to the store and got me all ingredients. Today I made it, and it came out delicious! I was a little esceptical about the “tofu-ricotta” but it tastes awesome! And, you just answered my question on the previous post. I’ll freeze my leftovers. Thank you!!
Zully
Hi Zully, I’m glad you loved the lasagna (and even the tofu!). Thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂
Would this freeze well? I know lasagna does in general, but I’ve never worked with tofu ricotta. I would love to make it but I cook just for me. Thanks!
Hi Meg, it does freeze well! I stored leftover slices in freezer-safe glass containers. I hope you enjoy!
Thank you!
This recipe is so good. I actually made this for my parents for Christmas dinner. It was perfect because it could be assembled and put in the oven ahead of time which left lots of visiting time for me when they arrived. I found out my dad was really worried about it— to him lasagna has meat sauce. There’s no other way. I hadn’t even revealed that it was vegan (I used a vegan cheese that melts and browns on top— not necessary to have that top layer if you want to keep all vegan but it was delicious). Well, my mom had seconds, my dad said he would have again, and my husband and I have a new favorite recipe. Seriously, I plan on making this one a lot— probably my favorite lasagna recipe I’ve had. Thanks so much, Jeanine!
Hi Amy, ooh, I’m so glad it was such a hit with the whole family! 🙂