Add As A Trusted Google SourceThis vegetable lasagna gets rave reviews every time I make it! It’s filled with veggies in a flavorful marinara sauce layered between noodles and plenty of cheese. One simple ingredient ensures your vegetarian lasagna will come out of the oven hot, bubbly and golden on the edges, not soupy.
The Best Vegetable Lasagna You’ll Ever Eat
Lasagna is one of my favorite meals to make when I’m feeding a crowd. This past Christmas, I served this vegetable lasagna alongside my classic lasagna recipe and both were a huge hit with my family. I honestly can’t say which I love more!
My secret to making the BEST vegetable lasagna is to use no boil noodles. They soak up extra moisture from the vegetables as the lasagna bakes, the key to making a vegetarian lasagna that’s perfectly saucy and set, not soupy.
Besides the incredible flavors (think hearty veggies, creamy ricotta and rich marinara sauce), what I love most about this vegetable lasagna is that it’s a great vegetarian main dish for entertaining. You can assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours before baking, then pop it in the oven when your guests arrive.
This Lasagna was the best I have ever tasted. I would recommend this recipe to anyone.
Antonio
Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion, Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Zucchini: These vegetables make this veggie lasagna recipe so hearty and full of flavor. Cremini mushrooms are one of my favorite substitutes for meat in vegetarian recipes. You can substitute yellow squash for the zucchini, if desired.
- Garlic: I always use plenty of fresh garlic in Italian dishes like this easy vegetable lasagna.
- Marinara Sauce: Use a good quality store-bought marinara or, if you have extra time, make a batch of homemade marinara sauce.
- Seasonings: You’ll need Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. I add 2 pinches of red pepper flakes for a subtle hint of spice.
- Fresh Parsley: Brings fresh, herby flavor.
- Spinach: The fresh spinach wilts down into the sauce as the lasagna bakes.
- Ricotta & Egg: You’ll combine one egg with ricotta cheese to make creamy pockets of ricotta throughout the lasagna. If you really love ricotta you can use a full 15 ounce container. We prefer this vegetarian lasagna with just 1 cup of ricotta cheese. You can substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta if desired.
- Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles: To make the best vegetable lasagna use oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles because they will soak up the extra moisture from the vegetables (especially the zucchini) as they cook in the oven. I tested this recipe with regular noodles and the lasagna was too soupy and difficult to serve.
- Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese: The perfect combination of cheeses for lasagna!
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
Sauté the vegetables and make the sauce. Sauté the veggies in olive oil until softened. Then stir in the minced garlic. Stir in the marinara and seasonings, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the spinach.
Layer the lasagna in your baking dish. Start by spreading 1 cup of the veggie marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Then layer noodles, sauce, the ricotta/egg mixture, mozzarella, Parmesan. Repeat this layer of ingredients once more. For the top layer, use noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 375° F for 35 minutes. Then uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly on the sides and golden brown on top.
Let it rest! Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. The rest time allows the lasagna to set up. Don’t skip it! Then sprinkle on some fresh basil or parsley and enjoy.
Tips for the Best Vegetable Lasagna
- If you want to swap in other vegetables in place of the ones used in this recipe, just be sure they are cooked until soft before assembling the lasagna.
- Be sure to use no boil/oven ready lasagna noodles. They will soak up extra moisture from the vegetables, and they also save on prep time and dishes.
- The noodles will expand as they cook, and the baking dish will be very full. I recommend putting a rimmed baking sheet on the rack under the lasagna to catch any drips as it bakes.
- You can halve this recipe and bake it in a 9×9-inch baking dish. The baking time will be the same.
What to Serve with Vegetable Lasagna
I like to serve this lasagna with a fresh green salad and some warm bread. Try my loaded Italian Salad or classic Green Salad. Slice up a loaf of crusty bread or make a batch of Garlic Bread, Focaccia or Garlic Knots.
To Make Ahead or Freeze Lasagna
- To Make Ahead: This lasagna can be assembled up to 24 hours before baking. Cover and refrigerate, and add about 15 minutes to the covered baking time if baking a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator.
- To Freeze Unbaked Lasagna: Wrap it tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe, adding about 15 minutes to the covered baking time since a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator will take longer to heat through.
- Storing Leftovers: Leftover baked vegetable lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual portions for quick meals later on.
More Vegetarian Lasagna Recipes
If you love this vegetable lasagna, try one of these vegetarian lasagna recipes next.
Did you make this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Best Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 48 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 5 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, 8 ounces
- 9 oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, about 4 cups
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh basil or parsley, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini and cook until softened, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, 2 medium zucchini, 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley to the skillet and stir. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to low. Cook at a low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the chopped fresh spinach.48 ounces marinara sauce, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 5 ounces baby spinach
- While the sauce simmers, crack the egg into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. This is also a good time to shred the mozzarella cheese.1 egg, 1 cup ricotta cheese
- To assemble the lasagna, put about 1 cup of the sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 noodles in an even layer over the sauce. Spread ⅓ of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Place small spoonfuls of the ricotta and egg mixture on top of the sauce, using ½ of the ricotta. Sprinkle ⅓ of the mozzarella and ⅓ of the Parmesan over the top.9 oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles, 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Repeat the same layer one more time: 3 noodles, ½ of the remaining sauce, the rest of the ricotta, ½ of the remaining mozzarella and ½ of the remaining Parmesan. For the top layer of the lasagna, use the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and finally the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover the lasagna with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the underside (to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil).
- Bake the lasagna in the center of the oven, covered with foil, for 35 minutes. (Put a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below the lasagna to catch any drips of sauce.) Then uncover and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling on the sides and the cheese is lightly browned on top. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving. Do not skip the rest time, it allows the lasagna to set up so it won't be soupy when serving.
Notes
- To Make Ahead: This lasagna can be assembled up to 24 hours before baking. Cover and refrigerate, and add about 15 minutes to the covered baking time if baking a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator.
- To Freeze Unbaked Lasagna: Wrap it tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe, adding about 15 minutes to the covered baking time since a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator will take longer to heat through.
- Storing Leftovers: Leftover baked vegetable lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual portions for quick meals later on. Thaw (overnight in the fridge is best) and then reheat in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven until it is steaming hot.
- You can halve this recipe and bake it in a 9×9-inch baking dish.
I originally shared this recipe in July 2022. Updated November 2025.
My husband recently made the choice to omit meat from his diet, so I found this recipe while searching for good meatless dishes. In a word, it’s: phenomenal. Granted, I do add my own seasonings to the veggies and sauce while cooking (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, paprika, thyme, basil and cumin) because that’s just the kind of cook I am, but this is a fabulous recipe. The pinches of cayenne pepper give it just the right amount of kick without being too spicy or overwhelming, and everything just melds together so well.
Make sure to keep the cayenne to just tiny pinches, and follow all the directions (including the sitting time) because that ensures it sets up the way it should. Thank you so much for this recipe: its now in my permanent repertoire 😊.
I’m so happy you are enjoying this recipe! That’s great that you are able to adjust it to your tastes. 🙂