Description
This Best Vegetarian Lasagna recipe features roasted vegetables layered with creamy ricotta filling and rich marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella and pecorino cheeses. Perfectly baked to a golden bubbly finish, it’s a hearty and delicious meat-free main course ideal for family dinners or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Sauce
- 2 tablespoons 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, to taste
- 15 lasagna noodles
- 3 cups marinara sauce (24 ounces)
- 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 whole milk ricotta cheese (24 ounces)
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Roast vegetables: Place mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini, and onion on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Spread vegetables uniformly and roast for 25 minutes, until tender and browned around edges. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
- Cook noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain well and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Make ricotta filling: In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, grated garlic, lemon zest, salt, and fresh pepper. Stir thoroughly until smooth and well mixed.
- Assemble lasagna layer one: Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer with noodles, then half of the ricotta mixture spread evenly. Top with half of the fresh spinach, followed by half of the roasted vegetables. Dot with ⅔ cup of marinara sauce.
- Assemble lasagna layer two: Repeat layering with noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining spinach, remaining roasted vegetables, and another ⅔ cup marinara sauce. Add a final layer of noodles on top.
- Add cheese topping and bake: Spread the last ⅔ cup marinara sauce on top of the noodles, then evenly sprinkle with mozzarella and pecorino cheeses. Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes until cheese is browned, bubbly, and golden.
- Rest and serve: Remove from oven and allow lasagna to stand for 20 minutes to set. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, slice, and serve warm.
Notes
- Use regular lasagna noodles for tender texture; if using no-boil noodles, reduce quantity to about ¾ of a 1-pound box and bake covered for 40 to 50 minutes until noodles are tender, then uncover to brown the cheese.
- For vegan variations, substitute the ricotta filling with a vegan ricotta alternative and omit the cheese topping. Bake covered for 30 to 50 minutes at 400°F until heated through and pasta is tender.
- Drizzling olive oil on the cooked noodles helps prevent sticking when assembling.
- Lemon zest adds a bright flavor contrast to the creamy ricotta mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
