This easy Roasted Vegetable Lasagna recipe comes together with layers of roasted veggies, bright and fresh marinara sauce, and a flavorful ricotta cheese mixture. It’s hearty and filling and has all the savory, comforting flavors of traditional homemade lasagna with a vegetarian twist that makes it great for serving a crowd!
Homemade Lasagna with a Vegetarian Twist
Lasagna often gets a bad rap for being too heavy or difficult to make, but that’s only because you haven’t made this roasted vegetable lasagna recipe yet! It’s lighter than a classic standard meat-filled lasagna (this turkey lasagna is a favorite if that’s more your style), packed with a variety of roasted veggies, and, even though there is some veggie roasting involved it’s even easier to make than you may think!
Roasting the vegetables might seem unnecessary since we’re also baking the lasagna, but trust me. It’s worth it! Roasting the vegetables before adding them to the lasagna prevents the lasagna from becoming watery. Plus, roasting adds an extra depth of flavor to the veggies and if the veggies have more flavor, then the lasagna will be even more flavorful! I like to prep the rest of the components, like the marinara sauce and ricotta mixture, while the oven does its thing roasting the vegetables. Then, when it’s time, everything comes together quickly.
Once assembled, this veggie lasagna makes A LOT, which is great because leftovers taste even better the next day after chilling in the fridge. They can also be frozen for an easy meal on a rainy day when you’re short on time. I’ll often freeze half of the lasagna (or even prep a second batch if I have time!) to keep on hand. An extra benefit is that making lasagna is cheaper than buying frozen store-bought, and having the extra really comes in handy when life gets busy!
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Ingredients
- Lasagna Noodles: you’ll need 12 lasagna noodles for this dish. If you need to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles. Just make sure not to use no-boil noodles! They give the dish a weird texture that just isn’t as good. Whatever noodle you use, be sure to salt your boiling water well!
- Marinara: use your favorite jarred marinara sauce to keep things extra easy! I like to look for one that’s bright and fresh and really lets the flavor of the tomatoes shine through.
- Veggies: we’re using a combination of roasted carrot, squash, zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions, and even adding a little sautéed spinach to the ricotta filling. These are just suggestions, though! You can get creative with your veggies and add in extra squash, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, or onions. It’s a great way to use up whatever veggies you have on hand or need to use up before going bad in the fridge.
- Cheese: we’re using a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Use whole milk ricotta and mozzarella for the best flavor and that classic melty cheese pull everyone loves.
- Egg: I’ve had readers ask if they can omit this, and I don’t recommend it! The egg helps stabilize the ricotta filling, which helps the lasagna hold its shape once sliced.
- Herbs and Seasonings: fresh herbs, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and loads of fresh garlic all help give this lasagna a really distinct flavor that’s both bright and fresh. The specific combination of seasonings I use helps to combat the usual “heaviness” associated with lasagna and instead gives the dish some much-needed balance.
How to Make Roasted Vegetable Lasagna From Scratch: It’s Easier Than You May Think!
📝 Pro-Tip: I like to let the lasagna to bake for the majority of time without the final layer of cheese. This ensures that the cheese doesn’t become too brown or burn and then I finish it with the final and bake until it’s just golden!
Let the vegetable lasagna cool slightly, garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil, and enjoy warm with a fresh salad and a side of homemade garlic bread!
I hope you give this Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Recipe a try! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
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Vegetable Lasagna
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy Roasted Vegetable Lasagna recipe comes together with layers of roasted veggies, bright and fresh marinara sauce, and a flavorful ricotta cheese mixture. It’s hearty and filling and has all the savory, comforting flavors of traditional homemade lasagna with a vegetarian twist that makes it great for serving a crowd!
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Roasted Vegetables
- 8 oz sliced baby Bella mushrooms
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 large zucchini, diced
- 1 large yellow squash, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 – 25oz jars marinara sauce
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 dried bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Spinach Ricotta Filling
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 5 oz spinach, chopped
- 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- juice of half lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables: Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, squash, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well the vegetables are well coated in oil. Transfer the vegetables to a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper, in a single layer. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and sweet onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent. Next add the garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for one more minute. Add the marinara sauce, parmesan rind, dried bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined, lower to low heat, and simmer the sauce, covered, for 10-15 minutes. After the sauce has simmered, discard the bay leaf and parmesan rind. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the Ricotta Filling: Add one teaspoon of olive oil to a medium skillet. Next add the chopped spinach and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is lightly wilted. Transfer the spinach to a mixing bowl. Next, add the ricotta, egg, lemon juice, black pepper, parmesan, parsley, and chopped basil to the mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling hot water and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and drain.
- Assemble the Lasagna: Pour roughly 1 cup of sauce into the casserole dish and spread it out to coat the bottom of the dish. Add 4 lasagna noodles, lengthwise, to the casserole dish (it’s ok if the edges overlap a little bit), then spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, next sprinkle over 1 1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, next sprinkle 1/3 of the roasted vegetables over the cheese, and then pour around 2 cups of marinara sauce. Repeat for the second layer. For the third and final layer, you will skip the mozzarella cheese. Instead add a layer of noodles, the ricotta mixture, roasted veggies, and then pour over any remaining marinara sauce.
- Bake the lasagna uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or the edges of the lasagna are bubbly and the cheese is fully melted and starts to become golden brown.
- Let the lasagna sit for 15-20 minutes and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil before serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead Option: love to prep this recipe ahead of time, especially when hosting. To do so, assemble all the layers as instructed in the recipe card. Then, cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, remove the lasagna from the fridge and let it sit for 20-30 minutes to allow the dish to come to room temperature before baking.
Store: Once cooled, leftovers can be covered or transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freeze: Make sure the lasagna has completely cooled to room temperature. Then slice it into large portions, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container, and freeze for 2-3 months.
Reheat: To reheat the frozen lasagna, remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw completely. Once thawed, you can reheat the lasagna in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until bubbly and heated through. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover it with foil and continue to bake until warmed through.
Photography: Sasha Hooper
Uncomplicated recipe that always comes out so delicious! Big hit when I make for friends!
This was delicious! Made it for my parents when they were visiting and we all loved it. The mushrooms make it feel substantial. I cheated and used flavored pasta sauce straight from the jar, as well as no-boil noodles, and it turned out perfectly. Love getting so many veggies in a red-sauce lasagna!
I’m so glad you were able to make this work for you, Ginny! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Wowowowow! This lasagna is the best I’ve ever made! I made a few small changes, but found the roasted veggies cooked perfectly for a little crunch, and the ricotta mix was SO tasty! Really really good. And incidentally, you don’t need to cook the lasagna noodles first. There’s plenty of liquid in the sauce. I soaked the noodles for about 5-10 min. in hot water, but did not boil.
This was DELICIOUS and pretty simple to make as lasagnas go. This will definitely be something we make over and over again!
Made this tonight and it turned out so good! I was a little hesitant because it seemed like lots of steps, but it came together pretty quickly 🙂 I used oven ready noodles and took the suggestion of adding meat. I will definitely make this again! I love all the veggies. Thank you!
You need to make this, like right NOW! I have been searching forever for a veggie lasagna recipe, and I can definitely stop searching now. This is seriously so good. Not hard at all and it makes the house smell amazing. Will 100% be adding this to our regular meal rotation. Thanks for another killer recipe, Ashlea!!
Yay! so happy you loved it, Kiana! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I’m looking forward to trying this. Have you hit a marinara sauce from scratch that is lower in sodium? I’ll look around but thought I’d ask. Looks yummy.
Hi, Catherine! I don’t have a recipe but you could always swap the marinara for low sodium crushed tomatoes or a jarred low sodium sauce. I really like Rao’s jarred sauce but that may be a bit higher in sodium than you prefer. I hope that helps!
Any suggestions to make this ahead and either refrigerate or freeze? I want to make this for a vegetarian new momma, but will take it to her on a work evening. I’d like to roast and assemble during the weekend when I have the time, then cook when I get home from work before taking it to her. Any suggestions?
Hi Megan! You could do both! I’ve included make-ahead instructions in the post. I’d recommend making and freezing or assembling 24 hours in advance before baking. Hope that helps!