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Tender veggies are mixed with a trio of creamy cheeses, layers of lasagna noodles, and hearty marinara in this perfect recipe for easy vegetable lasagna. Everyone will come back for seconds on this one!
I like to serve it with my Mediterranean salad and these garlic breadsticks, because when the lasagna’s this good, you might as well go all in.
5 Star Review
“This lasagna was delicious! I loved it. I used goat cheese rather than feta. That was the only change I made. It was amazing! Thank you.” – Sharon
Vegetarian Dinner Idea
I’m always on the lookout for cozy dinner recipes that are meatless but still delicious and satisfying. When they pass the picky eater test, it’s that much better! I’ve been able to achieve that with my mushroom fajitas, zucchini meatballs, and this cheesy vegetarian lasagna recipe, too!
My delicious veg lasagna is layered with tender pasta, marinara, and a hearty mix of carrots, zucchini, and peppers, all packed in with cottage cheese, feta, and melty mozzarella. Basically, it’s veggie-packed, cheesy comfort food that even meat-lovers devour. It makes a big batch, too, which is great if you’re feeding a crowd or just want leftovers for tomorrow.
What’s in This Vegetable Lasagna?
This recipe is made with four components: the veggies, the cheese, the sauce, and the topping.
For the Vegetables
- Olive Oil: I use a little olive oil to saute the veggies before layering them into the lasagna. You could also do avocado oil, or a mix of olive oil and butter.
- Carrots: Wash and peel your carrots, and then slice them into coins.
- Bell Peppers: I like the sweet flavor of red bell peppers, but you could also use green, yellow, or orange.
- Onion: Dice up one whole onion. I use yellow onion, but any kind will work.
- Zucchini: The delicate texture of zucchini works perfectly in this lasagna.
- Garlic: Mince or press the garlic, or just hit the easy button, and use garlic powder.
- Pesto: My secret ingredient: a dab of pesto! Tons of taste and fragrance in one little spoonful.
- Marinara Sauce: Use a jar of your favorite marinara. You could also use any other red pasta sauce you like, homemade or store-bought.
For the Cheese Layer
- Cottage Cheese: Using cottage cheese instead of ricotta adds a tangier flavor.
- Feta Cheese: I like to use crumbled feta, but crumbled goat cheese is a good option.
- Basil: Chopped fresh basil is great, but you can definitely omit it or use dried basil, if you prefer.
- Lasagna Noodles: My favorite pasta is the no-boil lasagna pasta. So easy!
For the Topping
- Mozzarella: Mozzarella cheese gives the top of this easy vegetable lasagna a wonderful, melty, stretchy cheesiness.
- Parmesan: To add a salty, cheesy flavor. Pecorino Romano is a good substitute.
Katerina’s Recipe Tips
- Pasta options: You can sub regular lasagna noodles for this dish! Just give them a quick cook according to package directions and then layer away.
- Gluten-free pasta: You can totally substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles in this recipe! If you do, you may need to increase the baking time slightly to ensure they are tender. Another great option is slices of roasted zucchini or eggplant.
- Vegetables: You can use whatever veggies you like. To avoid a watery lasagna, I recommend pre-cooking any watery veggies and/or draining them well.
- Add protein: You can sprinkle in some canned, drained cannellini beans for a vegetarian protein bump, or go ahead and use your favorite vegan sausage, regular sausage, ground beef, or even chicken to make a chicken lasagna!
Serving Suggestions
This lasagna is hearty enough to stand on its own, but if you’re in the mood to round out the meal, grab a slice of chewy whole wheat focaccia bread! For something lighter, a fresh spinach blackberry salad adds a bright contrast to the rich tomato sauce. And if you’re craving something savory, pan-fried oyster mushrooms bring a meaty, satisfying bite without adding more heaviness to the plate.
Make It Ahead
You can assemble the lasagna and chill it for up to two days in the fridge before baking.
Alternatively, assemble your easy vegetable lasagna, wrap it in two thicknesses of plastic wrap, and then freeze for up to three months. Bake directly from frozen, increasing the bake time to about one hour.
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Easy Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients
FOR THE VEGETABLES
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 small red bell peppers, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
FOR THE CHEESE LAYER
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 9 to 12 no boil lasagna noodles
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE LAYER
- 2 cups marinara sauce
FOR THE TOPPING
- 2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. To the heated oil, add the carrots, peppers, onions, and zucchini; season with salt and pepper and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Stir in the garlic and basil pesto; continue to cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the cheese mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, feta cheese, basil, salt, and pepper; stir until completely incorporated.
- Combine. Add the veggie mixture to the cheese mixture and stir until combined. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Set aside.
- Layer. Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish. Layer 3 to 4 no-boil lasagna noodles in a single layer over the marinara sauce, snapping off the end pieces to fit in the baking dish.
- Add the cheese mixture and marinara. Spread half of the cheese and veggie mixture evenly over the noodles. Then top with ¾ cup marinara sauce; spread it evenly.
- Continue to layer. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Layer 3 to 4 more lasagna noodles, then top with a layer of the remaining cheese and veggie mixture. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Finish layering. Top with remaining lasagna noodles. Spread ¾ cup of marinara sauce on top of the noodles. Sprinkle with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned.
- Rest and serve. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Garnish with basil, cut, and serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
- Cook the vegetable mixture. Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté the veggies for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pesto, cook one more minute, then set aside.
- Make the cheese mixture. In a big mixing bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, feta, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Combine the veggies and cheese. Add the cooked veggies to the cheese mixture and stir until everything’s combined.
- Start layering. Spread ½ cup marinara in a 9×9-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, breaking as needed, then spread half of the veggie-cheese mixture on top.
- Build it up. Add ¾ cup marinara and ½ cup mozzarella, then another layer of noodles and the rest of the veggie-cheese mix.
- Top it off. Finish with more noodles, the remaining ¾ cup marinara, more mozzarella, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
- Bake! Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned.
- Let it rest. Pull it from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- To store your lasagna leftovers, wrap them well or place them in airtight storage containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave, or bake at 350˚F until heated through.
The recipe card says bake covered for 20 minutes, which wasn’t enough, but I noticed it says in the instructions in the blog post to bake covered for 30, which I’m guessing is the correct time. Just wanted to point that out because this is a really good recipe! (although I used a slightly smaller than 9×13 pan and it was full to the brim so I’m not sure how it would fit in a 9×9?) trying to feed my family more veggies, thanks for this yummy recipe to help us!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
This lasagna was delicious! I loved it. I used goat cheese rather than feta. That was the only change I made. It was amazing! Thank you.
I’m sorry, I meant to give this a 5 star rating!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
A vegetable lasagna! I think my family will love it!
Love making veggie lasagna1 Thank you!
I just became so hungry for this Vegetable Lasagna!! Looks delicious!
Thank YOU! I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
Now that’s how you make vegetables fun. I’ve been craving lasagna so this is perfect.
I hope you’ll enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made this for meatless Monday, and it was a HUGE hit. My family loved it.
That’s great! I’m very glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Really tasty, I did not miss the meat at all.
Thank YOU! I’m very happy you loved it! 🙂
I made up extra veggies to make Fried Rice later! This was delicious, thank you!
That’s great! I’m very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was the perfect way to sneak in more veggies for the family! It was SO flavorful and delicious, we didn’t even miss the meat!
That’s great! I’m very happy everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂