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The Best Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe (Seriously!)

A tall, beautiful slice of homemade, layered Vegetarian Lasagna being served for a family dinner.

A hearty and flavorful recipe for the ‘Best Vegetarian Lasagna,’ packed with roasted vegetables and a creamy ricotta filling. The lasagna features a colorful medley of roasted cremini mushrooms, red bell pepper, zucchini, and onion. This is layered with a rich ricotta cheese mixture seasoned with garlic and lemon zest, along with marinara sauce, fresh spinach, and lasagna noodles. The casserole is topped with a generous amount of mozzarella and pecorino cheese and baked until golden and bubbly.

Ingredients

  • For the Lasagna:
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 red bell pepper, 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 (regular or no-boil)
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated pecorino cheese
  • Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
  • For the Ricotta Filling:
  • 3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. Roast the Vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss the mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini, and onion with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.
  2. Cook the Noodles: While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. (Skip this step if using no-boil noodles).
  3. Make the Ricotta Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, grated garlic, lemon zest, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
  4. (Assembly instructions inferred as they were missing from the article)
  5. Assemble the Lasagna: Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
  6. Arrange a single layer of noodles on top of the sauce.
  7. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by half of the roasted vegetables and half of the fresh spinach.
  8. Sprinkle with about a third of the mozzarella and pecorino cheeses, and top with about 1 cup of marinara sauce.
  9. Repeat the layers: noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining vegetables and spinach, another third of the cheese, and another cup of sauce.
  10. Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining cheeses.
  11. Bake: Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden. Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving, garnished with fresh basil or parsley.

Notes

  • Note: The final assembly and baking instructions were not provided in the original article and have been inferred based on standard lasagna-making techniques.
  • Roasting the vegetables before adding them to the lasagna is a key step that develops their flavor and prevents the lasagna from becoming watery.
  • This recipe can be made with either traditional lasagna noodles that require boiling or no-boil noodles for a quicker assembly.
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