I set out to create the best vegetable lasagna recipe. Here it is! This vegetarian lasagna is cheesy (of course), and loaded with vegetables, spinach and a simple tomato sauce.
If you have any meatless-meal skeptics in your life, this lasagna will change their mind. I’m sure of it.
This lasagna is based on my spinach artichoke lasagna on the blog and the roasted eggplant lasagna in my cookbook. I love those less-conventional vegetarian lasagnas.
Yet, I wanted to offer a classic vegetable lasagna suitable for holidays and weeknights, and this is it. The tomato sauce is the same across all three recipes, but the vegetables vary.
For this recipe, you’ll chop bell pepper, zucchini and carrot into very small pieces and sauté them until they’re nice and golden on the edges. That caramelization brings out so much more flavor. Then, add spinach to the skillet and cooked it down for a few minutes so it doesn’t get too soggy.
The Best Vegetable Lasagna
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- You can easily adjust the vegetables to suit the seasons or your pantry (see recipe notes).
- The sauce is made from scratch with basic ingredients. It only takes a few minutes to make.
- Use no-boil noodles and you don’t have to bother cooking them. Just layer them up!
- I recommend cottage cheese instead of ricotta, which has more protein and flavor (trust me).
- You can even make this recipe gluten free and/or vegan. See the recipe notes for details.
The end result is a super flavorful, nutrient-dense, veggie-packed lasagna. This lasagna might not be the quickest weeknight option around, but it is a reasonably simple recipe that will absolutely satisfy your comfort food cravings.
Enjoy, and please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
Craving more vegetable-packed casseroles? Here are more of my favorites:
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Lentil Baked Ziti
- Better Broccoli Casserole
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Watch How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (plus 15 minutes cooling time)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Seriously the best veggie lasagna! This lasagna recipe is packed with bell pepper, zucchini and carrots, sautéed until golden and tender on the edges. Recipe yields one 9-inch lasagna, enough for 8 slices.
Ingredients
Veggies and spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Remaining ingredients
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles*
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.
- Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
- Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
- Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 12 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.
- Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.
Notes
*Lasagna noodle recommendations: I like to use DeLallo’s Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (affiliate link) and Whole Foods’ 365 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles. See below for gluten-free suggestions.
Change it up: Feel free to play around with the vegetables here. You’ll want to use about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding the onion). Mushrooms or butternut squash might be nice!
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles. Choose no-boil (oven ready) noodles if possible; if not, cook them according to package directions. (Fair warning, I tried using DeBoles brand of no-bake lasagna noodles and they weren’t done cooking in the time specified here. Reheated leftovers were ok, though.)
Make it dairy free/vegan: Double the recipe for my vegan sour cream (also available in my cookbook, page 217) and use 2 cups instead of the cottage cheese. Skip the step where you would blend the cottage cheese and just barely blend the spinach/veggies into the sour cream. Omit the mozzarella and use all of the tomato sauce for the final layer. Serve the lasagna with a dollop of additional sour cream on top or, better yet, my basil pesto.
Harveen
absolutely delicious!
i added a bit of mushrooms and skipped the bell peppers
I also used 2% cottage cheese and regular mozarella
very good!
Kate
Great to hear, Harveen!
Natasha
Hello from Australia!
I have been trying to cut down my meat intake and if you keep giving us recipes like this, it’s going to be very easy.
This lasagne was fantastic. It doesn’t leave you feeling sluggish like traditional lasagne dose with the heavy cream.
Many thanks.
Kate
You’re welcome, Natasha!
Tina
Hi Kate,
I have made this lasagna a handful of times and everyone loves it! I wanted to make the lasagna ahead of time but noted in some comments that the lasagna can release moisture. Could u cook just the vegetables and freeze? Then when it’s time to make the lasagna, defrost the veggies and squeeze out any moisture before assembling? Thanks again for another amazing recipe!
Kate
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry! Let me know if you try it.
Patty Mochel
Can I use marinated artichokes instead of plain canned ones? I have some in my pantry. Thank you.
Kate
Sure! I hope you love it.
Kristi Towey
If I want to use traditional noodles instead of no boil, do you have a recommendation on how to prepare the noodles? How long should I pre-cook the noodles prior to assembling the lasagna?
Kate
You will want to follow the gluten free noodle instructions – cook them some. See in the notes.
Deb
question: The recipe calls for 1 cup of carrots, a medium zuchinni and red pepper. That adds up to much more than 3 cups. 3 cups or amount listed on ingredient list?
Kate
Hi Deb, Exculding the onion, it should be roughly 3 cups. If you have a bit more than that, it should be fine you just might have a harder time fitting it in your dish. Be sure to put a pan under it if that’s the case.
Patty
I made this for visiting family this week and everyone loved it! My dear DIL is a vegetarian, as am I. The lasagna was our main course; the meat-eaters had it as a side along with grilled chicken and roasted brussels sprouts. I prepared the lasagna the day before and refrigerated it overnight. The next day I gave it some extra time in the oven and it was perfect. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I will definitely make again!
Kate
You’re welcome, Patty! That’s great to hear.
Britt Burrell
I make this with the blender once a week and it’s delicious! I’ve sometimes replaced spinach with kale or basil with parsley air been without zucchini. Doesn’t matter! It’s all good!
Carly
I love this recipe! I had no idea what the make for a vegetarian family with a new baby and came across this. I did a 5x batch to have enough for them and us, so I just carefully diced the veggies and didn’t process them. Everyone raved about it and I’m making it again today for my family.
Payal V
My ENTIRE family loves this. From my youngest picky carnivore to vegetarian mother in law.
I add zucchini and any other veggies I have on hand and I use store bought sauce to make it a quick and easy meal.
Theresa
Ever prepped this a day or two in advance and then baked it?
Kate
I find it can release liquid. I know some have tried it, and didn’t mind the results. It may not be as structured.
Catherine
Hi!Can you make the vegetable lasagna a couple of days ahead?
Thank you! Can’t wait make it!
Kate
This makes great leftovers!
Kaye Schmidt
Delicious. I used a 9 X 13 pan because I had no deep dish 9 X 9. It’s a bit of a challenge without a big food processor! I made it at my Mom’s using her 2 Cup chopper to blend in batches.
Rebecca
Can I make this 2 days ahead, store in the refrigerator then reheat?
Kate
This makes great leftovers. Let me know how it works for you!
Rebecca
Made it the day before Christmas, served as part of a huge food offering Christmas Day. Served again Boxing Day, family absolutely loved it. I added more Parmesan cheese on top for the last reheat, so delicious. Thanks for this beautiful, tasty recipe. The cottage cheese really adds flavour and texture to this dish.
Mark Kelly
I thought this recipe took a long time to make for a very bland meal. My 9 year old daughter refused to eat it. My wife and I both agreed that I did not need to make it again. We are not vegetarians and maybe that was the problem. This took me nearly 3 hours to make. Not happy.
BTW, I am the cook in our household. I have been cooking nearly all our meals for 20 years, so I am not new to the kitchen.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it recipe, Mark. I appreciate your feedback.
Melissa G
Must’ve not been doing it right as I did not have an issue.
DELICIOUS RECIPE!!
Kate
Thank you, Melissa! I’m excited you enjoyed it.
DP
Made for vegetarian guests and went down a treat, even for fussy kids. I also changed cottage cheese for ricotta. Much prefer this to other vegetable lasagnes I have made in the past. Beautifully light but satisfying. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, DP!
Nancy smith
Right? I was just thinking that maybe he wasn’t using great ingredients because mine came out fantastic. Like I am totally blown away by just how good it is. Mark, maybe it is the ingredients you used or maybe you are just so used to the way lasagna tastes with meat that this tasted off? I don’t know but that’s a shame.
I procured all of my ingredients super fresh in Little Italy NYC including their homemade marinara sauce and got all of my veg at this great organic market on the UES. Best lasagna I have ever made…hands down and I too am not usually a veggie lasagna person.
Kate
I’m excited you loved it, Nancy!
Kirsten
I used a manchego sheep’s cheese (more digestible for me) and instead of ricotta I made a vegan version with:
~2 cups almond flour
~3/4 cup water, or more to desired consistency
~2 tablespoons lemon juice, from roughly 1 lemon
~1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
~1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
~1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and onion powder
*Blend together in Vitamix or blender*
Turned out delish (insert chef’s kiss)!
Pat
This will be my third or fourth time making this recipe. This time is for Christmas dinner! It’s the one thing I make that always turns out great.
Kate
I love that! Thank you for your review, Pat.
Katey Scrimgeour
I’ve made this recipes many times. I really love it. Only issue is my lasagna always comes out so messy. It’s very liquidy making it hard to cut into slices. Is there any way to fix this?
Kate
Hi Kate, are you cooking your vegetables until caramelized? If your vegetables aren’t cooked enough, they will add more moisture.
Kathy M
LOVED it! Bur found that a 9 x 9 pan, at least mine, was a bit too shallow so will use a larger pan next time. And there will be a next time. Love your recipes. Hugs to Cookie.
Jinder
Does the cottage cheese make it runny?
Kate
I don’t find it does. You can use ricotta if you prefer.
Katey Scrimgeour
Hi. I’ve been making this lasagna for years. My one problem is it tends to come out very runny making it hard to slice and serve. I still love it but I’m wondering if there is something I can do to correct this.
Kate
Hi Katey, Are you cooking your vegetables long enough? If here appears to be liquid left in the pan, you need to cook more. Does that help?
Sara
This recipe looks amazing, thank you for sharing. Any idea how much protein is in each serving?
Kate
Hi Sara, the nutritional information is below the notes section of the blog.
Sarah Ness
I have made this recipe in the past and love it! I’m making it today for a Christmas Eve Party. I need to assemble it and then bake it 4 hours later. Can it sit in the fridge for that amount of time before baking?
Kate
Hi, how did it turn out for you?
Megan
Yum yum yum yum yum!!!
Mary Wolf
I made this last night for Christmas visitors…it was delicious!! I had some fresh mushrooms, so added them to the sauté…yummy, yummy recipe!
Todd Levy
Kate’s not lying. This is literally the best lasagne I’ve ever had. Thanks Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome, Todd!
Jamie
I make this all the time! I typically add a pound of turkey Italian sausage into the sauce for the carnivores, but it’s perfect with or without. This recipe has never failed me, to the point where we are having it for Christmas Eve this year. Thank you!!
Meghan
I love this vegetarian lasagna recipe. I’ve made many lasagna recipes and this is the best and easiest. I’ve made this at our church’s soup kitchen several times (feeding over 60) and it’s one of their favorites. I’m making this today for Christmas dinner.
Meg
WOW, yes everyone loved this. One friend, who is notoriously “choosy” (doesn’t that sound better than “picky?” asked if she could have some of the leftovers.
I made a few adjustments but the mind-blowing part for me was the veggies mixed IN the cottage cheese ( I did use ricotta) mixture. I used to make a separate layer of them, but they didn’t hold together. This was much better since they were buried in such cheesy goodness they were barely noticeable to those who are not veg fans.
The other big AHA for me was not using eggs. It was so fine without it, even though it was a bit less firm. I’ll admit to tossing in some parm because that’s what I do THANKS! This will be my go-to from now on.
Laura
My sister in law made this for Christmas Eve…OMG – amazing!! My very picky son and carnivore husband both really enjoyed it as well….my son even took it to work for lunch!! This is definitely going to be regularly showing up on my dinner table!
Kate
I’m delighted it was a hit, Laura. Thank you for your review!
cheri Lea
Can this be frozen ?
If so – should it be reheated from frozen ?
or allowed to defrost before reheating ?
Kate
Hi Cheri, I don’t have go-to recommendations for freezing this. I know others have and didn’t mind the results. I would suggest searching the comments to see what others recommend.
Mary MacDonald
Love your recipes!
Kate
Thank you, Mary!
Hazel
How could you make ahead? Do you reccomend storing unbaked in the fridge and bake next day? Or do you recommend baking it and reheating it next day?
Kate
Hi Hazel, I would suggest seeing what others have tried. I prefer this best right away as I find it can release moisture otherwise.
Payal
Love this recipe and love all of your recipes! My family and I have made so many!
I froze half – any recommendations on reheating?
Kate
You can gently reheat in the oven or microwave. I’ve done it in my toaster oven too!
Judith Clarke
Loved this lasagne! It cooked to a beautiful golden shade with sauce bubbling up from the sides of the dish. Didn’t have a 9 x 9 pan so used one that was 8-1/2 x 11-1/2 and everything fit perfectly!
Will make again; perhaps add mushrooms!
David & Marla K
My Husband and I made the Best Vegetable Lasagna We skipped the cottage and the cheeses we used were Gouda and Edam cheeses. We added Baby Bella Mushrooms and a red and yellow pepper to the vegetables
Radhika
Excellent recipe. I have made it several times. I just use my favorite store bought pasta sauce instead of making from scratch and regular lasagna noodles, baked in a 9×13 pan.
Kate
I’m glad it turned out so well, Radhika!
Vee
Really good. My meat eating husband loved it. I followed the recipe exactly. Except I doubled the chili flakes and used dried Basil. This recipe isn’t super seasoned. But it was still good. And I’m sure you could tweak jt winner in my house
Isabeau Iqbal
Delicious! I followed the instructions almost exactly (used kale instead of spinach) and the lasagna was a hit. My only observation is that it took me waaaaay longer than 30 minutes to prep (probably closer to 1 hour).
Judy
Can this be made ahead and frozen before cooking? I’ve seen several recipes for vegetarian lasagna you can freeze, without cooking any of the vegetables… but I love all your recipes. If I can freeze, I’m assuming that I would still cook all the veggies 1st. Also, can I use a combo of fresh mozzarella and
Kate
I know others have tried it, but I prefer it best right away.
Caroline S
This turned out well. I don’t have a food processor, and my husband doesn’t like puréed things, so I just put the cottage cheese and veggies in as separate layers. I also had to strain the veggies, because they never browned and had too much liquid. Glad I did, because it was still very juicy.
Chris Malkemus
I have trouble printing your recipes, it takes up 3 pages & the print is small.I just found you & I would like to print & make some of your recipes. Please can you change to a easier way for printing.
Kate
Hi Chris, Are you using the print function in the recipe card?
Toria
I’ve made this lasagna at least 10 times and I just love it. It is absolutely delicious, easy to put together (after the first time) and everyone loves it. It cooks up beautifully, is fairly healthy and the vegetables and cottage cheese mixture is divine. Thank you so much.
Freezing: Although I’ve never tried to freeze it before cooking, I will say that I freeze leftovers frequently and they taste great microwaved for lunch etc. Thank you Kate. I’m in love with this lasagna.
Kate
You’re welcome, Toria!
Nesta
Very good! This was absolutely delicious. I did end up subbing Cascone’s original pasta sauce to save a bit more time while cooking. Also added some mushrooms to the vegetable mix. Vegetable mix is the star of the show though, and it is very very good. I was hesitant on the carrots being in it, but carrots are a bit essential IMO after having it. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Also first time using no boil noodles, and while not quite as good as boiled noodles I didnt notice a huge difference considering the time/effort saved.
Kaitlyn
Can this be made with fresh pasta noodles? I wanted to try my make lasagna sheets using my kitchen aid mixer.
Kate
It might! Let me know if you try it.
Leslie
Have you cooked and frozen this???
Kate
HI Leslie, I would suggest to see what others have tried in the comments. I don’t have instructions. Sorry!
Kylie Simmons
Is this recipe freezer friends please?
Kate
I don’t have a freezer recipe for this. Sorry!
Steve
I think this is an excellent recipe. Delicious and a unique take on our usual vegetable lasagna. The ingredients filled my 9×9 dish to the brim, so I used a foil lined baking sheet underneath. The comments about moisture were heeded by me, so I followed the author’s instructions to “caramelize” the vegetables when sautéing. I especially like how the vegetables are blended with the cottage cheese (I used 50% ricotta b/c I had it in the fridge). So, overall excellent and worth the time to prepare it.
Patricia
Based on researching many recipes and reviews, I chose this lasagne to serve for NYE, along with a meat lasagne. I followed the recipe exactly and it was fantastic. Even the meat lovers preferred the veggie lasagna. This is by far above any other veggie lasagna we have tried.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Patricia!
Aleksandra Vander Waal
Loved it!
Kate
Great to hear, Aleksandra!
Angela
Was really really good thanks…I added mushrooms to mine also
Lori
This lasagna is amazing! I used cauliflower and mushrooms in addition to the pepper, onion, and carrots. Pulsing the vegetables in the food processor is a great idea, especially for picky eaters. I had extra filling, so I used it in my omelet this morning. Thank you so much Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome, Lori! Thank you for you review.
Erin R Gilbert
This was the best lasagna ever! Followed the recipe to a “T”. We had guests over and everyone loved it. We cannot figure out what makes the recipe so fabulous. We’ve made veggie lasagna before and all the recipes were status quo. As we’re sitting here eating leftovers, my husband and I are contemplating whether it is because a food processor was used (that helped meld the flavors) or if it’s the way the veggies were sauteed. I guess we’ll never know… Try this recipe! You won’t be disappointed.
Kate
I’m excited you loved it, Erin! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Kristi Smith
Wow. Definitely the best lasagna I’ve ever had, hubby loved too. I have a meat-loving family so I had to add Italian sausage, which I know is a no-no for reviews, but it would still be amazing without. (Looking forward to trying it meatless with my vegetarian girls!) The veggie/cottage cheese layer is genius; holds together so well, is delicious, and makes it more kid-friendly. Versatile too, whatever veggies you have, and adjustable for food sensitivities. Wound up having enough for a 9×13 pan. Well worth the effort, will be making often!
Emma
A total frustration the whole way through. I saw this recipe rated 4.9 from thousands of reviews upon googling “vegetarian lasagna recipe”. I should I read the recipe the whole way through before buying the ingredients and starting the cook. This recipe is just a mess. Why 9×9 dish?? I started with one and by the time I got to the third layer it would have been overflowing if I kept layering. Had to switch to a normal sized lasagna dish. Snapping noodles to make them fit in a 9×9 which doesn’t even hold all the ingredients… makes no sense and just infuriated me. Finally when it came time to cut into and serve the dish the noodles were hard! Yes I used oven ready lasagna noodles. The lasagna is back in the oven now hoping the noodles will continue to cook and soften while I angrily type this rant with beer in hand! Thanks for nothing, “Kathryne”
Kate
Hi Emma, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have a great result. Did you measure your vegetables? I tested this several times and know it does impact results if you don’t measure your vegetables since there can be sizing differences in produce. I appreciate your feedback.
Elizabeth
Bookmark this recipe now! This is hands down the best lasagna I’ve ever had. We don’t eat much animal protein in my house but my Italian husband was still skeptical of making vegetarian lasagna (they can often be under-seasoned, watery, etc). I thought this recipe sounded amazing so I surprised my family with this lasagna and a loaf of homemade bread one night. My husband and two boys devoured it. They admitted it was the best lasagna they’d ever had. If you can find it, I recommend using Good Culture cottage cheese. It is the best.
Kate
I’m glad it was a hit, Elizabeth!
Betty
We loved this recipe. I made no changes. However, my husband wanted to beef so I mixed a bit of sauce with sauteed ground beef, used this in one of the layers. I placed a bay leaf on top to identify the meat end. Just delicious.
Lisa M.
I have to give you credit for mixing the veggies with the cottage cheese/ricotta as that was brilliant! I felt no need to zap the veggies after cooking them. Just make sure they’re fully cooled before mixing (I used ricotta). To save a little more time, I used Rao’s marinara and was fearful that it would not be enough sauce to cook the noodles but it was plenty. I cooked a pound of chicken Italian sausage after removing the veggies from the pan, then added in the sauce and let it simmer together a bit. My veggies were onion, garlic (4-5 cloves), red pepper, one zuc, half an eggplant cubed, carrots and 2 big handfuls of spinach. The flavor was outstanding and I will probably make it this way from now on. Thank you!
Skye
So good! I used ricotta & regular mozzarella. I also went with jarred marinara because I’m lazy lol. I also skipped using the food processor & just made sure my veggies were finely chopped. It turned out great & was a total hit with my roommates!
Sylvester Wrather
Hello Kate! My name is Sylvester and I sm from Oklahoma. I don’t cook very much but I decided to make Vegetable Lasagna for me and my Mom and she thought it was good! I tried to follow the directions but I think I made it backwards or upside down, LOL. I think it tasted good too so thank you very much and maybe this is my new years resolution to COOK more often!
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you loved it.
Laurel
I’m waiting for this to come out of the oven, but I found myself eating the cheese/veggie mixture on a cracker, it was so good! I had to use a 9×13 and I used ricotta because that was what we had. I also added a little balsamic and garlic to the veggies.
Betty
We loved this recipe. I mostly followed the exact recipe except I used Rao’s marinara sauce. It was fun to compose, and simply delicious. Oh! My grocer didn’t have no-cook pasta, and I followed Ina Garten’s 20 minute hot water soak. So easy and it worked out like a charm.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Betty!
Lucy
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one! Does the 3 cups of measured vegetables include the spinach ?
Kate
All the vegetables, except the onions.
Nancy
I just finished making this and cut myself a little slice and wow…just wow. I never write reviews for the things I make but this was so good that I wanted to say something and thank you for this recipe. I looked through hundreds to find this one and this one seemed the best for my taste…well I definitely found it haha :-) You really did perfect this.
I changed a couple of things in this recipe. I just could not bring myself to use cottage cheese when I can get homemade ricotta cheese down the road in Little Italy. I never thought to blend it into a cream so thanks for that too….yum!
My husband loves a meat lasagna but I am made this for a group of people and some are vegetarians so I wanted to do a veggie lasagna. My husband calls mushrooms the meat of vegetables haha so I threw in some criminis as well. I also added freshly grated parmesan to each layer and to the top. I also used no boil Delverde noodles which I also got in Little Italy. If you are in NYC head to Di Palo’s for making an amazing lasagne. You cannot beat their ingredients or prices. Ask for Lou!
I will 100% be making this again and I cannot wait to see what people think when they try it. 5+++ stars.
Marcy
Can I make this advance and freeze it? If so should I bake from frozen or defrost first?
Kate
I know others have tried this and have suggestions in the comments. I find it does release some liquid and don’t have go-to instructions. Sorry!
Nicole
This was great, thank you. I used GF no-bake noodles (Barilla) and missed the note about boiling them for a bit so I just recovered the pan with foil and cooked for another 10 minutes at the end and it was perfect. Thanks!
Cari
I have made this twice and we love it! My toddler will eat it as well. Second time I made it, I used eggplant because I didn’t have zucchini.
Kate
Great to hear, Cari!
Angella M Anderson
Yum! I have made lasagna in my carnivore days and was very disappointed, mainly because it was dry. This recipe was very easy to put together with the very clear instructions. It was surprisingly tasty based on the scarcity of spices (my preference). I used the Ronzoni noodles and they cooked perfectly in the time allocated. I used ricotta as that was what I had on hand and also string beans as I didn’t have zucchini. I used a few toothpicks around the pan to keep the foil away from the cheese. The second piece tasted even better than the first. Thank you for a lovely recipe. Next time I will try with cottage cheese.
Kate
Great to hear, Angella! I appreciate your review.
Roxy
My first time making a vegetarian lasagna and the first time some of my oven ready noodles were underdone! 30 minutes is maybe just not enough time, even at 425? Most of my lasgna recipes are baked at 375 for 40-45 minutes, plus rest afterward. Otherwise, very tasty. Also wish I had used a 9 x 13 pan like my gut told me, but no overflow onto the baking sheet I used just in case. Thought maybe I wouldn’t have enough filling for the bigger pan, but it would have been 1/2- 3/4 full. Also went with store bought spaghetti sauce I had left over from another recipe (again, ignored instinct/previous recipes that add a bit of water to typical canned sauces for absorption by oven noodles), and no zucchini available. Maybe that is another source of my firm noodles?
Ann
This is amazing, I used my own marinara recipe and ricotta cheese. My husband and I loved it.
Kate
Great to hear, Ann! I appreciate your review.
Rachel
Kate I have to tell you that I have made your Lasagna recipe many many times. It is the best I like to add a little sausage to half of the recipe for myself. It turns out every time. I freeze lunch size portions for my husband to take to lunch.
Thank you for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome, Rachel!
Ken Hulme
I have to agree with others that, as written the recipeis extremely bland. I used a 28oz box of Pomi brand finely chopped tomatoes plus several tablespoons of Italian seasonings — Basil, Oregano, Everything Italian brand seasoning, garlic, and more to bring the flavor up to something resembling an Italian flavor profile.
Did not puree veggies or cheese, did add 8 oz of mushrooms to the saute, did combine with the cottage cheese.
Walter T.
This was a miss for me. Step 7 (“pulsing” 5 to 7 times (!!) to blend the veggies) is easy to overdo, and possibly altogether unnecessary. My painstakingly chopped and cooked veggies were reduced into a textureless green sludge.
Quantities were off too — I needed more noodles, cheese, and sauce than specified, and had too much of the veggies. Even then, the taste was lacking. Needs more of a crunch, eggplant cubes or something. I do not recommend this recipe and won’t repeat it. Next time I’m using a proven spinach and cheese recipe instead.
Kate
Hi Walter, I’m sorry to hear you had an issue. Did you measure your vegetables and be sure to cook until caramelized? That will ensure you don’t have too much. I appreciate your feedback.
April
Making this right now ;) and am not sure what I am supposed to do with the juices of the drained tomatoes. Are they used? I don’t see it mentioned again.
Thanks!
Kate
They are just drained, not used in this recipe.
Chandler
This was fabulous!! I pretty much just threw any extra veggies I had (to an extent) in and added extra cheese and it was just amazing!! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Chandler! I appreciate your review.
Beth
This is BY FAR the best lasagna recipe I have ever made. I have shared the recipe with a number of people and they all love it! Two questions, can this be frozen and if so, before or after baking and if you are giving this as a meal for friends or relatives, should it be given already cooked or uncooked with instructions?
Kate
I haven’t tried to freeze it, but I know others have and didn’t mind the results. I would suggest seeing what others have tried in the comments.
Shirley
Looking forward to making this. It sounds amazing. Can this lasagna be frozen?
Kate
Hi Shirley, I know others have tried it and didn’t mind the results.
JJ
My family went from skeptical (no meat) to arguing over the leftovers! Will be making this on the regular! Thanks for a great recipe. Here’s some things I did after reading the reviews.Used a 9×13 dish with extra veggies/cheese. Regular (not oven ready) lasagna noodles and followed Ina’s 20 min soak method, which worked great! Used a mix of Raos Marinara and Raos Arribitta sauces since I know our family enjoys those flavors and patted Ricotta with paper towels to absorb any excess liquid. I used the suggested cook times but left it in a little longer to get the cheese to brown on top. I will experiment with the textures of the cheese and veggies on the next batch to tailor it to my personal preferences, if my family will allow it! Ha…. Wonderful!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, JJ!
RPG
Can you use Ricotta instead of cottage cheese in this recipe?
Kate
Yes! It’s listed as an option.
Elaine
Hi Katie- can I freeze this recipe? I want to make it ahead and bring it to the beach. Thanks!
Kate
Hi Elaine! Others have froze this and didn’t mind the results. I don’t have go-to recommendations. Sorry!
Susan
I do not have a food processor, and thought about buying one just for this recipe. I’m glad I didn’t. I took my time chopping all the vegetables and sautéed them until there was no more liquid in the pan. I used my blender to blend half the cottage cheese. I loved the taste and final results. I found it pleasing to see small chunks of veggies and spinach throughout the dish. I will be making this again the same way!
Kate
I’m glad you figured out a way to make this, Susan! I appreciate your review.
Cheryl Hixson
I used Barilla oven ready gluten free noodles and they were too undercooked even with extra cook time. Still, it was SO delicious! I’m making another one right now and plan to cook the noodles for just a few minutes just to be safe. We are a family of meat lovers and everyone gave this recipe rave reviews.
Karol
Great recipe. It fills the pan to the very top and I worried about it bubbling over. But mine didn’t. Very very yummy.
Kate
Great to hear, Karol! I appreciate your review.
Moe
Can I prepare this and freeze it for later? if so, what is the best way to do so?
Kate
I don’t have go-to instructions for the freezer. I suggest searching the comments to see what has worked well for others.
Allie
Literally PHENOMENAL. We aren’t vegetarian, but adored this recipe. Why have I never whipped cottage cheese?! And what else can I do that in? So tasty!!! Thank you!
Jaclyn
So good! Excellent base recipe that I modified just a bit with terrific results. Rather than lasagna noodles I used whole wheat Penne pasta and added a pound of browned ground turkey. No layering necessary— easy assembly! Followed the rest of recipe as written and seasoned to taste. Delicious!
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Jaclyn!
Jac
This gave me the structure I needed to be confident in making a tasty meatless lasagna! I already had ricotta on hand and jar marinara but the measurements from the recipe were spot on! Next time I will be sure to try it with the cottage cheese.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Jac!
Joanne
Delicious! Pleasantly surprised how easy recipe was and very tasty. I did not puree vegetables and it came out perfect. I did dice everything up small.
Ashley Tompkins
This was really good! The veggies add a depth of flavor you don’t normal get with lasagna. We did make some alterations – added Italian ground chicken and jar marinara. Amazing all together!
Harry
Very excellent recipe! I added a layer of Eggplant to mine. When following the instructions my no boil lasagna noodles were completely uncooked. I used the Whole Foods’ No Boil lasagna noodles and needed to cook the lasagna for 20 more minutes covered.
Katie
I’ve made this recipe many times and it is delicious. Like other commenters I recently wondered if I could make this in advance for a party. I ended up tripling the recipe, cooking the veggies and making the sauce the night before and assembling the lasagna about 2 hours ahead of our guests arriving. It tasted as good as if I had done everything the day of. Hope this helps someone!
Becky Cartwright
I don’t know if I did something wrong here, but the lasagne sheets on the top were completely hard after cooking. Were fresh sheets (soft) used here, or are the lasagne sheets we have in the uk different? It was delicious but had to remove the top layer.
Kate
Yes, in the US we use hard so that is likely your issue.
Teresa
When I googled “Best Vegetarian Lasagna” this was the first on the list, so I made it. It’s become one of my all time favorite go to meals. Only alternative I had to make was using oven ready gluten free lasagna noodles, soooo delicious!!!
Kate
Great to hear you loved it, Teresa! I am glad this is a go-to for you.
Stephanie M
Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it, wish I make more ! I also added lentils in it!
Abigail
Delicious! I’m freshly postpartum and I’m making this in bulk to freeze and heat up when I need a quick weeknight meal :) I’m planning on just cooking it as per the recipe and allowing to cool then freezing in tinfoil and plastic bags.
Melissa
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t use peppers or spinach, but added fresh garlic and seasonings to the veggies . Used 3 jars of rao’s marinara sauce, jovial gf no boil noodles, 2% cottage cheese, and a Monterrey Jack/parmesean blend for the cheese. Baked in a 9×13 pan for 55 mins covered. Then uncovered and baked for 10 more mins. Turned out great!
Shelley
OMG this turned out so good. This is the best vegetarian that I have made. One advice is to drain the diced tomatoes as recipe states and forget about the extra juice. You will have enough sauce. However, I didn’t think I would but I did in fact have plenty and needed to drain a little liquid too.
Sabah
I’m not usually one to comment once I’ve tried a recipe but I really must say this recipe was absolutely divine. Thank you so much – I copied the recipe exactly and the taste was absolutely delicious. It looked so beautiful as well with the colours etc – definitely a recipe I will be making regularly! Thank you again!
Kate
You’re welcome, Sabah!
Stefanie
I made this recipe last night and it turned out great! I added a little Frank’s Red Hot to the tomato sauce instead of red pepper flakes, and also added some nutritional yeast for salty-cheesiness as well. I used a 9″x12″ dish and so I ran out of mozzarella when it came to the topping, but I made up for it with fresh grated parmesan. Thanks for adding to my repertoire of vegetarian dishes!
Liz
Making it for the 5th time! Ive used pressed cottage cheese and regular. Thank you for the recipe!
Kate
I love to hear that, Liz! Thank you for your review.