Lighten up your lasagna without lightening up the flavor! This Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe is filled with zucchini, mushrooms, spinach and ricotta cheese. It's a wonderful meatless Italian meal that's sure to be loved by both vegetarians and meat lovers!
Add the olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
Add the mushrooms, zucchini and onions, sauté 6-8 minutes.
Drain any liquid from the skillet.
Place the skillet back on the stove and add the garlic and spinach, saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir into the vegetables.
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning and salt.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover, simmering for 20 minutes.
Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove, add the lasagna noodles, cook until al dente, about 4-5 minutes, then drain.
Lay the cooked & drained noodles out in an even layer on a cutting board so that the noodles do not stick together. Set aside until later.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese.
To prepare the lasagna, place 3 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
Spread a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles.
Place a layer of vegetable sauce on top of the cheese.
Layer noodles, ricotta, vegetable sauce 2 more times.
Top the lasagna with the remaining 3 lasagna noodles and 2 ¾ cups of mozzarella cheese.
Tent the lasagna with aluminum foil, place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbling.
Remove the lasagna from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
This vegetarian lasagna can be frozen for up to 6 months. Feel free to make this recipe in two 8 inch x 8 inch pans. You can eat one now and freeze one for later. This recipe easily serves 6-8 people, so a half pan will easily feed 3-4 people. I recommend storing the extra lasagna un-baked in the freezer. When ready to cook, transfer the lasagna from the freezer to the refrigerator 24 hours in advance. Bake the lasagna as instructed in the recipe.
The sauce can be made ahead of time. Feel free to prepare the vegetable sauce up to 2 days in advance of preparing the lasagna. Store the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the lasagna. I do not recommend preparing the cheese mixture until you’re ready to prepare the lasagna.
Assembled, but uncooked lasagna should be stored in the refrigerator and cooked within 24 hours of assembly.
Prepared and cooked lasagna can be kept in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Feel free to use other veggies! Diced bell peppers, summer squash, carrots or broccoli can all be used to make the vegetable sauce.
How to make this recipe vegan: replace the ricotta cheese with tofu ricotta. It’s easy to make tofu ricotta cheese at home in 5 minutes, or you can look for it pre-made at the grocery store. You’ll also want to use vegan mozzarella cheese and omit the egg in the ricotta cheese mixture.
How to make this recipe gluten free: substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles for traditional lasagna noodles. The other ingredients are naturally gluten free.
To reheat the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the entire casserole dish of lasagna from the refrigerator, cover with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling. You can also reheat individual pieces of lasagna in the microwave for 3 minutes.