This Amazing Veggie Lasagna is hearty and delicious, and in no way will you be missing the meat! It is layers of tomato sauce, vegetables, cheese, and lasagna in perfect harmony. You will want to make this recipe all the time.
Would you like more delicious vegetarian meals? Try our Lentil Casserole, Best Shakshuka Recipe or our amazing Coconut Chickpea Curry. Or more pasta dishes with our 40 Comforting Pasta Dishes.
How to Keep Veggie Lasagna from Getting Soggy?
This has been one of my major problems: how to keep a veggie lasagna from becoming a watery, soggy mess. So I sought a solution. Now we have some excellent tips for you to keep the lasagna just perfect every time.
- If you buy ricotta and it is watery, drain the water off before using it.
- Follow our directions to roast the zucchini to remove a lot of the water content.
- Saute the mushrooms to remove their water content.
- Only partially cook the lasagna so it will absorb any water in the recipe.
- Use a tomato sauce, not fresh or canned tomatoes.
All of these tips will help eliminate a lot of the water content that would normally result in a soggy lasagna.
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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Casserole Dish, 9×13 Ceramic Baking Dish, Large Lasagna Pan Deep
Boos Block Cutting Board, 20 Inches x 15 Inches x 1.5 Inches, Maple with Juice Groove
What Does Veg Lasagna Contain?
This hearty vegetable lasagna has loads of ingredients to make it the best, but they are simple, easy ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.
Ingredients
Zucchini, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick – Roasting the zucchini ahead of time gets rid of some of the moisture and adds more flavor.
Button mushrooms, sliced – You can use white or brown mushrooms.
Cooking spray – To keep the lasagna from sticking.
Olive oil – Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Dried oregano – Dried works great in the recipe, but you can use fresh if you have it.
Kosher salt – I like cooking with this salt so much better than table salt, which I find to be too salty.
Freshly ground black pepper – Always fresh ground.
Garlic, minced – Adds a bounty of flavor.
Lasagna noodles – I learned this trick by soaking the lasagna instead of having to boil lasagna noodles from an Ina Garten recipe. This allows any extra moisture to be absorbed by the noodles. I prefer this method to oven-ready lasagna noodles.
Roasted red peppers, drained – These are all ready for you with much less fuss if you buy them jarred.
Fresh ricotta cheese, drained if full of water – Ricotta cheese varies; if yours is watery, then you must drain it.
Creamy garlic and herb goat cheese, at room temperature – This adds a punch of flavor and tang to the lasagna.
Large eggs, lightly beaten – This binds the cheese layer together.
Fresh basil leaves, chopped – I love using fresh basil for this recipe as it gives it the right flavor.
Parmesan cheese, grated, divided – It is the king of cheeses for a lasagna.
Good marinara sauce – Don’t cheap out on this ingredient; it can make or break your vegetable lasagna recipe.
Mozzarella, grated – Freshly grate your own mozzarella; it is so much better than pre-grated.
Sliced mozzarella – This is how I love to finish off a lasagna; not only is it easy, but it covers the top of the veggie lasagna recipe perfectly.
How to Make Veggie Lasagna
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Arrange the zucchini in single layers on 2-3 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Spray the zucchini strips with cooking spray. Sprinkle the strips with the dried oregano, 2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 ½ tsp fresh ground pepper.
Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the minced garlic evenly over the zucchini and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes; be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove the pans from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Cooking the Mushrooms
While the zucchini is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil; when the oil is heated, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan.
Sauté the mushrooms for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tsp of Kosher salt to the mushrooms and continue to cook until nicely browned and most of the moisture has been drawn out of the mushrooms. Set aside.
Preparing the Noodles
Also, while the zucchini is roasting, fill a very large bowl with hot tap water, then add enough boiling water to the bowl to bring the temperature of the water to 140 degrees F.
Add the lasagna noodles to the hot water and soak them for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally so the noodles don’t stick to each other. Drain the noodles and add a splash of olive oil to the bowl to help prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set aside.
Cheesy Layer and Building the Lasagna
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, chopped fresh basil, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, and 3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until the mixture is homogenous.
Using a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish, pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom and spread so the bottom is covered.
Next, arrange 1/3 of the zucchini, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers on top, then add a layer of lasagna noodles (cut to fit as necessary).
Then spread 1/3 of the grated mozzarella, then dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the grated mozzarella. Repeat this layer twice more, starting with the marinara sauce.
Cover the top with the remaining marinara sauce, then lay the mozzarella on top. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the mozzarella slices.
Place the dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for easy clean-up!) and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and it is bubbling. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Pro Tips!
How do I Store Veggie Lasagna?
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3-5 days.
You can also freeze lasagna in an air-tight container or wrap it well for 3 months.
Can I Prepare Lasagna Ahead of Time?
You can prepare the lasagna ahead of time and freeze it before baking. Remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking.
Can I Substitute Other Vegetables in This Lasagna?
Yes, absolutely, but treat them the same as you have the vegetables in this recipe by cooking them ahead of time to release their moisture. Try eggplant, spinach (cooked and squeezed dry), different squash, or other roasted peppers. Also, if you would like to add some heat to your recipe, feel free to sprinkle in a bit of red pepper flakes to a few layers.
WANT MORE DELICIOUS LASAGNA CREATIONS?
We love a comforting plate of lasagna at any time of the year. Here are some of our favorites, which are either vegetarian or not.
Amazing Veggie Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 lbs zucchini unpeeled, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick
- 1 lbs button mushrooms sliced
- Cooking spray
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 10 oz lasagna noodles
- 2 – 16 oz jars of roasted red peppers drained
- 16 oz fresh ricotta cheese slightly drained
- 8 oz creamy garlic and herb goat cheese at room temperature
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¾ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated, divided
- 2 – 20 oz jars of good marinara sauce
- 12 oz mozzarella grated
- 6 oz sliced mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Arrange the zucchini in single layers on 2-3 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Spray the zucchini strips with cooking spray. Sprinkle the strips with the dried oregano, 2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 ½ tsp fresh ground pepper.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the minced garlic evenly over the zucchini and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes; be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove the pans from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- While the zucchini is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil; when the oil is heated, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan.
- Sauté the mushrooms for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tsp of Kosher salt to the mushrooms and continue to cook until nicely browned and most of the moisture has been drawn out of the mushrooms. Set aside.
- Also, while the zucchini is roasting, fill a very large bowl with hot tap water, then add enough boiling water to the bowl to bring the temperature of the water to 140 degrees F.
- Add the lasagna noodles to the hot water and soak them for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally so the noodles don’t stick to each other. Drain the noodles and add a splash of olive oil to the bowl to help prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, chopped fresh basil, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, and 3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until the mixture is homogenous.
- Using a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish, pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom and spread so the bottom is covered.
- Next, arrange 1/3 of the zucchini, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers on top, then add a layer of lasagna noodles (cut to fit as necessary).
- Then spread 1/3 of the grated mozzarella, then dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the grated mozzarella. Repeat this layer twice more, starting with the marinara sauce.
- Cover the top with the remaining marinara sauce, then lay the mozzarella on top. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the mozzarella slices.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for easy clean-up!) and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and it is bubbling. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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