Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna is a staple meal in my household. From the very first moment that I ever tried it, I was hooked. My family much rather prefers Vegetable Lasagna to any other type of lasagna, which some might find surprising. However, I am sure that once you try this recipe, you will understand why we chose to ditch the meat and fell in love with the veggies. At my house, we always have vegetables, lasagna noodles, cheese and jars of tomato sauce on hand so it is easy to make a pan of this in a pinch. This lasagna lasts for days! It provides 8 servings, so if you want more than 8 servings, then just double or triple this recipe.

If you are looking for a tastier way to eat your veggies, this is it! Vegetable Lasagna is a wonderful way to sneak veggies into your diet…or your children’s or grandchildren’s diets. If you are trying to hide the fact that there are veggies in this dish, there is a way to do that. You can first sauté them, add the tomato basil sauce, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and then puree everything into a thick sauce. I choose to not do this since I dice my veggies in small pieces so I do not mind the chunkiness of it. The way in which I make it makes it rather tender and easy to chew.

This lasagna is a wonderful comfort meal and in the cold winter, it is exactly what we could all use. It is something that warms our bellies, keeps us full, but is also healthy. There is just something about the tenderly sautéed vegetables combined with the tomato sauce and both cheese mixtures that bring so much comfort. A comfort meal this is for sure.

Vegetable Lasagna

Recipe by Madison

5.0 from 4 votes

Course: Casserole Recipes, Easy Recipes, Family Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Kid Friendly Recipes, Low Cost Recipes, Lunch Recipes, Pasta RecipesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium white or sweet onion, diced

• 1 medium zucchini, diced

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped with stalks discarded

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 2 cups jarred tomato basil pasta sauce

• salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

• 2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Boil pasta according to package instructions.
• In a medium skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat and sauté onion, carrot and zucchini for about 5 minutes.
• Add baby spinach and broccoli and cook until spinach is wilted.
• Add tomato basil sauce, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Turn off the heat and stir.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix Italian seasoning and ricotta/cottage cheese together. Set aside until assembly.
• To Assemble:
• In a 9×13 pan, spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and veggie mixture on the bottom. This will ensure the pasta does not stick to the pan.
• Lay down 4 noodles and add sauce mixture, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture and shredded mozzarella. Repeat for the following layers. On the top 4 noodles only add sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• Bake covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Use any other vegetables you may like.

If you have never made a lasagna before, it can sound pretty intimidating. Trust me when I tell you that this is EASY! I used a jarred Tomato Basil sauce. I then added salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. If you have time, you can certainly whip up your own Tomato Basil sauce. It is all up to you. You are the cook here! Layering this is the fun part, I enjoy the way the cooked pasta feels on my hands as I assemble it in the dish. I make sure to get the sauce and cheeses in the corners. Please do not neglect the corners of this dish. They need love too! Be sure to spread out the sauce and cheeses evenly.

I love making meals that I can make in bulk that also freeze well. This Vegetable Lasagna can be assembled, frozen for up to 3 months, thawed in the refrigerator and then cooked for 30 minutes at 425° F (220° C). As you can see, this dish comes together in no time. Sooner rather than later, your belly will be warmed by a nice hunky square of this cheesy, saucy and vegetable filled goodness!

You have to try this recipe! If you have a favorite vegetable that I did not use, then use it in the lasagna and see what you create. You can never have too many vegetables!

Enjoy your Vegetable Lasagna!

-Madison