This post contains affiliate links.
This vegetarian lasagna is the real deal. Classic marinara, creamy bechamel, layers of veggies, and major crowd-pleasing power. A community-favorite with easy-to-follow directions, you’ll come back to this foolproof veggie lasagna recipe again and again!
save this recipe!Lasagna 2.0
Confession: growing up, I hated lasagna. I know, sounds crazy, right? But hear me out—it was the ricotta’s texture that threw me off (after all, baked ricotta does have a grainy texture).
I later discovered that traditional Italian lasagna doesn’t even use ricotta. Instead, it calls for bechamel, a smooth and creamy white sauce.
That’s why we’re going all-in with bechamel for today’s vegetarian lasagna (that’s packed to the brim with vegetables). It’s surprisingly easy to make and the 15 minutes of prep time is worth every second.
Reader rating
“This has become our go-to recipe for lasagna. It is flavorful, delicious, and so easy prep work wise. We even made it for my partner’s dad for father’s day and he went back for seconds! That’s quite the compliment coming from a man who makes a lot of his own dishes by hand.” —Tiffany
Looking to go noodle-free? Try this eggplant lasagna or this zucchini lasagna (they’re both gluten-free!). And if you’re short on time, my dump-and-bake lasagna casserole is a game changer.
Key Ingredients
Our vegetable lasagna requires only a handful of ingredients. This is an overview, but you can jump to the recipe card for exact measurements!
- Veggies: I love zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, and baby spinach, but you can also try mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, or celery.
- Bechamel: We’ll use bechamel sauce instead of ricotta. It’s easy to make and makes the lasagna so creamy.
- Marinara: Here’s how to make fresh tomato marinara (or use a store bought jar).
- Noodles: We’re using no-boil noodles, which cut your prep time down dramatically.
- Cheese: Shredded mozzarella melts perfectly!
Making Veggie Lasagna Is Easy
As with most Live Eat Learn recipes, I’ve pared down this recipe as much as possible to make it super easy and approachable (full directions in the recipe card at the end of this post).
- Prep veggies in a saute pan.
- Make bechamel on the stovetop.
- Layer noodles > bechamel veggies > cheese > marinara > (and repeat!).
- Bake covered until almost done, then uncovered to brown the cheese
- Rest the lasagna for a few minutes, and enjoy!
Prep Ahead
Lasagna is a great meal to make ahead of time! Assemble everything in your baking dish, then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until ready to bake (up to 3 days).
Easy Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe (No Ricotta!)
Ingredients
Lasagna Veggies
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 handful spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Bechamel Sauce
- 2 cups milk, low-fat or whole, 470 mL
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, 56 g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 30 g
- ½ cups grated parmesan cheese, 30 g
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 12 oz box no boil lasagna noodles
- 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce, click for homemade recipe, 680
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 200 g
Instructions
- Veggies: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, and 1 red bell pepper (all diced), cooking until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. Add 1 handful spinach and 2 cloves garlic (minced) and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted down, about 1 minute.
- Bechamel: Heat 2 cups milk in the microwave for about 2 minutes until warm. Melt 4 Tbsp unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Whisk in the ¼ cup all-purpose flour, cooking and stirring until the mixture is slightly golden brown and no longer smells like raw flour, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in all of the milk, stirring well to combine evenly. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cups grated parmesan cheese and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
- Assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread ½ cup of marinara onto the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Layer in ⅓ of the lasagna noodles.Then layer – ⅓ of the bechamel, half of the veggies, ⅓ of the cheese, and 1 cup of tomato sauce. Top with ⅓ of the lasagna noodles.Repeat for the second layer – ⅓ of the bechamel, the second half of the veggies, ⅓ of the cheese, and 1 cup of tomato sauce. Top with ⅓ of the lasagna noodles.For the top – Spoon on the remaining bechamel and tomato sauce, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Bake: Covered tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes until bubbling at the edges. Remove foil, increase temperature to 400°F (204°C), and continue cooking until the top is golden brown.
- Rest: Allow lasagna to sit uncovered on the counter for 15 to 45 minutes before serving to help layers firm up and avoid a soupy mess.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Did I see a chick pea in the main picture?
No chickpeas in this one! 🙂
Great lasagna recipe! The more vegetables the better and this has many. Clearly it is nutritionally dense. Add beyond white flour noodles & your meal will achieve your vitamin requirements for the day! Thank you Sarah for sharing.
I thought I saw one! Why not put some in ??? Yum!!😋
My family loved this! It was a great vegetarian recipe without ricotta
Love hearing that, thanks for trying it!
So good. We added lentils and whatever veggies we had. Thank you!
So glad it turned out well!
So delicious and I hate ricotta so this was perfect
Thanks for making it and sharing Gina!
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it few times now and everyone loves it! It freezes well too! I added 2 handful butternut squash and drained can of chick peas and yum !
Thanks for the kind words Sanela, happy eating!
In my 70yrs, I have got to say that this is the best lasagna that I have ever tasted in my life. My daughter-in-law made this and I was totally amazed that there was NO ricotta and NO meat!! Definitely going to make a couple of these to freeze and share 🤤
You just made my day, thanks so much for the kind words Venetia!
Thanks for making my day with your comment Venetia, so pleased you enjoyed the recipe!
I’m so excited to make this tonight! I love a good vegetarian lasagna! Quick question, sorry if this is stupid: is it possible to make this with lasagna noodles that have to be boiled prior? I thought we had no-boil lasagna noodles in the pantry but I was wrong! :'(
Hi Hope! Sorry for the late reply. Yes, you can make this recipe with noodles that require boiling first! Just cook them to al dente so they’re not quite cooked all the way through before assembling.
My family loved it but I thought it needed more flavor. Maybe nutmeg in the bechamel? Herbs with the veggies? I welcome suggestions. It did take at least 45 minutes to assemble.
Nutmeg in the bechamel would be amazing, and you can definitely add herbs in with the veggies! A simple fix if you think something needs more flavor is to add just a little more salt; it helps to amplify all the flavors in the dish 🙂
I made this, adding a little extra cheese, because, well, cheese. And a little extra marinara. I have one in the family that doesn’t like ricotta so this was a great find, and oh my, I thought it was better than my meat lasagna! I will definitely be making this again.
Nothing better than hearing this, thank you Michelle!
Hello – do you think Lactaid milk will work, as well? Thanks!
I think it would!