If vegetable lasagna isn’t pure comfort food, I don’t know what is. With layers of three types of melted cheeses, pasta, garden-fresh mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and two kinds of roasted squash, this blend of delightful flavors will have your taste buds doing their happy dance!
Move over regular lasagna and welcome the new kid on the block, a meatless lasagna recipe that I predict will edge out your current favorite. Now don’t get me wrong, I love lasagna with meat, and I’m not about to give up one of my favorite dishes. But this recipe won me over after the first bite, and now it’s on a regular rotation at our house.
Why you will love this recipe:
- It’s a great way to sneak more vegetables into your family’s diet. Even your pickiest eaters will love this dish.
- Like regular lasagna, it does have quite a few ingredients and a lot of steps, but it also makes enough for two to three meals for most families. Make one and freeze the other(s) for later.
- The homemade tomato sauce is beyond delicious! No jarred sauce here.
- Perfect for meatless Monday, this garden lasagna, like most pasta dishes, is even better the next day and, a bonus, it can be made ahead!
What’s in it:
I alluded to this above, but this vegetable lasagna does have a lot of ingredients. In addition to lasagna noodles, you will also need an onion, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, as well as zucchini and yellow squash.
In addition, you will also need olive oil, canned diced tomatoes, and a can of tomato puree. Additional ingredients include sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, fresh basil, and oregano, balsamic vinegar, an egg, and ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses.
How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Coarsely chop one zucchini and one yellow squash—place in a bowl with one tablespoon of olive oil and toss. Pour out on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Add the remaining three tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for four to five minutes or until the onion is tender.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the carrots, red pepper, mushrooms, and roasted squash and cook for ten minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the canned tomatoes tomato puree, sugar, salt, and pepper and mix well. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for ten minutes. Add in the basil, oregano, and balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for an additional ten minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Combine the ricotta, one and one-half cups of the mozzarella cheese, the egg, and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl and mix well.
To assemble and bake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Place one-half a cup of the tomato-vegetable mixture in the bottom of the dish and spread out evenly.
Top with a layer of noodles.
Add one-half of the remaining tomato-vegetable mixture and spread out evenly.
Top with another layer of noodles. Add the cheese mixture and spread out evenly.
Add another layer of noodles and the remaining tomato-vegetable mixture.
Top with slices of mozzarella cheese.
Thinly slice the remaining zucchini and yellow squash and arrange evenly over the top.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about ten minutes to firm up. Serve immediately.
Sharon’s tips:
One teaspoon of dried basil and dried oregano can be substituted for the fresh herbs.
I use no-boil lasagna noodles in this recipe because it does have so many moving parts, however, feel free to use regular noodles you cook, if you like.
There are several ways to make this dish ahead. One option is to roast the squash, then refrigerate it until you are ready to finish making it. You can also make it up to the point of finishing cooking the tomato-vegetable mixture and then refrigerate that until you are ready to assemble it. Finally, you can just make the whole thing, cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours, or freeze it unbaked for up to three months before baking.
This recipe serves eight. If your family is smaller, consider making it in several dishes and baking one, and freezing the rest.
If you do freeze it, for the best results, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
And, finally, be sure to let the baked dish sit for ten or so minutes to firm up before you try to cut and serve it.
More comfort food recipes:
If you like recipes like this, I think you may also like these popular recipes on my blog:
- Chicken, Sausage, and Wild Rice Casserole
- Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Easy Supreme Pizza Casserole
- Ultimate Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake Casserole
Need more casserole recipes or menu suggestions? Simply type “casserole” in the search box, and all of my casserole recipes will come up.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Vegetable Lasagna Recipe - Pure Comfort Food
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini divided
- 2 yellow squash divided
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots large, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes undrained
- 10 oz can tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1-½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese slices
- 16 oz pkg no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Coarsely chop one zucchini and one yellow squash—place in a bowl with one tablespoon of olive oil and toss. Pour out on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Add the remaining three tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for four to five minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the carrots, red pepper, mushrooms, and roasted squash and cook for ten minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the canned tomatoes tomato puree, sugar, salt, and pepper and mix well. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for ten minutes. Add in the basil, oregano, and balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for an additional ten minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine the ricotta, one and one-half cups of the mozzarella cheese, the egg, and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl and mix well.
To assemble and bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place one-half a cup of the tomato-vegetable mixture in the bottom of the dish and spread out evenly.
- Top with a layer of noodles. Add one-half of the remaining tomato-vegetable mixture and spread out evenly.
- Top with another layer of noodles. Add the cheese mixture and spread out evenly.
- Add another layer of noodles and the remaining tomato-vegetable mixture.
- Top with the mozzarella cheese slices.
- Thinly slice the remaining zucchini and yellow squash and arrange evenly over the top.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about ten minutes to firm up. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
*Special thanks to Kay Judkins for sharing this recipe with me so I can share it with you!
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