I set out to create the best vegetable lasagna recipe. Here it is! This vegetarian lasagna is cheesy (of course), and loaded with vegetables, spinach and a simple tomato sauce.
If you have any meatless-meal skeptics in your life, this lasagna will change their mind. I’m sure of it.
This lasagna is based on my spinach artichoke lasagna on the blog and the roasted eggplant lasagna in my cookbook. I love those less-conventional vegetarian lasagnas.
Yet, I wanted to offer a classic vegetable lasagna suitable for holidays and weeknights, and this is it. The tomato sauce is the same across all three recipes, but the vegetables vary.
For this recipe, you’ll chop bell pepper, zucchini and carrot into very small pieces and sauté them until they’re nice and golden on the edges. That caramelization brings out so much more flavor. Then, add spinach to the skillet and cooked it down for a few minutes so it doesn’t get too soggy.
The Best Vegetable Lasagna
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- You can easily adjust the vegetables to suit the seasons or your pantry (see recipe notes).
- The sauce is made from scratch with basic ingredients. It only takes a few minutes to make.
- Use no-boil noodles and you don’t have to bother cooking them. Just layer them up!
- I recommend cottage cheese instead of ricotta, which has more protein and flavor (trust me).
- You can even make this recipe gluten free and/or vegan. See the recipe notes for details.
The end result is a super flavorful, nutrient-dense, veggie-packed lasagna. This lasagna might not be the quickest weeknight option around, but it is a reasonably simple recipe that will absolutely satisfy your comfort food cravings.
Enjoy, and please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
Craving more vegetable-packed casseroles? Here are more of my favorites:
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Lentil Baked Ziti
- Better Broccoli Casserole
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Watch How to Make Vegetable Lasagna
Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (plus 15 minutes cooling time)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Seriously the best veggie lasagna! This lasagna recipe is packed with bell pepper, zucchini and carrots, sautéed until golden and tender on the edges. Recipe yields one 9-inch lasagna, enough for 8 slices.
Ingredients
Veggies and spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Remaining ingredients
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles*
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.
- Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
- Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
- Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 12 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.
- Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.
Notes
*Lasagna noodle recommendations: I like to use DeLallo’s Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (affiliate link) and Whole Foods’ 365 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles. See below for gluten-free suggestions.
Change it up: Feel free to play around with the vegetables here. You’ll want to use about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding the onion). Mushrooms or butternut squash might be nice!
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles. Choose no-boil (oven ready) noodles if possible; if not, cook them according to package directions. (Fair warning, I tried using DeBoles brand of no-bake lasagna noodles and they weren’t done cooking in the time specified here. Reheated leftovers were ok, though.)
Make it dairy free/vegan: Double the recipe for my vegan sour cream (also available in my cookbook, page 217) and use 2 cups instead of the cottage cheese. Skip the step where you would blend the cottage cheese and just barely blend the spinach/veggies into the sour cream. Omit the mozzarella and use all of the tomato sauce for the final layer. Serve the lasagna with a dollop of additional sour cream on top or, better yet, my basil pesto.
Merri
Do you think this recipe is good to make ahead? If so, would you amend the recipe in any ways?
Thanks!
Kate
Yes, I think this is a great one to make ahead! You can either baked it all the way or put it together and refrigerate for a few hours before you are ready to bake it. I hope this helps!
Shellie
I made this once and am going to make it again tonight. I puréed the onion because I wanted the flavor but not the chunks, my daughter wouldn’t eat it if she saw them and also I didn’t sauté the baby spinach I figured baking it was enough. This lasagna is delicious
S. Clark
Could I substitute ricotta for the cottage cheese (I don’t like it).
Kate
I accidentally wrote ricotta on my shopping list, and it was very good. I prepared it as directed. Both my husband and I really enjoyed it.
S. Clark
Thanks!
Kate
Yes, you can do that! It will just adjust the nutrition and may make it slightly more rich. Hope this helps!
Kate
I just wanted to follow up. We love this recipe. I initially just used ricotta b/c I accidentally wrote it down instead of cottage cheese. Since then, I altered the recipe to use 1/2 cottage cheese and 1/2 ricotta as the ricotta was a little too rich although delicious. I knew my girls would love it, so I made it when they came home for Christmas. They loved it too. I love how the lasagna stays ‘stiff’ and does not fall apart.
Danica
This looks relatively easy for lasagna. Can’t wait to try it. The veg is chopped finely enough that it doesn’t scream “vegetarian food” for those of us who are omnivores or who live with them.
Kate
Let me know what you think!
Meredith Youngson | Earth & Oven
I think I just decided what I am bringing to the potluck this weekend ;) Thank you! Yummmmm.
Kate
You are very welcome, Meredith! How did it turn out?
Linda
Seriously. The best vegetable lasagna I’ve ever made! We also love the spinach and artichoke version. Keep the recipes coming. We love every single one of them!
Linda
Definitely a 5 Star recipe but two of my stars disappeared.
Kate
I love to hear that! Thank you, Linda :)
Alison's Allspice
I love that you mix the cheese and the veggies! I always try to layer them with the noodles and sauce, but this will reduce a step!
Kate
I like to cut steps where I can and have it still taste so good! Enjoy, Allison.
Reena
Wow what perfect timing! I was just looking for a great lasagna recipe for my vegetarian fiance and saw that you posted this today!
Thanks for all of your delicious recipes ideas and the cute story lines that accompany them – they definitely brighten up my day : )
Kate
Hooray! You are welcome. Let me know what you think. :)
Delaney Webbert
Could I use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese?
Thanks!
Kate
Yes, you can it will just change the texture and taste slightly but is a great alternative!
Laura
This looks delicious and I would love to have more veggie lasagnas in my life! One question- the concept of cottage cheese in a lasagna isn’t really my jam. Why did you choose that cheese? Is it healthier? Could I just use ricotta instead? Thank you! Looking forward to maybe giving this a try!
Kate
You can use ricotta cheese, Laura. I chose cottage cheese as it is pretty similar when used in lasagna and made it a little healthier. I hope this helped!
Lucy
Yum! We have made the veggie lasagna from your book a couple of times now, but have substituted in spinach for the eggplant. Glad to see there are some other veggies we can add as well!
It really is the best – thanks for the update!
Kate
You are welcome, Lucy!
Abby @ Heart of a Baker
We always make lasagna for Christmas, so I’m totally trying this recipe this year!
Kate
Great! Let me know what you think :)
Maeve
Hi Kate,
Love this recipe, I use cauliflower sheets instead of pasta. Gives a new dimention to the dish. Low carb alternative.
Thank you for your yummy recipes, I am trying the Gingerbread cake next.
Have a wonderful Festive Season.
Maeve
Kate
You are welcome! I am thankful you are giving the recipes a try. Thanks so much for your review!
Cassie Autumn Tran
Lasagna used to be one of my favorite noodle dishes! I can imagine how amazing this one tastes. I definitely will use vegan cream cheese for the vegan substitution!
Kate
Let me know what you think!
nozomibirmignham
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. I’m a huge fan and love it in the winter.
Also very excited that joined your community and posting simple delicious recipes!
Kate
You are very welcome! Thank you for the review and your kind words.
Glenda
I am definitely going to try this but will add the veggies to Tofu Ricotta*in place of the cottage cheese. *Recipe from the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook – its a good one too.
Kate
Let me know how it goes, Glenda!
Laura Mazerolle
It looks great however, it would be fantastic if there were a whole lot more recipes, without, CHEESE!!
Kate
Hi Laura – For me, some recipes just require cheese-like this one :) But, I will take your comment into consideration. Thank you!
Hena Tayeb
this looks so good..
Kate
Thank you!
Gaby Dalkin
Love all the veggies!!
Kate
Me too!
Jim
Made this last night and it was delicious! Used some leftover sliced yellow squash, zucchini and mushrooms along with the carrots and onion. The crushed red pepper added just the right amount of heat. Will make again.
Kate
Sounds wonderful, Jim! Thank you, for the star review!
Kgriz
I used some leftover kale that was sittin in the fridge. LEFTOVERS FOR THE WIN!
Kate
Leftovers are the best!
Heather E.
Made this for dinner tonight. My 3 quart sauté pan was small for the volume of veggies and I never really got the golden edges. After I added the spinach I had quite a bit of liquid to cook off. As an extra precaution, I drained the veggies prior to adding to the cottage cheese. I do not own a 9×9 (yet) so I squeezed it into an 8×8. With the brand of noodle I used, I could only fit two per layer. I did bake on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and there was a little bit. The flavor was very good but the carrots were a little under cooked. I may roast the veggies next time.
Kate
Thanks for the comment and review, Heather! I recommend getting a the large pan and dish. But, if you can’t then I think roasting the vegetables is a great option to ensure they are all evenly cooked and equally delicious!
Heather E.
A deep 9×9 baking dish is now on my Christmas/Birthday list! And, as an update, my leftovers heated up nicely for lunch today.
Shelly Sturmey
This is absolutely delish! I made it for my hubby (he’s a meat eater) and he went back for seconds!
Kate
Great! Seconds (or thirds) are always a sign of success. Thank you for your review, Shelly.
Holly
Yet another delicious dish Kathryn! Made it last night for our dinner and so excited to have leftovers for lunches at work! Love how you can adapt the veggie mix to whatever is in the fridge as well. Thanks, hope you are having a wonderful trip away with your Grandma! X
Kate
Well, thank you Holly! It was a wonderful trip :)
Lauren
This looks delicious! Do you think you’d be able to make it ahead and just put it in the oven before people come over? I’m specifically thinking of making the night before, not freezing.
Kate
Hi Lauren! I think you could do that just fine. The lasagna might need a few extra minutes in the oven since it’s starting off cold.
Helen
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I did want to let you know that I really appreciate your efforts to make yummy healthy food AND share it with the world! Every recipe I have made from your website has been delicious and I’ve shared them with my family and friends. Your recipes have also made it possible for people I introduce to Medical Medium, who have health issues, to have yummy foods that heal their bodies and stick with the Medical Medium healing information.
So thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Kate
Thank you, Helen so much for your kind words. I am thankful for your words and support! Have a great Holiday season. :)
Liz
I made this last night & the flavors were amazing! However, not sure what I did wrong, but the noodles were still hard even after cooking for an extra 20-25 min.
I will make it again, but next time preboiling the noodles or using wanton wrappers in place of the noodles.
Kate
Hi Liz- I am sorry the noodles were still a little undone. What brand did you use? I am happy to still liked the flavors!
Liz
I think they were from Sprouts? Every time I use oven ready noodles, they never fully cook (any brand). Any ideas on what I could be doing wrong?
I’m going to try this recipe again on Christmas Eve for family & friends.
Jill
Amazing! I followed this recipe almost to the letter. Forgot to buy spinach and used kale instead. This really is the best vegetable lasagna we have ever had. Thank you!
Kate
I am happy to hear that, Jill! Thank you, for sharing. Since you liked it so much, if you would want to leave a star review I would really appreciate it!
Aimie
This lasagna was AMAZING! I have three small children and they gobbled it up. I always feel good making your recipes for my family because they are wholesome and well recieved.
Thank you
Kate
I am happy to hear your kids loved it and that my recipes work so well for your family, Aimie! If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
Aimie
Will definitely make this again
Brenda
My husband gave this a 12 on a 10-point scale and he really likes meat! Thank you for another awesome recipe, Kate! I wasn’t sure about the cottage cheese so that was the only ingredient change I made…we went with the ricotta. I also shredded the carrots, so no problems with undercooking. I’ve been holding off on buying your cookbook, hoping Santa comes through ;)
Kate
Winning! That’s great to hear, Brenda. I hope Santa comes through too! You would love it. :)
Diana Despres
Made this last night for the family. It was delicious! I love the simplicity of the sauce. And although the hubs did say he likes meat in his lasagna, for a veggie one it passed the test! :)
Kate
Win! I am glad it passed the test Diana.
Alicia
Any idea if this would turn out just as well if I 1.5x the recipe and baked in a 13×9 pan?
Looking for a new recipe to try for Christmas.
Thanks!
Kate
I haven’t tired that yet, but I don’t see why not! Just make sure the layers don’t get too thin.
Alicia
I tried it and it worked great! Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
Pamela
I haven’t made it yet, Kate. But I can tell you when I do I’m going to use Ricotta in place of your cottage cheese…and can you tell me why you have eliminated Ricotta? I always thought it was a standard cheese in lasagna.
When I read your ingredients I had a flashback to when I was in Tennessee with my husband who was in the service and the stores didn’t carry ANY Italian cheeses back then. I used cottage cheese and white cheddar. Well it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t lasagna!
Kate
Hi Pamela, I personally don’t like ricotta (so bland) and started using cottage cheese on America’s Test Kitchen’s recommendation. I like it better!
Kate
Hi Pamela! I appreciate your question. I chose cottage cheese as it is a lighter option to make this a little healthier. But, you can substitute ricotta cheese to fit your preference! These two options can be interchangeable depending on taste and goal for nutritional content. Hope this helps!
Brittney
This was incredible! Made it last night and it became the topic of conversation for most of the evening.
Kate
Great to hear, Brittney! Thank you, for your star review.
Anne
Hi Kate, it taste AMAZING but it fell apart when I plated. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. Do you have any tips on what I can do to make it hold together better once cut and plated? Thanks.
Kate
Hi Anne, so glad you enjoyed the flavor! Did you let it rest for 15 minutes as instructed before slicing? Otherwise the layers tend to separate. Be sure to use a very sharp knife to slice. I wish I knew what more to suggest!
Anne
Awesome
Kate
Thank you, Anne!
Susan Brodie
Kate can I freeze your vegetable lasagna@
Kate
Hi Susan! If you want to freeze it, bake it first, let it cool to room temperature, and then freeze it. You can either freeze it whole and let it defrost for 24 hours in the fridge, or freeze individual portions, which can be defrosted in the microwave.
Laura
Kate this recipe is absolutely magnificent. So appreciate you and your recipes! My family lives off food your book and blog most days of the week.
Here’s how I tweaked it:
– used a 9x 13 glass dish oiled with olive oil
– used Jovial’s gluten free brown rice lasagna noodles. Perfect texture, reheated the next day beautifully.
– used grass fed cheddar cheese instead of mozerella, and less cheese than recipe asked
-definitely used cottage cheese. My husband *loathes* cottage cheese. I didn’t tell him until after he went back for seconds that I’d used it. He couldn’t believe it. Whipping the cottage cheese was genius! My 2 school aged boys scarfed this down as well!
– I ran out of sauce so I added some of my favorite organic basil marinara sauce (so I used more than recipe calls for)
Next time I’ll add mushrooms just because i can but that’s the only change I’ll make!
Amazing. Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Laura for providing your variation!
Tiffanie
First time stopping by and had to try this recipe! It was so light that I took it to work for my lunches. I will definitely be making this one again.
Kate
Great! Thank you, Tiffanie.
Annie
This recipe was a huge hit, even with my 18 month old son. I was surprised at how quickly and easily everything came together. I followed the recipe exactly as written (except I used full fat cottage cheese and frozen spinach) and wouldn’t change a thing. So flavorful. Thanks Kate!
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you, Annie. I appreciate it. If you would want to leave a review, that would be great!
Andrea
I’ve wanted to trip making veggie lasagna for over a year, but couldn’t stand the thought of spending that much time and that many ingredients in something bland or unappetizing that my family wouldn’t eat. This is only the second recipe I’ve tried from your site, but based on how much we all loved your Best Lentil Soup, I decided to take a chance on your lasagna. I made it for my staunchly carnivore in-laws tonight, and they loved it and asked for the recipe (though they said they might add sausage). I doubled it (how’s that for an act of faith?)and put it in a deepish standard-sized baking dish because we love leftovers (I always triple your lentil soup recipe for the same reason). Pretty sure my husband got me your cookbook for Christmas. I’m looking forward to opening it. Thank you for putting so much time and care into this recipe. It paid off!
Andrea
Um, *try
Andrea
A couple of notes:
1)I cubed the carrots first and started them cooking while I cut the other veggies, to make sure they weren’t too crunchy like some commenters complained of. They were great.
2) My 4-year old found the tomato sauce too spicy, so I’d probably reduce the red pepper flakes for an audience that doesn’t appreciate that slight burn.
3) This was surprisingly filling – one square was basically a meal in itself. I loved that I didn’t have to make a veggie side!
4) The Delallo noodle boxes don’t specify how many noodles they contain, but it took less than 1.5 for a double batch.
Mmm… I’m looking forward to leftovers.
Kate
I’m happy you took the chance, Andrea! I appreciate your feedback and review.
Daphne
Served a variation of this for Christmas Eve dinner with my parents last night – it was a hit (so were our pre dinner cocktails…your Maple Whiskey Sours)! So yummy. Happy Holidays!
Kate
I think that is a great combination! Thank you, Daphne. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review, that would be wonderful! Since you liked it so much :)
Daphne
Oops! Thought I gave all the stars the first time around. Hope they stick this time :-)
Nancy
I am very disappointed in the “best veggie lasagna”. I bought the noodles you recommended and used the same ingredients-which I know now was a waste. The lasagna was MUSH.
Andrea
Did you drain the tomatoes for a while? If there was too much liquid still, that might have made it mushy.
Kate
That was my thought. It is very necessary to drain the tomatoes. Or did you use marinara? Very sorry to hear that your lasagna didn’t turn out well!
Angela
Thank you for this recipe! My family makes vegetarian lasagna every Christmas, but I wanted an improved recipe this year and decided on yours! I think I need to season the sauce a little bit more next time, but everything else was spot-on. SO DELICIOUS! This will be our go-to Christmas recipe; thank you so very much!!
Kate
What a fun dinner for Christmas! Thank you, for your commend and star review.
Linda
This was a huge hit at Christmas dinner! I only had a 9×12 pan, so it was a bit stretched, but I will definitely make it again. Even my veg-hating son (where did I go wrong??) enjoyed it.
Kate
I think that is a win! Thank you, Linda for your comment and review.
Rachel
I’m excited to make this tonight but was unable to find whole wheat no-boil lasagna noodles at three different stores, so I gave up and bought regular ones. I know that recipes for no-boil noodles tend to have more liquid to cook the noodles. Would you recommend fully cooking the noodles in advance and reducing the liquid somehow, or, just partially cooking (or soaking even?) the noodles and keeping the sauce/ liquid levels the same?
Kate
Hi Rachel – Great question! I recommend cooking them almost all the way and then they can cook the remainder during the baking/cooling time. Hope this helps!
Kathy
I adore your blog and am using it daily! Just ordered your cookbook too!
Do you have a recipe for lentil sloppy joes?
Kate
Thank you, Kathy for your support! I don’t have a lentil sloppy joe recipe. Sorry!
Maria C
Looks so yummy! Can’t wait to make :)
Do you by any chance remember where you bought your plates? I loved them!
Kate
Thanks, Maria! They’re from Crate and Barrel!
Theresa White Spaits
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is delicious this is the first time I’ve ever had or made vegetable lasagna and I’m never going back. I feel good after eating it, not heavy and weighed down. It’s worth the time it takes to make it. Thanks so much for all your recipes. I have liked every one of them.
Kate
Great to hear!! You are welcome. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, I would really appreciate it!
Jennifer W
It was a Cookie & Kate weekend – made this for a couple of dinners this week, made a soup and a salad for lunches this week! All were amazing. This lasagna is hearty and is filling. My husband was impressed! This takes a little time – not too bad (and worth is as you get a couple of meals out of it) – I cut all the veggies up earlier in the day which made it easier to put together in the evening. Another great recipe!
Kate
Love, love that! Thanks for your support, Jennifer. I appreciate the review. I love the leftovers for this one!
cindy
Looks delicious; plan to prepare this weekend for a dinner party.
I want to add mushrooms and one guest is allergic to onions. Research suggests fennel as a substitute, but I’ve never cooked with it. Will it blend with the other veggies?
Got your book for Christmas and LOVE it! Honey scones for the WIN :)
Kate
Hi Cindy – Great question! I wouldn’t recommend fennel in this instance. I’m not sure of the particular allergy, but maybe check to see if shallots, scallions, chives or leeks would be ok. They are of similar family. Thank you for the support! Good luck with your dinner party. Sounds like fun!
Louise
Hi Kate! I can’t wait to make the roasted eggplant lasagna from your cookbook tomorrow. The cookbook recipe calls for a 9×9-inch baking dish. I have three dishes: an 11×7, a 13×9, and a 9×6. Which would be the best substitute? I’m a perfectionist, and I want this dish to be as perfect as all your other ones :)
Kate
Great question! For volume, I would recommend the 11×7 dish if you don’t have a 9×9. Enjoy.
James
Yum! I served it to my family and guests, they raved about it. I only modified a couple of things – I used gluten-free lasagna noodles from Rossi Pasta and chopped broccoli to give it a healthy touch. We didn’t miss the meat at all. The vegetables had a nice crisp. This would be one of the best lasagnas I’ve ever made. Also, a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies. Next time I’ll add a little more. Delish and healthy!
Kate
Thanks for sharing! Broccoli sounds like a great add. Thank you, James for your review!
Melanie Smith
I made this recipe last night and it was DELICIOUS. So flavorful and I loved that you really cannot tell that it’s meatless (I recently made the change to a vegetarian/pescatarian diet so I am trying to find new recipes to make). I also love that you don’t feel heavy after eating; I think the use of the cottage cheese instead of ricotta helps. I ate it for lunch today and it was just as good!! I am giving this one four stars instead of five because the prep time took a little longer than I anticipated – other than that, it was fabulous!
Kate
Once you get the steps down, it goes quick. But lasagna can be like that. Thank you, Melanie for sharing!
Annie
I’d like to make this for 10-12 adults and am thinking I should double it? Do you think doubling it and putting into a 9×13 pan would work?
Kate
I think doubling it will work well! However, I don’t know if a 9 x 13 pan will be big enough as you do all the layers. If you have another 9×9 pan or an 11×7 pan, I would recommend using that and make two. If that makes sense?
Caitie
I’ve made this recipe three times now and everyone absolutely loves it. Even serious meat eaters can’t believe how full of flavour this lasagna is. It is a total winner and you will not be disappointed. I love love love this recipe!
Kate
That’s great! Thank you, Caitie for trying it and for your review.
Mara
Made this last night and winterized the veggies a bit — used roasted butternut squash, kale and mushrooms and substituted parsley for basil — it was outstanding! I also roasted the garlic with the squash before adding it to the tomatoes – such a nice flavor! I just love your recipes – you make it so easy to improvise!
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing. I’m happy you feel it is easy to adjust based on preference and season!
MaryLee Ianno
Seriously, this is the tastiest lasagna I’ve ever made or had! So easy, so healthy and most of the ingredients are zero points on a certain diet that I won’t mention by name, but Oprah loves!
Kate
Thank you! I love the combination and the loaded veggie combination. Thanks for your review, MaryLee.
Lee Anne Laskey
I just made this for a special family dinner. We ALL voted it by far the best lasagna ever! Everyone went back for seconds. :) Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I followed your directions exactly and even doubled it for extras this week. I’m so glad I did!
I will definitely be making this often for friends and family.
Lee Anne and the Laskey Crew
Kate
Love, love that! Thank you, Lee. I appreciate the kind words(and votes!), as well as the review. Enjoy!
Kayla
Just made this recipe for dinner and I loved it, Kate! I don’t think I have EVER made one of your recipes and had anything go terribly wrong. Your work is just the best. I couldn’t get over how delicious the filling is, and I’m so excited to eat the leftovers for lunch.
Kate
You’re so sweet, Kayla! I appreciate your kind words and love my recipes have worked so well for you. Thank you so much for you star review.
Claire Van Konynenburg
Made this as written and agree that this was amazing! I used the whole wheat lasagna noodles that you recommended. I ordered them on Amazon. I used Rao’s Marinara. This recipe is tasty, not heavy, but very satisfying!
Kate
Great to hear, Claire! Thanks for the review.
Johanna Olsson
This was SO GOOD! All your recipes are good… But this might be my new Cookie and Kate favorite.. THANK YOU for all these amazing recipies!!!!!
Kate
Hooray!! I’m happy it’s a new favorite. Thanks for the review, Johanna.
Marilyn Hanson
“Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.”
What did I miss? What do I do with this baking sheet?
I want to try this tonight…..did my shopping, and just noticed this….thanks
Kate
Hi Marilyn – Please disregard that. Thanks for the comment! I will go ahead and update.
Colleen
Have you tried making this with broccoli? If so, how did it turn out?
Kate
I have not, but sounds like a great vegetable to use in it! Let me know what you think, Colleen.
Cate
Hey Kate! This recipe looks terrific and i want to make it for a party this weekend. Do you think i could sub kale for the spinach and creme fraiche for the cottage cheese?
Thanks for your terrific blog!
Kate
Yes, I think you can try that. I don’t see why those changes shouldn’t work. Let me know what you think!
Cate
Made this for a potluck yesterday and made a few tweaks. I needed enough for a 9 by 13 pan so I used 3-14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, 12 no-cook lasagne noodles and added three extra peppers to the veggies. I used kale instead of spinach and 250 grams of creme fraiche instead of cottage cheese, just adding it to the warm veggies after sautéing them. I also did not drain the tomatoes but cooked the sauce down for 15 mins on the stove instead. The sautéing of the veggies ensures the lasagne is not soggy. It also took longer to bake—approx 35 mins. But a huge hit that everybody enjoyed and I will def make again. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Cate! Thanks for sharing how you varied it.
Christina Wright
Made this with Green Lentil Lasagna Pasta Sheets and it was amazing! Thank you!
Kate
Mmm, that sounds delicious. Thanks for the comment and review, Christina!
Rob
Cool recipe! Used cheddar as didn’t have any mozarella to hand, and substituted bell peppers for butternut squash to keep the sweetness. Also topped with some sliced portobello mushrooms! Amazing. Fours stars, just cos it takes quite a bit longer than 30 mins to prep on first making :)
Kate
Lasagna can be a little tedious to assemble, for sure. I’m so glad you liked it though, Rob! Thanks for the comment!
Julie S.
Hands down my favorite lasagna recipe ever! It’s flavorful, full of veggies and relative to other lasagna recipes, somehow seems light. Thank you for the excellent recipe!
Kate
Thank you for the comment and star review, Julie! I love this lasagna and I’m so glad you do too.
Andrea
This truly is the best vegetable lasagna! I followed the instructions very precisely and it was absolutely perfect. Going to make this the next time we have guests over!
Teracia Shaver
Made this last night after making your amazing banana bread earlier in the day-both were incredible!
Sayyida
Do you really need to pulse the vegetables if they are already diced small? What does this step add to the recipe?
Ricki W.
I do not own a food processor, so I did not pulse my veggies, and my lasagna was perfect!!!
Kate
You can skip that step if you’d like. I like pulsing them because they infuse more flavor into the cottage cheese.
Ricki W.
This really is the best veggie lasagna ever! I am always looking for new vegetarian recipes, and this is now one of my favorites. I did add garlic to the vegetable mixture, while sautéing, as my family loves garlic. Additionally, I do not own a food processor, so I skipped those steps, and my lasagna was absolutely wonderful. Like others I used half low-fat cottage cheese and half ricotta. As a side note, I used gluten free, brown rice noodles, which increased my cook time.
Thank you for this recipe, it was a definite hit!!!
Kate
I know, right!? I’m glad you agree. Thanks for sharing, Ricki, and for your review!
Andrea
made this last night and was so happy with the result! The yummiest we have had so far.
thank you
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for giving it a try.
Courtney McCormick
Hi Kate. Is it 8 ounces or 16 ounces of mozzarella? You said both.
Kate
Hi Courtney, 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese and 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese. Hope this helps!
Emily
This recipe was delicious. I loved that the vegetables were mixed in with the cheese. I’ve made a few Cookie and Kate recipes lately, and I like that there are alternatives offered in places and that it’s always clear what the purpose of each step is. I’m not a vegetarian, but I cook a lot of vegetarian food, and also, these recipes are just better-written and more thoughtful than most of the meat recipes I’ve found online.
Kate
I’m happy you find the directions and alternatives very clear! That is very important to me. :) Thanks so much for your feedback and review!
Lynne
Flavor of this recipe was great. My meat-eating son loved the flavor even though it was only veggies. Note: important to drain the veggie mixture well before putting it in the food processor. Ours was a little watery…although still tasty.
Kate
I’m glad your son liked it, too! Thank you, Lynne for sharing. I haven’t experienced that with the watery vegetables. Did you add extra oil when cooking? Or it is possible one of your veggies was just extra juicy.
Lynne
I didn’t add extra oil so maybe it was “juicy” veggies. Will see next time. In any case, it was still great and firms up more when eating for leftovers.
Mary
This is delicious, Kate! We had friends over for dinner yesterday and everyone – adults and kiddos – loved it. Your method of blending some of the cottage cheese and mixing the veggies with the cottage cheese was ingenious. It made layering and spreading so easy. Thank you!!
Mary
I forgot to rate…5 stars!
Kate
Crowd pleaser! I love that. You’re welcome, Mary.
Scott
Made this tonight, and my wife, picky daughters and I all loved it!
Kate
Great, Scott!
Wanda
Am going to make this recipe but wanted to know if you can make it a day ahead and chill until the next day to bake it?
Kate
Yes! You can do that. Just bring to room temperature, or close before baking if you can. Otherwise, you might need to bake a little longer, so just keep an eye on it.
Tiffany
Hi, I haven’t made the above Vegetable Lasagna, but I have made the Roasted Eggplant Lasagna from your cookbook. I am from Sydney, Australia and I love your cookbook. I really love the photos of Cookie, she is absolutely gorgeous.
I first made the Roasted Eggplant Lasagne as gifts for family and friends and finally made one for myself and my husband. Oh my, what an amazing tasting lasagna! Thank you, this will be a standard in my house and my friends for a long time to come. It’s such a simple dish to make too. Thank you Kate!
Kate
Thank you, Tiffany for the support! I love to hear that. You’re welcome :)
Colleen
I applaud you for this lasagna recipe. So delicious! Thank you.
Kate
Well, thank you Colleen!
Judy Allmon
Loved this recipe and made tonight. Did add mushrooms and olives to the veggie mix as well as an egg to the whipped cottage cheese (like my traditional lasagne to help improve stability). Made in a 9X13” pan and it worked out great. Will definitely make again!
Kate
Love that you added your own additions, Judy! Thank you for your comment.
Ali
Thanks for the recipe, it was delicious. I did wind up using ricotta instead of cottage cheese, just a personal preference. Love your website.
Kate
That’s a great variation, Ali! Thank you for your review.
Kathy
Yet another winner! Delicious lasagne that we all loved.
Kate
Thank you, Kathy! :)
Stuart
Lovey recipe. Made it twice now.
Kate
Great to hear, Stuart! Thank you, for your review.
Steve
I just made this veggie lasagna and it was AMAZING! Thanks for a great recipe. I just made my wife’s whole year with this! Haha. She loved it! You’re the best!
Thanks so much for making my day! Hope this comment made yours! Steve from Northern Illinois
Kate
You’re welcome! I love to hear that. Way to go you!
Wife of a vegetarian
It REALLY IS the BEST vegetarian lasagna!! So, so good! I ended up making a couple of adjustments with the assembly due to a small error of mine. Veggies used: onion, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots. Those were processed and mixed with the cottage cheese. Separately, I sauteed mushroomed and a couple handfuls of spinach.
I don’t have a 9×9 dish so I used an 8×8 thinking it wouldn’t matter. It kind of did. I ended up skipping the shredded cheese in the lasagna (put it on top only) and the third layer of actual pasta (used only two layers). I think these adjustments actually made it healthier! Less cheese and less pasta. But it was still fantastic! In case anyone is curious, I ended up with (bottom to top) sauce, pasta, cottage cheese mixture, sauce, pasta, cottage cheese mixture, mushroom spinach, sauce, shredded cheese. I didn’t add the shredded cheese until halfway through when I rotated the pan. Letting the dish sit after taking it out of the oven is important since the pasta continues to cook.
Since I don’t think I’ll end up buying a 9×9 dish, next time I’ll make more filling and use my 9×13. I’m sure it will make great leftovers!
Kate
Thank you for you comment and details! I appreciate your review.
Nathalie
Hands down the very best vegetarian lasagna I’ve ever tried! Made it for five meat-eating friends and they all went back for seconds. Substituted half the cottage cheese for ricotta and it was perfectly creamy (but not too rich). Oh, and it’s even better when reheated the next day!
Kate
Hooray! Love to hear that. Thank you, Nathalie for sharing.
Carol D
The best vegetarian lasagna I’ve ever made! Incredibly flavorful. Be sure to use low fat cottage cheese and good no boil noodles to avoid it turning out mushy. Reheated leftovers are just as tasty.
Kate
Fantastic! Thank you, Carol for commenting. I really appreciate it.
nelsdrums
I made this recipe for the family, because I have a 17-yr old vegetarian. I contemplated making two pans and adding some meat to one as I often make two versions of dishes to please everyone, but didn’t. Good thing, because it was delicious made exactly to the recipe specs. And my whole family loved it. Thanks! (also, I prepped the night before and refrigerated 24 hrs before cooking).
Kate
Win!! That’s great. Thanks so much for sharing.
Rebecca
So delicious! Not difficult, but takes a little time, but the use of food processor definitely helps. Flavour was fantastic. I will definitely be making this again.
Kate
Great! If you would like to leave a star review since you liked it so much, Rebecca, I would appreciate it!
Rebecca
Hi Kate – I tried to update it via mobile, but it didn’t seem to work. Hopefully my attempt this time will stick. It’s definitely a 5-Star recipe. In fact I made it again last night!
Jackie
Another home run, Kate! This was absolutely delicious. I used my favorite brand of Arrabbiata sauce instead of making my own, so it had a little kick to it. I prepped it in the morning and put it in the fridge until it was time to bake later that night. Used a mix of mozzarella and parmigiana cheeses. Awesome!!
Kate
Well, thanks Jackie! I’m happy it worked so well to prepare the night before and then bake it. Thanks for sharing.
Amber
I love this lasagna and make it fairly frequently. I went to add the nutrition info to my Fitbit but nothing is coming up when I click Nutrition Information on the page. Am I missing something?
Kate
Try refreshing your browser. Sometimes cookies need to be enabled for the plug-in to work. Hope this helps!
Amber
Thank you! That worked.
Hanna
Yum! I made this, substituting low-fat ricotta for the cottage cheese, noodles that need boiling, and store-bought tomato sauce. I also found it watery – there is a good bit of juice in the bottom of the pan. I think next time I would strain/squeeze the veggies. I did make it in an 8*8 pan and it fit (just barely). I forgot the black pepper and probably needed full fat ricotta or more mozeralla, as it was a little low on flavour. Still good and satisfying!
Kate
Thanks for sharing! It could be that pre boiling the noodles and possibly the sauce led to it being more watery. But I’m happy you still liked it, Hanna.
Ashley
Can I assemble this and freeze it?
Kate
I haven’t tried it myself, but have heard from other readers it has worked. Let me know!
Sandra Bianchi
Hi there, made this lasagna on the weekend for friends and family. You got that name correct! THE BEST!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much, also I am so pleased that I can sneak sooooo many veggies into a dish that my kids love!!!!!
I made a huge tray (4 adults and 4 children) so I kind of doubled everything in the recipe and it was just PERFECT! Very happy :)
Thank you <3
Sandra
Kate
Thanks, Sandra! I appreciate the review.
Neha Viz
Hi Kate, thanks for this amazingly delicious yet easy to follow recipe. I’ve made it twice this week already! Thanks for your amazing posts. Cheers!
Kate
Twice already! That’s great. I’m glad you are enjoying it, Neha.
Paul Mady
I’ve made this quite a few times and we all love it. I have ended with one subtle change… adding feta to the sauce and crumbled in with the topping cheese, it really adds Mediterranean taste, a little saltier.
Kate
Sounds delicious, Paul! Thank you for sharing how you put your own twist on it. I appreciate your star review!
Shanda Gorder
This is the best vegetable lasagna. I made it for a friend and her family of youngsters who don’t always like to eat their vegetables and they were asking for seconds. My husband and I also loved it. Super flavorful and oh, so good!
Kate
Win, win! Thank you, Shanda for the review. I appreciate it.
AJ Smith
Love this lasagna recipe
Kate
Great! If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it.