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slice of tomato spinach lasagna on a white plate
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4.98 from 38 votes

Best Vegetable Lasagna

You're going to love these layers of noodles stuffed with ricotta cheese, sautéed garlicky spinach, and roasted tomatoes with a creamy Bechamel sauce. Try my vegetarian lasagna for dinner tonight.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8
Calories: 703kcal
Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

  • 12 refrigerated pasta sheets or no boil lasagna noodles
  • 32 oz ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup Romano cheese grated
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic -chopped
  • 16 ounces baby spinach leaves
  • 6 fresh tomatoes sliced
  • 4 oz mozzarella shredded
  • 4 ounces butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup milk use more if sauce is too thick
  • ¼ cup Romano cheese grated
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Mix ricotta, grated Romano cheese, eggs, sugar and pepper together until well blended and place in the refrigerator until needed.
  • Slice tomatoes, season with salt pepper and grated romano cheese and roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • In a saucepan melt the butter, then add in flour. Stir mixture over low heat until it begins to smell a little like bread (as the flour cooks).
    Be careful not to let the mixture burn.
  • In another sauce pan heat the vegetable stock until almost boiling, then add it to the butter / flour mixture (roux). Mix well getting all of the roux stuck in the corners blended in.
  • Add in the milk, romano cheese and black pepper. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, mixture will thicken as it simmers.
    If needed add additional milk or water to thin out your sauce. Allow sauce to cool but don't refrigerate it!
  • In a large skillet or sauce pan add olive oil, garlic and spinach leaves and allow garlic to saute as spinach reduces.
  • When the spinach is fully cooked place in a colander and let the liquid drain. Squeeze out any remaining liquid and set the spinach aside until needed.

Assembly

  • Start by placing enough bechamel sauce to cover the bottom of your lasagna pan, then add a layer of lasagna noodles
  • Add a layer of ricotta cheese (on e third of the mixture) a little of the bechamel sauce and then another layer of noodles.
  • Add another layer of ricotta topped with the cooked spinach, top with bechamel sauce. then add another layer of noodles
  • Add the rest of the ricotta cheese and top with the roasted tomatoes (reserve 6 slices for the top of the lasagna), bechamel sauce and a final layer of noodles.
  • Top the last layer of noodles with bechamel, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
  • Top with the reserved sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with romano cheese and chopped basil.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60. Allow lasagna to rest for 15-30 minutes before cutting.

Notes

If using dry noodles, you don't have to cook them, just add a little extra sauce under and over each layer of noodles, and allow the finished lasagna to sit 6-8 hours before baking

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 796mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7184IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 563mg | Iron: 5mg