The Ultimate Vegan Lasagna is loaded with veggies, vegan spinach-ricotta and your favorite pasta sauce for a hearty, comforting and absolutely amazing whole food, plant-based lasagna!
Lasagna is one of my favorite warm and cozy comfort foods. And we absolutely love this veggie filled vegan lasagna!
It’s hearty, easy to make and on the table in about 1 hour. You can even make it ahead, freeze it and bake when ready!
You know what else I love? Just one serving of this vegan lasagna gives you 24 grams of protein. That’s 48% of the daily recommended protein requirements!
You’ll find lots of simple, fresh vegetables in this veggie lasagna. Along with an amazing spinach-ricotta and ‘your’ favorite pasta sauce for a lasagna worth eating and repeating!
It really is, The Ultimate Vegetable Lasagna. At least I see it that way, it’s plant-based perfection for this lasagna loving family!
Ingredients You’ll Need
In this WFPB recipe, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and squash are cooked until tender and layered with spinach ‘ricotta’, pasta sauce and wide noodles creating layers of deliciousness for the best vegan lasagna!
Here is everything you’ll need:
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic – fresh is best, but can sub with 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Mushrooms – can substitute with diced red bell pepper
- Spinach – fresh or frozen
- Vegan ricotta – I’m partial to my amazing Cashew Ricotta, but this nut-free Tofu Ricotta is amazing as well!
- Lasagna noodles – regular or no boil
- Pasta sauce – make homemade marinara sauce or use your favorite (pref sugar-free).
- Italian seasoning – sub with thyme, basil or marjoram
- Olive oil – or your favorite oil
- Salt + pepper
Why Use Cashew ‘Ricotta’?
The cashew ricotta is an amazing replacement for dairy ricotta in this vegan lasagna, as well as many other recipes calling for ricotta. It does such a great job, and I know once you try cashew ricotta you’ll never go back to the dairy version. It’s wonderfully creamy, delicious and SO easy to make!
I know cashews can be expensive, but when you break it down, it’s about the same cost as dairy cheese. To keep the cost low I buy my cashews in the bulk section (pref when on sale) or at Trader Joe’s.
How to Make Vegetable Vegan Lasagna
- Cook noodles. Start by cooking the noodles according to package directions, set aside. If using no boil lasagna noodles skip this step.
- Saute Veggies. Next, saute veggies, takes about 10 – 12 minutes.
- Make spinach ricotta. Mix the spinach and vegan ricotta together while veggies are cooking.
- Layer. There are 3 noodle layers. 1. Spread a little sauce on the bottom of the dish, add a layer of pasta, top with ½ ricotta cheese and ½ vegetables. 2. Add another layer of pasta, ½ of the remaining sauce, then the rest of the ricotta, then vegetables. 3. Add one more layer of pasta and top with the remaining sauce.
- Bake. Place, covered, on the center rack of pre-heated oven set at 375 degrees F. and bake for 40 minutes. Let rest covered for 5 minutes, remove cover and let cool 10 minutes. Above is what it will like once baked.
Serving Suggestions
This savory, veggie filled lasagna can stand alone as a meal all by itself, but it’s also nice with a little something on the side. Here are a few of my favorite options:
- Toppings: Give your lasagna a finished look with a sprinkle of almond parmesan and fresh chopped basil (shown above).
- Salad: Serve with Vegan Caesar Salad, or a simple Green Salad + Lemon Tahini Dressing or use this Flax + Evo Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Soup: Pair with a bowl of Vegan Minestrone Soup or Creamy Asparagus + Red Lentil Soup.
- Bread: Pair it with a chunk of homemade crusty Artisan Bread, bread sticks or soft and chewy Vegan Naan for swiping up the last bits.
How To Store Leftovers
Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, in a covered container. It’s also great for meal prep using these multi-use glass containers (affiliate link).
Reheat: Individual slices can be warmed in the microwave. To reheat larger portions, preheat the oven to 425 F. Add between 2 – 4 tablespoons of water over the lasagna (depending on its size) and cover. Alternatively, add ¼ cup marinara sauce to prevent dryness. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
Can You Freeze Vegan Lasagna?
Yes! To make ahead and freeze, prepare the lasagna ahead of time (up until baking), and keep it stored in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375, bake covered for 45 minutes.
Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Oil-free: When sautéing use water or vegetable broth in place of oil as noted in the recipe card.
- Soy-free: Use Cashew Ricotta.
- Nut-free: Use Tofu Ricotta. Using this ricotta will alter the nutritional calculation.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese with Peas
- Simple Cheese Manicotti
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Quick & Easy Vegetable Spaghetti
- Vegan Goulash
If you make this WFPB lasagna recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintTHE ULTIMATE VEGETABLE VEGAN LASAGNA
Vegetable Vegan Lasagna is filled with tons of simple veggies and the best ever cashew ricotta cheese for a hearty and filling meal everyone will love! And no one will ever know its dairy-free!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 50 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 9 1x
- Category: Entree, Pasta
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or ¼ cup water (for water saute)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots (2 cups), diced
- 1 zucchini (2 cups), diced
- 1 yellow squash (2 cups), diced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or thyme, basil or marjoram), optional
- 1 package (10 – 12 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 jar (25 – 28 oz.) pasta sauce, about 3 cups
- 9 lasagna noodles (approx.), regular or no-boil
- 2 cups vegan ricotta (Cashew Ricotta Cheese or Tofu Ricotta)
- salt & pepper, to taste
To Serve
- almond parmesan, for garnish
- fresh basil leaves, julienned, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Noodles: Cook noodles according to package directions, set aside. If using no boil lasagna noodles like I did there is no need to cook first.
Saute Veggies: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic, saute for about 5 minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, herbs/seasonings and good pinch of salt and pepper, continue to saute for another 5 – 7 minutes. We don’t need to saute the zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms too much, we want their juices to fully release while baking. Remove from heat.
Spinach Ricotta: Mix together the cashew ricotta and spinach, mix well.
Assemble & Layer: Using a large rectangular baking dish (9 x 12) place about ⅓ cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish spreading to coat, add a layer of pasta, top with ½ ricotta cheese and ½ vegetables. Add another layer of pasta, ½ of the remaining sauce, then the rest of the ricotta, then vegetables. Add one more layer of pasta and top with the remaining sauce. Cover with lid, small silpat or foil.
Bake: Cover and bake on the center rack for 40 minutes. Let rest covered for 5 minutes, remove cover and let cool 10 minutes. If not using no-boil noodles, you can remove the cover half way through for a baked look.
To Serve: Add a sprinkle of Almond Parmesan and a bit of freshly chopped basil overtop.
Serves 9
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days, in a covered container.
Notes
They veggies are more of a ‘summer’ variety, but you easily change them up using fall produce.
If you feel you want extra protein, add a can of white beans (drained and rinsed) or a package of fresh or thawed frozen peas in between the ricotta and vegetables.
For homemade pasta, try this quick and easy Marinara Sauce recipe.
If you don’t care for mushrooms, sub in a diced, large red bell pepper.
Make ahead and freeze: Simply prepare the lasagna ahead of time (up until baking), and keep it stored in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375, bake covered for 45 minutes.
Reheat: Individual slices can be warmed in the microwave. To reheat larger portions, preheat the oven to 425 F. Add between 2 – 4 tablespoons of water over the lasagna (depending on its size) and cover. Alternatively, add ¼ cup marinara sauce to prevent dryness. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
Keywords: vegan lasagna, vegetable lasagna recipe
Updated: The Ultimate Vegetable Lasagna was originally published in September 2015. It has been updated with new photos and helpful tips in January 2020. The only change made to the recipe was adding garlic.
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Katie says
I don’t usually go to the trouble of commenting on recipes, but this was so good that I had to! I was a little worried about the tofu ricotta having a funny taste or texture, but it really tastes so similar to regular ricotta once it’s all put together! So yummy and feels much healthier than lasagna with dairy!
★★★★★
Nicole Zach says
I made this recipe last night and my meat eating family even loved it! I couldn’t even tell it wasn’t real ricotta cheese! I used the red bell pepper instead of mushrooms like you suggested and the tofu ricotta recipe and it turned out fantastic. It was so much fun to cook, too! I’ll definitely be making this again :) thank you!!
★★★★★
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
So glad everyone loved it, makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing, Nicole! Cheers :)
Carla says
GREAT!!! I love eggplant and mushroom, so I doubled the mushrooms to one pound, and I roasted two smallish, regular eggplant slices instead of the vegges. I did, of course, use the onion and garlic. I also used home made, roasted tomatoes, which are surprisingly easy, as I recently discovered! I did NOT add the spinach, which I love: I wanted to be able to taste your vegan ricotta, which is delcious, by the way. Wonderful recipe! I may try the tofu ricotta, as we are trying to avoid fats. We eat WFPB, though sometimes I have to use a small bit of oil to make it tasty!!
★★★★★
Tammy says
Oh my Goodness. I made this tonight for my family. This stuff is amazing. I’m always a bit tense when I try a new recipe. I even made the Spinach Ricotta w/ my roasted Marinara Sauce. Wow! Thank you Soo much! This story is amazing!!!
★★★★★
Sharon says
Simply the best!! I made this lasagna for my family and followed the recipe as outlined, no substitutions. It turned out beautifully. Rave reviews from everyone. My brother keeps asking me…..where did you find the cheese? We had been trying to source store bought vegan cheese with no success. They all tasted awful. Not sure if I want to let my brother in on my newfound website as yet! I I made the tofu ricotta. Next time, I will try the cashew ricotta. Your site is the only one I go for vegan dishes. Thanks a million for sharing.
Dave E Kresta says
I love this recipe have made it two or three times, love the flavor and how I feel after eating it! The only thing I would mention is that I think the prep time is a lot longer than 15 minutes, or maybe I’m just a little slow :-)
★★★★★
marybeth says
I only had two smaller glass baking dishes, so split it up. I am admitting here and now that I just ate almost an entire 8×8 pan of this lasagna by myself! Was going to freeze the other pan, but now now :-)
I made everything following directions but left out zucchini and mushrooms as i”m not a fan. With just carrot, onion and red bell pepper and the spices.
Delicious! Thank you.
★★★★★
Lydia says
5 stars! This was sooooo good, the whole family loved it! Thanks for such an amazing lasagna recipe!
★★★★★
Heather says
do you have to use frozen spinach for this recipe? or can it be fresh ?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Either is fine! If using fresh, just rough chop it, and to the cashew cheese and use as directed. It will cook in the oven. Enjoy, and do let us know how it goes!
Martha Donohue says
Hi, I loved this recipe. It was very good. I’m wondering though how long can I keep leftovers in the fridge? Primarily I’m wondering how long the cashew mixture stays fresh. Thanks!
★★★★★
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
So glad you liked it! It will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Antoinette Grant says
My family absolutely loved this recipe. For as long as I have been making lasagna, this is the first time a large pan was eaten completely within. 2 days. This recipe has become a “yes we will keep it” meal.
★★★★★
Sue says
I made this tonight, very tasty – the cashew ricotta was amazing!
Two things I would definitely change next time:
– make double the marinara, it was very dry and would benefit from the extra sauce,
– sauté the veg for longer than 2 minutes once the zucchini, squasht and mushrooms are added. It had an extra hour in the oven as the veg was raw after 40 minutes.
★★★★
Betsy Bowen says
Delighted to have found this excellent recipe. What we found especially amazing about the rich, delicious cashew ricotta cheese, is despite its high fat content, we never felt the familiar sensations that come with ingesting rich dairy ingredients – stuffed and groggy – and which, now having a basis for comparison, we understand is our culture’s distorted perception of “satisfying.”
Thank you!
★★★★★
Helene says
Hi! Do you think I could make it then cook it a day later?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
I haven’t tried making it that way. I would think it would be ok, but I can’t for say 100% for sure. That’s a great question and will be on my to do list!
Karen M. Chapman says
Oh my, this looks delicious! i usually make my vegan lasagna with tofu ricotta, but I’m ready to give almond ricotta a try.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Its delicious, I think you’ll love it!
Beth says
Thank you!! I made this the other night and as usual we have little to no leftovers. I will have to make a double batch next time so I can freeze it for a quick dinner later. Thank you for all of your recipes!!
Beth says
Ooh good questions Alycia. I was wondering that too, if it’s better to freeze before or after baking? Julie what do you think?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Absolutely, it work fine freezing before or after. Enjoy! :)
Alycia says
We absolutely LOVE this recipe as ‘sometimes vegans’ : ) Question for you – I want to make this ahead on a Friday to throw in the oven on Sunday night – think it’s ok to put together with no bake noodles and sit in the fridge for two days? Also – what is your suggestion for freezing for later, bake and then freeze, or assemble and freeze before baking? Thank you!!
Joe says
We tried this recipe (I am gluten-free dairy-free for now) and loved it! We used to do a traditional (although vegetarian) version of lasagna, and I must say we all preferred this one. Really we couldn’t tell it was cashew cheese in it, but I guess it’s better to keep the portions on the smaller side and serve it with a fresh green salad (it was near impossible not to take a second serving…) Also very glad to have a vegetarian recipe without tofu/soy.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
It’s amazing that it you can’t tell the cheese is made from cashews. A fresh salad is a perfect side to this. So glad you loved it! Cheers
Ris says
I can’t wait to try this today! I became vegan not too long ago and transforming from eating meat to no animal products at all is hard. But now I don’t think i’ll ever run out of ideas, big thanks to this blog. You are awesome!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Thank you so much! That is what I’m striving for, a good well-rounded vegan resource! I know you’re going to absolutely love this!! Cheers :)
Deborah says
It looks great! FYI you do not need to precook regular lasagna noodles either. Also, kale can just be layered raw between the layers. I remove the stems first.
Alys says
I just made this tonight, I’ve never made lasagne before. It’s really good! A really tasty, clean dinner. It was more work than I usually put forth, but I’m planning to freeze some of it. The cashew ricotta is SO GOOD! I think it might even fool non vegans, but I haven’t had dairy in so long I’m probably not a good judge. I’m seeing manicotti in my future! I used brown rice pastaand it worked really well. Love your blog, thanks!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Thank you Alys! I love this lasagne too and it will definitely please your non-vegan friends. Cheers :)
Nicole says
I normally get irritated with people who comment without first trying the recipe…. but I’m just excited you posted this, because I’d been meaning to experiment with a lasagna with cashew “ricotta’ since having enjoyed your mac n cheese cashew cheese so much. And now you’ve done the hard work of testing. Thank you! I will make soon.
lea says
Wondering what yuppy think if adding temphe or tofu worth the spinach for the ricotta? Just think cashew idea is fatfattening.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
This really isn’t too fattening once broken down into the 8 servings. You figure in 1/4 cup of cashews there are 160 calories, 12 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein. That measures out to 120 calories, 9 grams of fat and 3.75 grams of protein per serving. Not too bad at all! You could easily eat 2 servings and be ok. One serving has less fat than a serving of potato chips. If you’re very concerned just limit the fats from everything else you’ll eat that day. Don’t be afraid of cashews, they are delicious in this recipe! But if your still not sold, do a quick google search and I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for. Cheers :)
Louise says
I made this for dinner and my omni husband said it was good and had seconds. I didn’t use carrots and only had fresh spinach so that’s what I used. I think many combos of veggies would do — the key ingredient is the cashew ricotta. Yummy! Thank you for the inventive recipes!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Yay, I’m so glad it was a success! I agree… many combos of veggies would work here. I just made this again today and added some fresh peas I had on hand and it was delicious. Cheers to good eats and cashew ricotta! :)
Chrissy says
I think no-bake Lasagna noodles are not generally vegan… I made the mistake once myself recently on my first time making lasagna. Just bought the regular lasagna noodles for my next attempt. Love all the veggies in your version!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Oh my, I think you’re right. I thought I looked at the package but I must’ve missed it. (face palm) I suppose it’s regular noodles from now on! Thank you so much for pointing that out…I should’ve known better. :)
Nina says
Hi Greetings from the UK. The lasagna looks amazing. I’ve just moved house so only reading recipes until sorted out! This is on my list to make eventually! Quick question would fresh baby spinach leaves work? If so how much do you think you would need & should I steam and squeeze dry and then add. Thank you for your fab recipes.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Congrats on your move, I hope you get settled in soon! Yes, fresh baby spinach would be great here. I would suggest using about 10 oz., just steam it down to completely wilted and chop, drain off any excess water (doesn’t have to be super dry some juices are good) and mix with cashew ricotta as directed. If you rather, you can mix it in with the other veggies or spread it over top in between the layer of ricotta and vegetables. Enjoy!
Nina says
Thanks Julie for taking the time out to answer my question. I look forward to trying your recipe out when I have done with unpacking ;-)
Jessica Lauren DeBry says
I LOVE lasagna but rarely make it because it’s always a big project with a million ingredients……and somehow, you make it seem so simple. :) Thank you, this looks delicious, will be making it soon!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Thank you Jessica! It really is pretty simple. I’m looking forward to more of these in the future! Cheers :)