The Ultimate Vegetable Vegan Lasagna
The Ultimate Vegan Lasagna is loaded with veggies, 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 find this veggie-filled vegan lasagna to be the BEST!
Why We Love This Recipe!
- It’s easy to make and on the table in about 1 hour! Plus, you can make it ahead, freeze it, and bake it when ready!
- Hearty and rich in protein! Just one serving of this vegan lasagna gives you 24 grams of protein. That’s 48% of the daily recommended protein requirements!
- Made with basic easy-to-find ingredients! You’ll find lots of simple, fresh vegetables in this veggie lasagna. Along with a fantastic 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, and 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 – Low in cost and available year-round, zucchini is a nutritious addition to vegetable lasagna.
- Yellow Squash – We love the additional color, but you can substitute it with zucchini or cubed eggplant.
- Carrots – Another nutrient-dense veggie that’s easily accessible. Feel free to use extra to replace any other vegetable.
- Onion – We used yellow onion, but any color will work well.
- Garlic – Fresh is best, but you can sub with 1 – 2 teaspoons of garlic powder when needed.
- Mushrooms – We love the meaty texture of mushrooms, but diced red bell pepper is a good substitute.
- Spinach – We used fresh and frozen spinach that has been thawed before use with excellent results.
- Vegan ricotta – I’m partial to my amazing Cashew Ricotta, but our nut-free Tofu Ricotta is also amazing!
- Lasagna noodles – Use regular or no-boil noodles for ease.
- Pasta sauce – Make our homemade marinara sauce or use your favorite store-bought brand (preferably sugar-free).
- Italian seasoning – Sub with thyme, basil, and/or marjoram.
- Olive oil – Use your preferred neutral flavored oil or water during saute time.
- Salt + pepper – As always, salt and pepper to taste!
Why Use Cashew ‘Ricotta’?
The cashew ricotta is an amazing replacement for dairy ricotta in this vegan lasagna and many other recipes calling for ricotta. It does a great job, and I know once you try cashew ricotta, you’ll never return 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), at Trader Joe’s, or online from Amazon.
How to Make Vegetable Vegan Lasagna
- Cook noodles. Start by cooking the noodles according to the package directions and set them aside. If using no-boil lasagna noodles, skip this step.
- Saute Veggies. Next, saute veggies, which take about 10 – 12 minutes.
- Make spinach ricotta. Mix the spinach and vegan ricotta while the veggies are cooking.
- Layer. There are three noodle layers. 1. Spread a little sauce on the bottom of the dish, add a layer of pasta, and top with 1/2 ricotta cheese and 1/2 of the vegetables. 2. Add another layer of pasta, 1/2 of the remaining sauce, the rest of the ricotta, and vegetables. 3. Add one more layer of pasta and top with the remaining sauce.
- Bake. Cover and place on the center rack of a preheated oven set at 375 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes. Let rest covered for 5 minutes, remove the cover, and let cool for 10 minutes. Above is what it will look like once baked.
Serving Suggestions
This savory, veggie-filled lasagna can stand alone as a meal, but it’s also terrific 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, breadsticks, or soft and chewy Vegan Naan for swiping up the last bits.
How To Store Leftovers
Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in a covered container for up to 5 days. 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 1/4 cup of 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 the oven to 375, and bake covered for 45 minutes.
Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Oil-free: As noted in the recipe card, when sautéing, use water or vegetable broth instead of oil.
- 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.
THE 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 it’s dairy-free!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 50 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 9
- Category: Entree, Pasta
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water (for water saute)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots (2 cups), diced
- 1 zucchini (2 cups), diced
- 1 yellow squash (2 cups), diced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 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 1/3 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish spreading to coat, add a layer of pasta, top with 1/2 ricotta cheese and 1/2 vegetables. Add another layer of pasta, 1/2 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 1/4 cup marinara sauce to prevent dryness. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
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Made this and it’s very tasty but it was not super hot. Vegan cheeses seem to take so long to heat. The vegies were hot but not the cheese. In the future and I will make this again, I will leave in longer, maybe experiment with thermometer.
I love this vegan lasagna and have made it for family often and everyone loves it. But it takes me much longer than one hour. Chopping the veggies and making the cashew ricotta takes a good while and then assembling them and baking. I think two hours is more accurate or even a little longer.
I made this for a family gathering and because my daughter is vegan. It was such a hit! Everyone who tried it wanted the recipe. Creamy and delicious and better than traditional lasagna.
This is my go-to vegan lasagna recipe. I make it all the time and my daughters and husband love it. I am generous with the vegetables (usually adding broccoli) and use a jar and a half of tomato sauce and sometimes more vegan ricotta. The prep takes time but the rest is easy! I find that it keeps well and is actually better the next day or so. This is truly a FIVE star recipe!
I blended the cashew ricotta and spinach. Going to try the recommended way next time, but it still came out delicious. Trying to transition myself and family to a vegan diet. Especially my mother in law with high blood pressure. It’s hard to get them on board, but I think I persuaded her a bit with this recipe. She really liked it. I need to have more great recipes like this one in my back pocket!
This recipe was a great success with my vegan and vegetarian family and will certainly be made again. I used some plant based cheese on the top and melted it under the grill.
Thank you for sharing.
Outstanding recipe, a favorite. Though a bit time consuming, I like to make this for non-vegan dinner guests and have always received compliments. The only change I make is I up the quantity of the cashew ricotta by a half cup of cashews as well as a bit more veggies and sauce.
Do you think this would work with oven roasted vegetables rather than sauteed vegetables?
Yes, roasted vegetables would be delicious! Enjoy!
Hi, Julie! What about using fresh spinach and cutting up and blanching it, instead of frozen spinach? Thank you for your thoughts!
Yes, you can use fresh spinach, blanching or steaming it before using. I’ve also stirred a few handfuls of fresh chopped spinach mixed into the ‘ricotta’ with great success. It’s pretty versatile. I hope that helps. Enjoy!