This vegetarian lasagna recipe is an absolute crowd favorite! The easy spinach and ricotta filling is classic and creamy.
As far as lasagna recipes go…well, this one is top notch. Get to know our best Vegetarian Ricotta Lasagna, that is vegetarian lasagna! We have been optimizing meatless lasagne recipes for years. This is the culmination of all our research: and damn it’s good (if we can tell). The tomato sauce has just the right undertone of zing and garlic, and the spinach and ricotta filling is classic and creamy. It’s flavored with fresh thyme and some lemon zest, giving it exceptional status. There is no one who will turn down a piece! At least who we met. Here are all our secrets.
Ingredients for vegetarian lasagna
Did I mention we love easy recipes: or at least recipes that are relatively easy to put together? The ricotta and spinach filling in this vegetarian lasagna recipe is elegantly simple without the hassle of chopping down a long list of ingredients. We also have plenty of time-saving ideas for those evenings when you don’t have time to make your own marinara. What you need for this vegetarian lasagna:
- Tomato sauce: homemade or bought (see section below)
- lasagne (dried or fresh)
- baby spinach (or frozen)
- Ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese
- Fresh thyme
- Lemon peel
- nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Make homemade tomato sauce or find your favorite brand
This vegetarian lasagna recipe features our popular homemade tomato lasagna sauce: made with garlic, tomatoes and our secret ingredient: dried tarragon. Here are some notes about each type of sauce:
- Make the homemade sauce for great flavor. If you have the time, a homemade tomato sauce is just the ticket! This sauce is packed with flavor and only takes a few minutes: it can simmer while you prepare the other ingredients. Dried tarragon adds great Italian flavor: but if you can’t find it, you can use oregano as a substitute.
- Or take it easy with the store-bought marinara! There are many nights when we want a shortcut. There are many quality marinara brands on the market today: look for organic if you can! Take enough for 4 cups of sauce.
Replace frozen spinach with fresh
Here’s another way to customize this vegetarian lasagna recipe: you can use fresh or frozen spinach! Here are the benefits of both:
- Fresh spinach is delicious and often on hand. We often have a large box of baby greens in our fridge, so we like to use fresh spinach here. It only takes a few minutes to wilt on the stovetop.
- Frozen spinach offers maximum flexibility! Frozen spinach is easy to store in your freezer for when you’re in the mood for lasagna (or spinach artichoke dip!). Make sure you thaw and squeeze out all the water before using.
The better Recipe for vegetarian ricotta lasagna
Why Make a Vegetarian Ricotta Lasagna Recipe? Ricotta cheese is a creamy Italian cheese with a mild taste. It’s mainly used in lasagna recipes to create that nice creamy layer of cheese. We love it in this Ricotta Lasagna because it has that better classic taste.
Other filling variants!
Want to change up this Ricotta Lasagna recipe? Here are some additional topping ideas that would go well with spinach and ricotta:
- Spinach Mushroom Lasagna: Prepare the vegan lasagna filling with spinach and mushrooms, substituting the spinach (with or without cashews).
- Kale Lasagna: For the spicy kale lasagne, prepare the spicy kale filling instead of the spinach.
- Chard Lasagna: Chop 2 bunches of rainbow chard and drop according to recipe instructions.
- Walnut Taco Meat: Use walnut taco meat instead of ground beef in this veggie pasta.
Prepare and save information
How do you store vegetarian lasagna? can you advance Here are some tips for this recipe:
- Prepare ideas: As mentioned above, you can make this recipe a little quicker using store-bought marinara. You can also pre-cook the spinach (or use frozen spinach). Mix in the cheese filling and refrigerate until cooked.
- Or make the whole casserole ahead of time: Prepare the vegetarian lasagna before baking, then refrigerate overnight. Increase cooking time as needed to cook until heated through and cheese is melted.
- Storage information: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Or Freeze Them: The easiest way is to cut them into individual servings and freeze them in separate containers. To reheat, thaw the veggie lasagne in the fridge, then transfer to a casserole dish, cover with foil and heat at 400 degrees until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Side dishes for vegetarian lasagna
The big benefit of a vegetarian lasagna recipe? You can use the long cooking time to prepare delicious side dishes! It’s a fabulous warming winter meal, fall dinner party, or hearty meal for a crowd. Here are some side dishes that go well with lasagna:
This vegetarian lasagna recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free lasagna pasta.
The description
This vegetarian lasagna recipe is an absolute crowd favorite! The easy spinach and ricotta filling is classic and creamy.
For the tomato sauce (or substitute 4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce)
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter without salt
- 1 28-ounce can mashed tomatoes, fire roasted if possible
- 1 15 ounces tomato sauce, toasted over fire if possible
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or oregano)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tbsp corn starch (or arrowroot starch)
For the lasagna
- ten at 12 Lasagne (8 ouncesgluten-free if required)*
- 5 ounces Baby spinach** (or 8 cups chopped spinach)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- seasoning of 1/2 lemon (approx. 2 teaspoons)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 16 ounces (2 cups) Ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 3 cups (12 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook pasta*: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta just before al dente according to the instructions on the packet, stirring often. Drain the pasta, then drizzle a baking sheet with some olive oil. Lay the pasta flat on the baking sheet, then turn them over so they are coated in olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the tomato sauce (or sear it with the store-bought marinara): Chop the garlic. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes, reduce the heat and gently add the tomatoes (avoid spitting momentarily), tomato sauce, basil, tarragon or oregano, kosher salt, and some black peppercorns. Remove ¼ cup of the sauce and mix with the cornstarch, then return to the pan (this will help thicken the sauce). Simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the recipe, at least 15 minutes. To serve, remove the pan from the stove.
- To collapse the spinach: In a large skillet, add the vegetables and ¼ cup water and cook, stirring frequently, until completely wilted and reduced, about 3 minutes (the vegetables will reduce significantly as they cook). Cook; sear in batches if needed.) Sprinkle with 2 pinches of Kosher salt and stir, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Once cool, squeeze out excess liquid with your hands and discard. Roughly chop the spinach.
- Prepare the cheese filling: Strip the thyme, then roughly chop the leaves. In a medium bowl, add 1 ½ tbsp thyme, reserving about ½ tbsp to garnish the lasagna. In the bowl, add lemon zest, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, ¾ cup parmesan cheese, 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, kosher salt, and several black peppercorns. Stir to combine.
- Spread Lasagna: In a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, spread ½ cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of the pan. Then top with 1 layer of pasta, half the cheese mixture (spoon and then spread), half the veggies, and about 1 cup of tomato sauce. Repeat again: 1 layer of pasta (you may need to cut a pasta in half for the side, depending on your pan), remaining cheese mixture, remaining veggies, and 1 cup tomato sauce. Finally top with pasta (again, you may need to cut a pasta in half for the top layer), then the remaining 1 ½ cups of tomato sauce. Sprinkle the entire top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan, and ½ tablespoon thyme.
- Cook Lasagna: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Leave for 15 minutes before serving (this allows the lasagna to set). Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in a 375°F oven. (You can also freeze leftovers: easiest is to cut into individual portions and freeze in separate containers. To reheat, thaw vegetarian lasagna in the refrigerator, then transfer to an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and heat at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until heated through. )
Remarks
*If using fresh lasagna noodles, they do not need to be cooked.
**You can also substitute ¾ cup frozen spinach. Thaw it and squeeze out the excess liquid: you can skip the cooking step.
- Category: main course
- Method: Bake
- Kitchen: Italian inspired
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Vegetarian Lasagna, Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe, Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe, Ricotta Lasagna Recipe, Ricotta Lasagna Recipe, Ricotta Lasagna, Ricotta Lasagna
