If you’re starting to run out of ideas for dinner, why not try fresh vegetable lasagna? Not only does it contain tons of nutrients, but it’s also pretty delicious! Plus, the recipe calls for ingredients that you probably have lying around the kitchen already. This is a spin on the classic lasagna recipe, packed with tons of veggies and herbs.
Olive Garden has nothing on this lasagna recipe. Trust us. You can munch on it throughout the week, too, since you’ll have tons of leftovers. So, without further ado, we’ll show you how to make this mouth-watering vegetable lasagna!
How to make a nutritious, delicious garden vegetable lasagna
This vegetable lasagna is so delicious that you will forget how healthy it is.
What you’ll need:
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Large cooking pot
- Spoon
- Casserole dish
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 eggplant, chopped
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 large can of chopped tomatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried basil
- Oregano
- Lasagna noodles
- Béchamel sauce
- Spinach
- Your favorite shredded cheese
- Whatever veggies you’d like for toppings (optional)
How to make the veggies for the lasagna:
- First, get out your cutting board and the carrots, onion, garlic, and zucchini.
- Chop the ends off the zucchini, then cut it lengthwise into slices.
- Next, line up a few slices at a time, and dice the zucchini.
- Peel and dice the carrots as well, and then dice half of the white onion.
- Next, finely mince two garlic cloves.
- Finally, cut the ends off the eggplant and dice it into cubes.
- Then, grab your large cooking pot and drizzle olive oil in the bottom. Turn the heat on medium.
- Add in the onion and carrots, and cook until soft.
- Next, add the chopped zucchini into the vegetable lasagna Stir and allow it to cook until it becomes slightly soft.
- Then, mix in the eggplant, also stirring and cooking until soft.
- Finally, add the minced garlic cloves to the veggies.
- Next, pour in the large can of tomatoes.
- Pour in a tsp of salt and pepper and a pinch of dried basil and oregano.
- Stir all of the herbs and spices until thoroughly mixed into the veggies.
- Allow the vegetables to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Now, grab your lasagna noodles and fill up the large pot halfway with water.
- Bring the water to a boil, and cook the noodles for about 11-15 minutes.
How to make the vegetable lasagna:
- Now it’s time to make the lasagna. Get out your casserole dish, and scoop some béchamel sauce into the pan. Spread it thoroughly around the bottom, so the noodles don’t stick.
- Next, line the bottom with about six noodles, and scoop some of the veggie mixtures on top. Make sure to cover the noodles thoroughly.
- Then, scoop some more of the béchamel sauce onto the vegetable lasagna.
- Sprinkle some of your favorite shredded cheese on top.
- Next, place spinach leaves onto the lasagna (about 15 or so).
- Then, layer some more of the lasagna noodles on top.
- Repeat the process with the veggie mixture, spreading it thoroughly on the next set of noodles.
- Layer it up with more béchamel sauce and your favorite shredded cheese.
- Add some more spinach and a last layer of noodles.
- Top it off with a thick coating of béchamel sauce and shredded cheese.
- Finally, add your favorite veggies or herbs as toppings. We decided to make a cute garden scene with dill and rosemary for trees. We also used onion and tomato slices for flowers and some small sliced carrots for grass. (Feel free to skip this step if you want).
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Cut yourself a slice of this scrumptious, healthy vegetable lasagna, and enjoy!
By the way, in case you’ve never heard of it, béchamel sauce is a traditional French sauce. It’s mainly used as a base for other sauces to add texture and creaminess. To make the sauce, you mix milk, butter, and flour until the sauce thickens. Feel free to buy it at the store if you’d like, but if you prefer a homemade version, here’s the recipe below.
How to make a béchamel sauce for the vegetable lasagna
This sauce is so rich and velvety.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups milk, heated
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper, if you’d like
Directions:
Melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook on low, stirring continuously. You want the paste to bubble a little, but don’t let it turn brown (cook for about 2 minutes). Add in the hot milk, stirring as the sauce begins to thicken. Turn up the heat, so the mixture starts to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, turn the heat back to low, and stir for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from the heat. If you have leftover sauce, you can save it by covering the bowl with wax paper.
Also, feel free to add in sausage or whatever you prefer for all the meat-eaters out there. You can also use different veggies if you’d like, such as mushrooms, yellow squash, or bell peppers.
If you want to make it gluten-free, make sure to buy gluten-free lasagna noodles or swap vegetables for the noodles. You could use long, thin slices of eggplant or zucchini in place of traditional noodles. Just make sure to grill them first to remove moisture.
Final Thoughts: You will never want to eat meat lasagna again after trying this vegetable lasagna recipe
This vegetable lasagna will be a guaranteed hit with your whole family. Not only is it filling – it’s healthy and absolutely delicious, too! Plus, lasagna makes an excellent dinner for a busy workweek since you can heat the leftovers. Pair it with a side salad or a cup of soup if you’d like.
Even in the warmer months, you can’t go wrong with lasagna. It’s one of the most popular comfort foods for a reason! We hope you enjoy this recipe. If you try it out, let us know what you think in the comments below.
