Embrace Meatless Monday with this delicious Vegetable Lasagna Recipe. It’s packed with color, flavor, and cheesy goodness.
Mealtime should never be boring or bland, and with this vegetable lasagna recipe, you can embrace Meatless Monday head-on! The lasagna has so much flavor that you will never miss the meat. All that ricotta and mozzarella give you a gooey, cheesy mouthful of deliciousness, bite after delectable bite.
Vegetable lasagna is perfect for any occasion and an ideal dish to take to potluck dinners. Put it on your buffet table and watch your guests ooh and aah as they cut into those layers of pasta, veggies, sauce, and cheese. Because it holds up so well and gets better after a day or two anyway, you can easily prepare it before you need it, so time will never hold you back.
What Is Meatless Monday, and How Does Vegetable Lasagna Help?
Meatless Monday began in 2003 as a way to reduce meat consumption for better health and the betterment of the planet. Eating less meat and more plant-based foods helps fight climate change, preserve water and land resources, and decrease the risk of preventable chronic diseases. Vegetable lasagna is a great way to embrace Meatless Monday by starting the week with a vegetable-packed pasta meal.
Is This Vegetable Lasagna Recipe Healthy?
Avoiding meat one or more days a week may help improve heart health, weight management, brain health, and lower cholesterol. Consuming more plant-based foods, including vegetables and fruit, may reduce inflammation and blood pressure. This recipe for vegetable lasagna provides you with plenty of essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, helping you lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Sauté Your Veggies to Maximize the Flavor of Your Lasagna
Sautéing your vegetables before adding them to the lasagna accomplishes two important features of this dish. First, it imparts incredible flavor that you would not get from using the vegetables raw. Second, it pulls out some of the water content in the veggies, so you don’t wind up with a watery lasagna. Drain the excess liquid from your skillet before adding the cooked vegetables to the lasagna.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Vegetable lasagna is an easy dish to make in advance. You can cut and store your veggies ahead of time in an airtight container in the refrigerator and sauté them when you are ready to assemble your lasagna. Alternatively, you can prep and cook the vegetables and put them in the fridge until you are ready to complete your dish. If you choose this method, remember to drain any liquid from the container that may have accumulated overnight.
You can also assemble the lasagna and store it unbaked and covered tightly for a day before baking, or freeze it unbaked for up to 3 months. Once baked, veggie lasagna can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
Vegetable lasagna is a hearty main course dish to enjoy alongside a salad such as Broccoli Salad, Classic Caprese Salad, or Green Goddess Salad. You can also bake a loaf of this Keto Almond Flour Bread, toast the slices, and top with a spread of garlic butter. Thinner slices toast up crispy and are so good with lasagna.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, zucchini, and onion. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place three lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread a layer of the vegetable mixture, then dollop ricotta cheese, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, finishing with a layer of noodles topped with marinara and mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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