Easy Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe

This vegetarian lasagne recipe layers green pasta with fried eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach balls and melting fontina, ready in about 2 hours 15 minutes. It feeds 6 to 8, and the crisp-edged vegetables keep every slice from turning soggy.

Why This Recipe Works

Coating the eggplant and zucchini in flour and egg before frying gives each slice a thin crust. That crust holds up under the sauce and cheese, so the layers stay distinct instead of melting into a wet pile.

The spinach balls do the job meatballs would do in a classic lasagne. Breadcrumbs and egg bind the chopped spinach. Parmesan and nutmeg season it, so each ball is savory and holds its shape when you cut a square.

Patting the cooked pasta dry on kitchen towels matters more than it looks. Water clinging to the sheets leaks into the dish and thins the sauce, and the lasagne slumps when you serve it.

Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe Ingredients

For the pasta

• 1 1/4 pounds fresh green pasta dough, or 1 pound dried green lasagne sheets

For the spinach balls

• 3 pounds spinach
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (for the spinach)
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 5 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (1 ounce for the spinach balls, the rest for layering)
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

For the eggplant and zucchini

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 large zucchini
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (for coating the vegetables)
• 4 ounces all-purpose flour

For the mushrooms

• 11 ounces fresh oyster or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon parsley

To assemble

• Tomato sauce (double batch)
• 11 ounces fontina or Taleggio cheese, cut into chunks
• 7 eggs, lightly beaten (for assembling the lasagne)

For cooking and seasoning

• Olive oil (1 tablespoon for the pasta water, 1 tablespoon for the mushrooms, plus enough for deep-frying)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How To Make Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe

Cook the pasta

1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), so it is ready when the layers are built.
2. Cut the dough: If you use fresh dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into one sheet 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into rectangles about 4 x 8 inches.
3. Boil the sheets: Salt a large pot of water, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and bring it to a boil. Add the pieces one at a time so they don’t stick together. Cook fresh pasta for 5 minutes and dried pasta for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Dry the pasta: Lift the sheets out carefully and pat them dry on clean kitchen towels. Dry sheets keep extra water out of the sauce.

Fry the vegetables and spinach balls

5. Cook the spinach: Cook the 3 pounds of spinach in water until tender. Drain it well, then chop it.
6. Mix the spinach: Stir 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg, the breadcrumbs and 1 ounce of the Parmesan into the spinach. Season with nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Fry the balls: Shape the mixture by hand into walnut-sized balls. Heat enough olive oil for deep-frying and fry the balls until lightly browned on all sides.
8. Coat the eggplant: Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Put half of the 2 beaten eggs in a dish, then dip each slice in the flour and then the egg.
9. Fry the eggplant: Heat enough olive oil for deep-frying and fry the slices until golden. Lift them out and keep them to one side.
10. Fry the zucchini: Prepare the zucchini the same way: dip in flour, then beaten egg, then deep-fry in olive oil until golden.
11. Fry the mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan and fry the mushroom slices briefly. Chop the garlic and parsley, stir them in, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Build and bake

12. Start the dish: Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Cover it with a layer of pasta.
13. Layer the vegetables: Add a layer each of the mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and spinach balls. Scatter on some chunks of fontina or Taleggio.
14. Add sauce and egg: Spoon over 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the 7 beaten eggs. Sprinkle on some of the remaining Parmesan.
15. Repeat: Start again with a layer of pasta and repeat until everything is used. Finish with a layer of vegetables and cheeses.
16. Bake: Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes, then serve.

Recipe Tips

• Drain the spinach well: Squeeze the cooked spinach in a clean towel before you chop it. Wet spinach makes soft balls that fall apart in the oil.
• Fry in small batches: Too many slices at once cool the oil, and the coating turns greasy instead of crisp. Drain each batch on paper towels.
• Taste before you layer: The mushrooms, spinach balls and sauce are each seasoned on their own. A quick taste of each part lets you fix the salt before it all goes in the dish.
• Choose the cheese: Fontina melts smooth and mild. Taleggio is stronger and a little tangy, so pick it if you like a bolder lasagne.

What To Serve With Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe

Serve each square hot, with a spoonful of extra tomato sauce if you made plenty. A salad of bitter leaves with lemon dressing cuts through the richness, and a loaf of crusty bread mops up the sauce.

How To Store

• Fridge: Cover the dish and keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: Cut cooled squares, wrap them well, and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, never on the counter.
• Reheat: Warm covered squares in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot all the way through.

FAQs

Can I use dried lasagne sheets instead of fresh pasta?

Yes. The recipe works with 1 pound of dried green lasagne sheets. Boil them for 8 to 10 minutes, then pat them dry before layering.

Is this lasagne vegetarian?

Yes, it has no meat or fish. Check the Parmesan label if you avoid animal rennet, since real Parmesan is made with it.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Build the lasagne, cover it and keep it in the fridge until the next day, then bake it. It may need a few extra minutes in the oven since it starts cold.

Why is my lasagne watery?

The usual cause is wet pasta, wet spinach or vegetables that were not drained after frying. Pat the pasta dry, squeeze the spinach well, and drain the fried slices on paper towels.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 6), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 620 kcal
• Total Fat: 38g
• Total Carbohydrate: 42g
• Dietary Fiber: 7g
• Protein: 28g

Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Total time

135

minutes

Green lasagne layered with fried eggplant and zucchini, garlicky mushrooms, spinach balls and melting fontina. A hearty meatless bake for 6 to 8 people.

Ingredients

• For the pasta

• 1 1/4 pounds fresh green pasta dough, or 1 pound dried green lasagne sheets

• For the spinach balls

• 3 pounds spinach

• 1 egg, lightly beaten (for the spinach)

• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

• 5 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (1 ounce for the spinach balls, the rest for layering)

• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

• For the eggplant and zucchini

• 2 large eggplants

• 2 large zucchini

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (for coating the vegetables)

• 4 ounces all-purpose flour

• For the mushrooms

• 11 ounces fresh oyster or shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 tablespoon parsley

• To assemble

• Tomato sauce (double batch)

• 11 ounces fontina or Taleggio cheese, cut into chunks

• 7 eggs, lightly beaten (for assembling the lasagne)

• For cooking and seasoning

• Olive oil (1 tablespoon for the pasta water, 1 tablespoon for the mushrooms, plus enough for deep-frying)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), so it is ready when the layers are built.
• Cut the dough: If you use fresh dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into one sheet 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into rectangles about 4 x 8 inches.
• Boil the sheets: Salt a large pot of water, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and bring it to a boil. Add the pieces one at a time so they don’t stick together. Cook fresh pasta for 5 minutes and dried pasta for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Dry the pasta: Lift the sheets out carefully and pat them dry on clean kitchen towels. Dry sheets keep extra water out of the sauce.
• Cook the spinach: Cook the 3 pounds of spinach in water until tender. Drain it well, then chop it.
• Mix the spinach: Stir 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg, the breadcrumbs and 1 ounce of the Parmesan into the spinach. Season with nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Fry the balls: Shape the mixture by hand into walnut-sized balls. Heat enough olive oil for deep-frying and fry the balls until lightly browned on all sides.
• Coat the eggplant: Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Put half of the 2 beaten eggs in a dish, then dip each slice in the flour and then the egg.
• Fry the eggplant: Heat enough olive oil for deep-frying and fry the slices until golden. Lift them out and keep them to one side.
• Fry the zucchini: Prepare the zucchini the same way: dip in flour, then beaten egg, then deep-fry in olive oil until golden.
• Fry the mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan and fry the mushroom slices briefly. Chop the garlic and parsley, stir them in, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Start the dish: Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Cover it with a layer of pasta.
• Layer the vegetables: Add a layer each of the mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and spinach balls. Scatter on some chunks of fontina or Taleggio.
• Add sauce and egg: Spoon over 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the 7 beaten eggs. Sprinkle on some of the remaining Parmesan.
• Repeat: Start again with a layer of pasta and repeat until everything is used. Finish with a layer of vegetables and cheeses.
• Bake: Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes, then serve.