The Best Veggie Lasagna Recipe
Learn the secret ingredient that culinary students use to make perfect Vegetable Lasagna. It's flavorful, cheesy, well-cooked and NOT watery.
Ingredients
For the Vegetable Mixture:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 8 ounces white mushrooms chopped
- 1 box baby spinach 5 ounces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 jar marinara sauce 24 ounces
For the Cheese Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Assembly:
- 1 box lasagna noodles (traditional, NOT no-boil) 16 ounces
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese slices
- ⅓ cup Moroccan couscous Israeli/pearl couscous will NOT work
For Garnish (optional):
- Additional grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Make the Vegetable Mixture:
- Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil in large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, red bell pepper and zucchini and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
- Add remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and add spinach, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring frequently.
- Add marinara sauce and zucchini mixture to pan with mushroom mixture. Cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and chunky, and most of the excess liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Make the Cheese Filling:
- Place eggs in large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, salt and pepper; stir until well combined.
- To start the assembly, prepare noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish (at least 2-1/2 inches deep) with nonstick spray. Arrange 1/4 of noodles in bottom of dish. Spread noodles with 1/4 of Cheese Filling. Spread 1/4 of Vegetable Mixture over Cheese Filling. Sprinkle 1/4 of couscous over Vegetable Mixture. Arrange 1/4 of mozzarella cheese slices over couscous (you can rip the cheese slices into halves or thirds to arrange them easier). Repeat layers 3 more times.
- Transfer to oven and bake 45 to 60 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Let rest 15 minutes before serving topped with additional Parmesan cheese and basil, if desired.
Notes
- Feel free use shredded mozzarella, but we’ve found that this veggie lasagna is easiest to assemble if you use mozzarella slices. Not the fresh, creamy mozzarella that is usually sold in a ball, but low-moisture, part-skim slices. Think cheese slices that you would put on a sandwich, probably found at or near the deli counter.
- Choose full fat cheeses when you shop for the cottage cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan. Lower-fat versions will be less flavorful and could make your vegetable lasagna watery, which we’ve tried so hard to prevent!
Calories: 410kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 1149mg, Potassium: 509mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1037IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 306mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Review below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @foxeslovelemons with the hashtag #foxeslovelemons.