Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
User Reviews
4.4
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Prep Time
40 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Servings
6 people
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Calories
630 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
Description
Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce brings together a variety of fresh and canned vegetables cooked to soften and develop flavor. The no-boil lasagna sheets simplify assembly by avoiding pre-cooking steps. Mushrooms are sautéed until golden, while shallots, garlic, and a range of vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, and peas are cooked separately, ensuring balanced texture and taste. The white sauce is made by melting butter, whisking in flour to make a roux, then adding milk gradually with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to create a creamy base.
The layering of vegetables, tomato sauce, white sauce, and cheeses creates a complex yet harmonious bake with a tender yet structured final dish. The mozzarella provides meltiness, and the hard cheese adds sharpness. The oven baking melds these elements, resulting in a flavorful and filling vegetable lasagna that can serve as a main dish.
This lasagna suits those looking for a vegetable-forward, cheese-rich baked pasta that offers multiple vegetable textures and a creamy finish. Adjusting vegetable types or cheese varieties can customize it further.
For best results, choose no-boil lasagna sheets or prepare regular sheets per package directions. Using vegetarian hard cheese preserves suitability for those avoiding animal rennet. The recipe notes encourage vegetable variation and specify approximate weights for consistent layering.
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna sheets Note 1, no-boil
Vegetables:
- 3 shallot or 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 carrot Notes 2, 3
- 2 bell pepper red or yellow
- 1 medium zucchini
- ½ broccoli Note 4
- 7 oz mushrooms 200 g, Note 5
- 1 cup pea defrosted, 200 g/ 7 oz
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cans chopped tomato 400 g/ 14 oz each
- ½ cup water 125 ml
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
White sauce:
- ¼ cup butter 60 g/ 2 oz + 1 teaspoon for the baking dish
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 60 g/ 2 oz
- 3 cups milk 750 ml, whole
- a few gratings of nutmeg
- sea salt to taste, fine
- black pepper to taste, fine
Cheese:
- 2 balls mozzarella cheese 125 g/ 4.4 oz each
- 3.5 oz hard cheese or Parmesan, freshly grated 100 g, Note 6, vegetarian
Instructions
Cook vegetables:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 180°C.
- Prepare vegetables: Peel and finely chop the shallots (or onion) and the garlic. Keep them separated. Cut the peeled carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini into small cubes. Set them aside in a bowl. Divide the broccoli into small florets and chop the broccoli stem into small cubes. Add to the rest of the vegetables. Defrost the peas.3 shallots + 2 garlic cloves + 3 carrots + 2 red or yellow bell peppers + 1 medium zucchini + ½ broccoli + 1 cup peas / 200 g
- Cook mushrooms: Wipe them clean with a paper towel and slice them thinly. Set aside in a different bowl. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and fry the mushrooms until golden and all the released juices are evaporated. Remove them from the pan.7 oz mushrooms / 200 g
- Saute shallots and garlic: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook the shallots until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the sugar and stir for another minute or until slightly caramelized. ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Add the chopped vegetables (except the mushrooms) and cook for about 8 minutes or until softer. Stir well a few times in between.
- Simmer vegetable sauce: Add the chopped tomatoes, water, dried herbs, and lemon juice. Stir well, bring to a boil, and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the cooked mushrooms and adjust with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a bit of extra sugar if necessary. 2 cans chopped tomatoes + ½ cup water / 125 ml + ½ teaspoon dried thyme + ½ teaspoon dried oregano + ½ teaspoon dried rosemary + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
White sauce:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir for 1 or 2 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly start adding the milk while whisking all the time to avoid the formation of clumps. ¼ cup butter / 60 g + ½ cup all-purpose flour / 60 g + 3 cups whole milk / 750 ml
- Simmer the bechamel sauce for 2 or 3 minutes while whisking or stirring continuously. Adjust the taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.a few gratings of nutmeg + fine sea salt and black pepper
Assemble the vegetable lasagna:
- You should have 3 layers of noodles and finish with a layer of Parmesan.
- Butter the baking dish with about 1 teaspoon of butter.
- Cheese: Chop the mozzarella into cubes and grate the Parmesan. Set them aside in different bowls. 2 balls mozzarella + 3.5 oz vegetarian hard cheese/ 100 g
- First layer: Cover the bottom of the buttered dish with a few tablespoons of white sauce. Add a layer of lasagna sheets (they should not overlap). Cover with ⅓ of vegetable sauce. Add ½ of mozzarella and ⅓ of hard cheese. Cover with ⅓ of white sauce.
- Second layer: Lasagna sheets + ⅓ of the vegetable sauce + ½ of the mozzarella + ⅓ of the hard cheese + ⅓ of the white sauce.
- Third layer: Lasagna sheets + remaining veggie sauce + remaining white sauce + remaining hard cheese.
Bake vegetable lasagna:
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Check if the noodles are cooked through by inserting a fork into the lasagna.
- Rest for 10-15 minutes, cut into 12 squares, and serve.
Notes
- Adjust the number of lasagna sheets according to their size to create three distinct layers.
- If using traditional lasagna sheets, boil them before assembling, though this recipe uses no-boil sheets by default.
- Vegetable amounts total about 1.5 pounds (750 grams) before adding canned tomatoes, and substitutions like eggplant or cauliflower are possible.
- Use cremini or white mushrooms; alternatively, increase other vegetables if omitting mushrooms.
- Opt for vegetarian hard cheese instead of Parmesan to keep the dish vegetarian.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 630 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 2squares | |
| Calories | 630kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 52g | 17% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 36g | 55% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 92mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 700mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 941mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 9827IU | 197% |
| Vitamin C | 109mg | 121% |
| Calcium | 623mg | 62% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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