Vegetarian No Boil Lasagna Recipe (with regular noodles)
Bubbly, cheesy, creamy, and golden brown vegetarian no boil lasagna makes a fantastic family dinner or hearty meal for feeding a crowd. No time is spent boiling noodles in this easy and healthy lasagna recipe, and you can even substitute your favorite seasonal vegetables. It's an excellent option for meal-prep and freezes beautifully.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Resting Time45 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 411kcal
- 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 8 ounces cremini (or button) mushrooms, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (6-ounce can) tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce can) crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound (2 cups) whole milk ricotta
- 1 pound dried lasagna noodles (not no-boil type)
- fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Make vegetable filling:
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, around 5 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Add the spinach, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper, and cook until lightly wilted, around 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Make the tomato sauce:
Using the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant.
Add tomato paste (save the can) and cook for around 3 minutes. Add 2 tomato paste cans of water (or 1 ¼ cups) and stir until combined. Add crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Assemble lasagna:
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place lasagna noodles in a large baking dish and cover with hot tap water. Let the noodles soak for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Coat a 9"x13" baking dish (at least 2.5 inches deep) with non-stick cooking spray. Pour ⅓ cup of tomato sauce into the prepared dish and spread it evenly across the bottom.
Gently shake water off noodles and arrange the first layer of noodles, slightly overlapping the noodle edges.
Add ¼ of the ricotta over noodles and spread it evenly using a rubber spatula. Add ¼ of the vegetable filling and spread it on top of ricotta. Sprinkle about ⅕ of the mozzarella-Parmesan mixture on top of vegetables, then add about 1 cup of tomato sauce and spread it evenly over the cheese.
Assemble your next layer of noodles on top. Repeat the same process (¼ of ricotta, ¼ of the vegetables, ⅕ of the mozzarella-Parmesan, 1 cup of sauce) three times, using up everything but the mozzarella-Parmesan mixture and around ⅓ cup of the tomato sauce.
Place the last layer of noodles on top, spread the last of the sauce on top, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella-Parmesan cheese mixture on top.
Bake lasagna:
Cover a large baking sheet with foil and place baking dish on top of it. Lightly coat a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray and tightly cover baking dish, sprayed side down. Bake with the foil on for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until lasagna is golden and bubbly on top.
Wait 45 minutes (it's worth the wait and you don't want a watery mess!), then garnish with fresh parsley (if using), slice and serve.
- Storage: Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to reheat: Cover with foil (in baking dish) and place in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.
- How to freeze: The easiest way to freeze homemade lasagna is to wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
- For optimal melting, avoid pre-shredded Parmesan cheese, as cornstarch is often added to avoid it from clumping together.
- Test lasagna for doneness by sticking a butter knife into the center for a few seconds. Check the knife to see if it's warm/hot in the center.
- Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1642IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 377mg | Iron: 2mg