Lasagna Vegetariana Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly oil a 23x33 cm (9x13 in) baking dish with 1 tsp olive oil. If using no-boil lasagna sheets, ensure you have a shallow dish of warm water nearby to soften edges if needed.

If using lasagna sheets that require boiling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook sheets 2 minutes less than package instructions so they remain firm; drain and lay sheets flat on a lightly oiled tray to prevent sticking.

Prep vegetables

Trim and dice zucchini into 1 cm cubes. Peel and dice carrots to similar size. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. If spinach is fresh, roughly chop; if frozen, squeeze out excess water after thawing.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add diced carrots and cook 4 minutes, then add zucchini and continue to sauté 5–6 minutes until vegetables are tender but not mushy. Stir in frozen peas and chopped spinach and cook 2–3 minutes until peas are heated through and spinach has wilted. Season with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Remove from heat and let slightly cool.

Make the tomato sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 tsp salt (part of sauce salt), 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir to combine and simmer gently, partially covered, for 10–12 minutes to thicken slightly. Add half of the chopped basil and taste; adjust salt and sugar as needed. Keep warm.

Prepare ricotta-tomato filling

In a bowl combine 200 g of the ricotta with 2–3 tbsp of the warm tomato sauce (to loosen), 30 g grated Parmigiano, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the remaining chopped basil. Stir until smooth. This mixture will be layered with the vegetables to add tomato flavor to the ricotta layer.

Make béchamel

In a medium saucepan, melt 60 g butter over medium heat. Add 60 g flour and whisk continuously to form a blond roux, cooking 1–2 minutes without browning. Gradually pour in 800 ml warm milk in a thin stream while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking until thickened to a pourable cream (about 6–8 minutes). Season with 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg. Remove from heat.

Reserve about 200 ml of béchamel to mix with the mozzarella for the top if you want an extra creamy top layer; otherwise keep it all for layering.

Assemble lasagna

Spoon a thin layer (about 150 ml) of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish to prevent sticking. Place a single layer of lasagna sheets to cover the base (3–4 sheets depending on shape). Spread one third of the béchamel over the sheets (about 200–250 ml). Spoon half of the cooked vegetable mixture evenly over the béchamel. Dot or evenly spread half of the tomato-ricotta mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle 40 g grated Parmigiano and about 80 g shredded mozzarella over this layer.

Place a second layer of lasagna sheets, then repeat: a third of béchamel, remaining vegetables, remaining tomato-ricotta mixture, another sprinkle of Parmigiano (40 g) and 80 g mozzarella. Add a final layer of sheets, spread remaining béchamel evenly over the top, pour the remaining tomato sauce (about 150–200 ml) gently over the béchamel so it forms a creamy tomato topping. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella (approximately 90 g) and the extra 40 g Parmigiano over the top.

Cover the dish tightly with foil (spritz the foil with a little oil or tent it so cheese doesn't stick) and bake in the preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 12–15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. For a deeper browning, place under a broiler 1–2 minutes—watch carefully to avoid burning.

Remove lasagna from oven and let rest 12–15 minutes before slicing so layers set. Garnish with remaining fresh basil leaves if desired.

Slice into 6 generous portions. Serve hot with an optional light drizzle of olive oil and extra grated Parmigiano at the table.