Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce

Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce is the perfect combination bringing together vibrant flavors and irresistible textures!

Each slice is a heavenly combination of sautéed vegetables and creamy Italian besciamella sauce, making it the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion or family dinner. Get ready to impress your loved ones with this hearty, crowd-pleasing meal!

When planning a feast, you want dishes that make everyone happy. Few things bring more joy to the table than a classic crowd-pleaser. But can you really call it a feast without lasagna? This Vegetable Lasagna with white sauce is packed with incredible flavor, satisfying both meat lovers and vegetarians plus it’s a genuine crowd-pleaser! 

Our family meals growing up truly felt like feasts, with my mother’s lasagna earning a legendary status. I’m grateful to have learned from her firsthand. If making lasagna al forno seems intimidating, this easy Vegetable Lasagna recipe with white sauce is a great place to start. The vegetable filling comes together more easily than a ragu and is quicker to prepare, yet it still delivers a deep, rich flavor.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Creamy and Indulgent: This veggie lasagna recipe doesn’t use ricotta cheese cottage cheese or “alfredo sauce”. The rich, creaminess comes from a white sauce known as Italian besciamella or bechamel sauce which also serves to bind the pasta together and prevents the lasagna from becoming dry.
• Incredible Flavor: The combination of creamy white sauce and flavorsome vegetable filling, makes a wonderful dish full of tasty Italian flavors.
• Special Occasion Dish: This lasagna is perfect for holiday gatherings or family celebrations because it’s impressive yet a crowd-pleaser.
• Impressive: This dish is a showstopper with its gorgeous colors and layers that not only look stunning but taste amazing. Everyone will be asking for seconds.
• Vegetarian: A hearty, satisfying option for vegetarians that is full of flavor, making it a hit with everyone including and maybe surprising the meat-lovers.

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients

• Lasagna Noodles – These are also known as lasagna pasta sheets. This recipe is made with fresh egg lasagna sheets which you can find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Below is a list of substitutes if you can’t find these.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I prefer this extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor in most of my recipes. If you only have regular olive oil that’ll be fine too.
• Vegetables – This recipe calls for a variety of vegetables. It begins with a traditional Italian soffritto so you’ll need onion, carrot, and celery for that. Tomatoes, brown mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, and garlic will complete the vegetable filling. 
• Cheese – This recipe uses two types of Italian cheese – shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese (look for genuine Parmigiano Reggiano cheese) – for ooze and flavor. Use a low-moisture mozzarella.
• White Sauce – For the besciamella or white sauce, you’ll need your choice of milk, salted butter, and all-purpose flour.
• Seasonings – Salt, black pepper plus a fresh grating of nutmeg which you’ll find in the spices section of the grocery store, is all the seasonings needed.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the grated parmesan cheese with chopped or shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the besciamella sauce, melt butter in a pan and stir in flour. Gradually whisk in hot milk.

Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until thickened. Set aside.

Heat oil and sauté finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery over medium heat until softened. Add garlic, diced mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers, cooking until tender.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and black pepper.

Oil a lasagna dish and spread two spoonfuls of besciamella. Arrange the lasagna noodles into the dish to make one layer. It’s ok if some overlap. Spread with ¼ of the besciamella.

Evenly spread ⅓ of the cooked vegetables over the besciamella sauce.

Next scatter ¼ of the cheese mixture over the cooked vegetable filling.

Continue with two more complete layers. Add a final (4th) layer of lasagna noodles. Top with remaining besciamella and cheese.

Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let settle for 20 minutes before cutting.

Marcellina’s Hint: The key to vegetable lasagna with white sauce is not to overload on either the pasta, filling, or sauce. A balance of all three is ideal.

Substitutions

If you can’t find fresh lasagna noodles or sheets in the grocery store, you have a few options.

• Make your own using my fresh egg pasta recipe. Simply roll out fresh egg pasta dough into thin sheets as specified in the recipe. Then cut to your desired lasagna size.
• Use good quality dried lasagna noodles. Follow the instructions on the package for par-boiling.
• As a last resort use no boil lasagna noodles. I don’t really like the finished result but at a pinch, I’ve used these too. The baking time will increase by 10-15 minutes and be sure to make the white sauce with extra milk and vegetable filling more liquidy by adding some vegetable broth. You may need to cover the top with aluminum foil at the end to prevent the lasagna from drying out.

Variations

• Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna – substitute 3 or 4 cups of chopped spinach for the zucchini and red bell pepper.
• Roasted Vegetable Lasagna – after chopping, roast the tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini before adding the soffritto for rich, caramelized flavor
• Pesto Vegetable Lasagna – spread a little basil pesto between layers.

Equipment

For this Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce, use a 9 x 13-inch lasagna dish. If you have a larger or smaller dish, adjust the recipe accordingly.

Storage

Any leftover Vegetable Lasagna with white sauce can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat in the microwave before serving.

For a convenient make-ahead meal, assemble the lasagna and freeze it unbaked. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake when needed.

Top tips

• To simplify the process, prepare the vegetable filling and besciamella sauce a day in advance. Keep them covered or in a sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the vegetable lasagna with white sauce.
• Taste the vegetable filling and white sauce to check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Keep in mind that the Parmesan will add a salty flavor as well.
• I know it’s tempting but avoid pregrated cheese. It has additives to keep it free flowing which prevents the cheese from melting and affecting the flavor.
• Take your time layering, spreading the filling and sauce evenly so that every bite is tasty. Make sure all the lasagna noodles or sheets are well coated to ensure they cook evenly.
• Cover with aluminum foil if the top is browning too much.
• Finally, allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15-20 minutes after baking. This allows it to set, making it easier to cut and ensuring each slice holds together well. Don’t worry. It will hold the heat.

FAQ

Serving Suggestions

This Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce is best served with garlic bread and a fresh salad like my Mediterranean Cucumber Salad. I can’t go past a glass of red wine to accompany this meal.

Related

Cream Cheese Pasta
Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Mushroom Ravioli
Garlic Butter Sauce

Made this recipe?
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Vegetable Lasagna Recipe with White Sauce

Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce is the perfect combination bringing together vibrant flavors and irresistible textures! Each slice is a heavenly combination of sautéed vegetables and creamy Italian besciamella sauce, making it the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion or family dinner.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Review

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings:8

Author: Marcellina

Equipment

• ▢
  1 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish (23 cm by 33 cm)

Ingredients

Besciamella

• ▢ 4 cups (960ml) whole milk
• ▢ ⅔ cup (86 grams)all purpose flour
• ▢ 3 ounces (85 grams) salted butter
• ▢ Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Filling

• ▢ ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ ½ carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ ½ stick celery, finely chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or minced
• ▢ 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 8 ounces (227 grams) brown mushrooms, diced
• ▢ 2 medium zucchini, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Lasagna

• ▢ 9 ounces (250 grams) fresh lasagna noodles See Note
• ▢ 8 ounces (227 grams) shredded mozzarella cheese or more
• ▢ 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (Parmesan cheese) or more

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Besciamella Sauce

• Heat the milk in a saucepan. Set aside while you prepare the roux.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Once it’s fully melted, whisk in the flour and continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture turns golden and develops a nutty fragrance, which helps to eliminate any raw flour taste.
• Remove the roux from the heat and gradually add a little milk, whisking constantly to combine. Keep adding the hot milk slowly while whisking to ensure there are no lumps.
• Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and stir for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce begins to simmer. It should be smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Lastly, mix in ground nutmeg and salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside until needed.

Vegetable Filling

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, carrot and celery. Cook until softened 5-10 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic towards the end of the cooking time.
• Add diced mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers. Stir well and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until starting to soften and become tender. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Salt will draw out the moisture and help the veggies cook.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

To assemble the lasagna

• Combine the two cheeses in a bowl. Cover and set aside in the fridge until needed.
• Oil a 13 x 9 x 3 inch lasagna dish then add two spoonfuls of besciamella sauce.
• Add a layer of lasagna noodles (sheets) then top with ¼ of the besciamella sauce, spread over ⅓ of the vegetables then ¼ of the cheese mixture.
• Continue layering this way finishing with besciamella and the combined cheese mixture. You should have four layers of lasagna noodles into total.
• Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 30 to 40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top. Allow to settle for 20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Substitutions for Fresh Lasagna Noodles

• Use homemade fresh egg pasta by rolling out thin sheets and cutting to your lasagna size.
• For dried lasagna noodles, choose good quality and follow the package instructions for par-boiling.
• Use no-boil noodles, though they may alter the texture of the finished dish. Extend the baking time by 10-15 minutes, and make the white sauce and vegetable filling slightly thinner. Cover with foil at the end if needed to prevent drying out.

Tips for Success

• Prepare the vegetable filling and besciamella sauce a day in advance, storing them in a sealed container in the fridge.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning for both the filling and sauce. Remember, Parmesan adds saltiness.
• Use freshly grated cheese instead of pre-grated to ensure proper melting and flavor.
• Layer carefully, spreading the filling and sauce evenly to make every bite flavorful. Coat all lasagna noodles well for even cooking.
• Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly.
• Let the lasagna rest for 15-20 minutes after baking to set; it’ll still be hot and easier to slice.

To freeze

• To prepare an easy make-ahead meal, assemble the lasagna, and freeze it before baking. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. Sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then bake for 40-45 minutes. You may need to loosely cover the lasagna with foil to prevent the top from burning. 
   

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Nutritional Estimate Per Serving

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1135mg | Potassium: 657mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2005IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 479mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.