Time for another cozy recipe! As we roll into fall, I crave warm meals that remind me of home. I made this vegetarian lasagna on a whim one day and it has quickly become one of our favorite special meals.
To make this lasagna vegetarian, I swapped the meat in traditional lasagna for mushrooms and spinach. I personally love the flavors it adds to the dish and I don’t miss the meat at all. Keep reading for the full recipe!
Vegetarian Lasagna Ingredients
This lasagna takes a minor shortcut by using a jarred sauce. I’ve really been enjoying this spicy marinara by Mezzetta. Aside from the sauce, the main ingredients include lasagna noodles (of course), plenty of cheese, and a mushroom spinach ricotta filling .
Ricotta Filling
Everything else is pretty self-explanatory, but the ricotta filling is something special and unique to this recipe. You’ll need frozen spinach, oyster mushrooms, garlic, ricotta cheese, and an egg! If you can’t find oyster mushrooms, you can use baby bella mushrooms, button mushrooms, or whatever you can find at the store.
The Method
Making this lasagna is surprisingly easy! There are just a few main things to do that will help assembly be a breeze. For one, make sure you thaw the spinach ahead of time. Additionally, you can cook the mushrooms and garlic ahead of time so that they have plenty of time to cool.
Next, you’ll need to boil the noodles in water with plenty of salt. Once drained, go ahead and preheat the oven. Mix together the ricotta cheese, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Then add the cooled mushrooms with the drained spinach. Stir it all to combine and then start assembling your lasagna.
The layering method will start with a layer of sauce, then a layer of noodles, then the ricotta filling, a generous sprinkle of mozzarella, another layer of noodles and repeat.
- sauce
- noodles
- ricotta filling
- mozzarella
- noodles
- sauce
- noodles
- ricotta filling
- mozzarella
- noodles
- repeat
Depending on the volume of your ingredients, you’ll do this layering either 2 or 3 times. Then finish with a layer of sauce and sprinkle the top generously with mozzarella. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 400 degrees Farenheit for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until the top becomes golden and bubbly.
And that’s it, folks! Making this vegetarian lasagna is so easy. I hope you’ll give it a try!
If you decide to make this recipe, be sure to post a picture on Instagram using #SNGeats.
Need a side salad? Try my Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad!
Vegetarian Lasagna with Mushrooms and Spinach
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb lasagna noodles
- 200 g oyster mushrooms (or mushrooms of choice) sliced
- 25 oz jar marinara sauce
- 20 oz frozen spinach (this is 2 10 oz packs – they need to be thawed and drained)
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First things first, make sure your packaged spinach is thawed. You can put the plastic part of the package in a bowl of warm water to help. Once the spinach is thawed, squeeze out all excess liquid by placing the spinach in a paper towel or clean dish cloth. Set aside for later.
- Start by cooking your lasagna noodles according to package directions in salted water. While those are cooking, you can begin preparing your mushrooms. Thinly slice the mushrooms and add them to a pan heated with 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Saute for about 8 minutes, or until done. Add the minced garlic to the pan, stir to combine, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to cool.
- When the noodles are cooked to al dente (according to package directions), drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the package of ricotta cheese, a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper, and one egg. Then, add the cooled mushrooms and spinach. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit and begin assembling the lasagna.
Assembly
- In the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Then lay down noodles to cover that. On top of the noodles, Spread a third of the ricotta filling, sprinkle generously with mozzarella, then lay more noodles on top. Top that with more sauce and repeat everything again.
- The order should be: sauce, noodles, ricotta filling, mozzarella, noodles, repeat. Finish with the sauce on top and a generous layer of mozzarella. It's important to cover all of the noodles because they will get hard while baking if they aren't covered.
- Once finished assembling, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. After 30 minutes remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until the top becomes golden and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, carefully cut into slices, and serve. Enjoy!
