Name: Vegetarian Lasagna
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1-2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion (minced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); ½ lb cremini mushrooms (sliced); 2 carrots (peeled & cut into small cubes); 1 medium zucchini (cut into small cubes); ½ mild chili pepper ( optional, seeded & thinly sliced); 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes; ½ cup red wine (optional); 2 bay leaves; 1 bunch fresh basil (chopped); 2 ½ tbsp dairy-free butter; 2 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 cups unsweetened soy milk; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese (VEGAN: choose dairy-free grated cheese); 9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles

The best vegetarian lasagna with béchamel sauce – an absolute dream for all lasagna fans! With an option for vegan lasagna!

This vegetable lasagna with white sauce, tomato sauce, fresh vegetables, and parmesan cheese is an absolute delight! It’s incredibly delicious, creamy, and cheesy – pasta comfort food at its highest level and the perfect dinner for the entire family. It would undoubtedly put Garfield in a good mood, even on Mondays! 😉

Let’s face it, who doesn’t love a decent lasagna? I think it’s one of the best pasta recipes ever as it comes with everything you dream for if you think of pasta! Feel free to serve it with a glass of red wine and this simple green salad for an unforgettable and relaxing dinner date.

Sure, lasagna is a bit time-consuming in the preparation because you first have to cook the vegetable tomato sauce and prepare the béchamel sauce (also known as white sauce). We are not finished yet; you still have to layer it AND bake for an additional 30 minutes in the oven. So if you’re looking for a quick dinner, steer clear.

But if you still love a homemade lasagna, stick with me. Every minute of preparation time is worth it. So, let me show you how to make arguably (in my opinion) the world’s best vegetarian lasagna!

The great thing about lasagna is that leftovers reheat beautifully in the oven. Meaning, prepare a large batch of lasagna, and it will make you happy again for lunch or dinner within the next few days – assuming there will be leftovers (you never know when serving such a fantastic meal)! 😉

Fresh Vegetables

Meatless lasagna can be just as good, trust me. All you need is a handful of fresh vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, and cremini mushrooms. To get the best out of them, sauté the diced vegetables for a few minutes in olive oil, then deglaze with red wine (optional, but makes for a great flavor) and canned diced tomatoes (always go for canned tomatoes when making lasagna).

Add a bunch of fresh basil and bay leaves for a beautiful flavor and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Cooking the sauce makes a difference, and I highly recommend it over anything else.

close up shop of vegetarian lasagna with white sauce

You will be rewarded with a wonderfully fresh tomato sauce which is rich in vitamins and “watery” enough to use with no-boil lasagna noodles.

Feel free to experiment with different vegetables such as eggplant, spinach, celery, fennel, or bell peppers!

Vegan Bechamel Sauce For Lasagna

Yes, béchamel sauce is a MUST when it comes to lasagna. Trust me, this creamy white sauce makes all the difference! It’s how I always cooked lasagna and how the Italian’s cook it. Sure, some recipes call for ricotta cheese, which is way quicker to prepare, but oh my goodness, béchamel just makes everything better!

Even though this recipe is for vegetarian lasagna, I prefer to prepare the béchamel sauce dairy-free. Unsweetened soy milk and plant-based butter do the trick. Of course, you can also use regular milk and butter, the quantities remain the same.

Vegan Lasagna? Since the béchamel sauce is vegan, as are all the other ingredients except for the parmesan cheese, you can easily convert this recipe into a vegan lasagna! Just omit the parmesan cheese or replace it with a vegan grated cheese alternative to make an incredibly delicious vegan lasagna!

Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe

Read through this visual step-by-step guide with lots of extra tips! The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

Vegetable & Tomato Sauce

Heat a large pot with olive oil. Add garlic and onion, sauté for a few minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook on medium-high heat until they no longer release any liquid and the mushroom water has evaporated (~ 5 minutes). Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Add carrots, zucchini, and chili pepper (optional) and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Stir in canned tomatoes, red wine (optional), bay leaves, and fresh basil. Let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

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Dairy-Free Béchamel Sauce

Melt the dairy-free butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour in soy milk and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.

Reduce heat and let it simmer for approximately 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

How To Layer Lasagna

Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce in a baking dish (at least 11×7 inches or a little larger), followed by 3 sheets lasagna noodles. Spread about ⅓ of the tomato sauce on top, followed by a layer of béchamel, and ⅓ of parmesan cheese.

Repeat layering two more times (pasta, tomato sauce, béchamel sauce, parmesan cheese).

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting & serving.

baked vegetable lasagna with white sauce

Recipe FAQ & Tips

How long does it stay fresh? Leftovers can be stored for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container, or simply wrap the cold baking dish with plastic wrap (easiest to reheat).

How do I reheat lasagna? Reheat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven at 395°F (200°C).

Vegan Lasagna: Use dairy-free cheese or simply leave out the cheese altogether to make it vegan. The béchamel sauce and all the other ingredients, except for the parmesan cheese, are 100% dairy-free and vegan! → Make sure to use egg-free lasagna sheets!

Gluten-Free: Go for gluten-free lasagna sheets and use gluten-free flour to make the béchamel sauce.

Should I presoak the lasagna noodles? Not for this recipe. The tomato sauce is watery enough so that your no-boil lasagna noodles will cook through perfectly. Soaking the noodles in hot or boiling water beforehand would likely end up in overcooked pasta noodles.