This Lasagna Verde is the perfect recipe for Spring! Full of delicious vegetables in a creamy Spinach Béchamel, this lasagna recipe is the perfect dish for entertaining or a fun Sunday dinner!
I don't know about you but I love pasta. I am a big fan of lasagnas. There is just something about the rich pasta in a warm sauce filled with cheesy goodness. This Lasagna Verde is the perfect spin on the classic. Filled with a delicious lentil bolognese, tofu ricotta and then finished off with a creamy and rich spinach béchamel this recipe is perfect for Spring!
For some other great pasta dishes, check out this Creamy Green Pea Pasta, this Vegan Cajun Pasta or this Easy Rigatoni Alla Vodka!
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What Makes This Lasagna Verde The Best?
- Easy Ingredients and Prep- These ingredients are easy to find and the prep is easy as well. We cut the cook times in half by using oven-ready lasagna noodles and jarred marinara sauce.
- Dinner that only looks fancy- This recipe only looks fancy, it really is an easy recipe to make and it will stun all of your guests. The sauce is delicious and creamy and the filling is hearty and rich.
- Whole-food, plant-based- This recipe is completely plant-based which makes it healthy and delicious! Packed with healthy ingredients such as spinach and lentils, this is a powerhouse meal!
Ingredient Notes
- Spinach- We are going to use two different types of spinach in this recipe. The base of the sauce is going to be fresh spinach that we blend into our béchamel. We are also going to use frozen, chopped spinach as a layer within the lasagna.
- Lasagna Noodles- To make this easy, we are going to use oven-ready lasagna noodles. It means we won't have to boil anything and it will save us a step. Check your packaging and make sure that they are egg-free. Most oven-ready lasagna noodles do contain eggs but there are egg-free versions out there.
- Cooked Lentils- Instead of using meat in the bolognese sauce, we are going to keep it plant-based and swap it for lentils. Lentils will pack the protein that we need to keep us full and really will round out the dish.
- Firm Tofu- The vegan ricotta is made with tofu. Make sure to get firm tofu because we are going to process it in a food processor with other ingredients, we are going to turn it into a smooth cheese and we don't want it to be too watery.
- Marinara Sauce- Traditionally, bolognese is a slow-cooked meat sauce, however, we are going to make this even better by using the jarred marinara sauce to cut our time in half.
- Vegetables- This lasagna is full of delicious vegetables! It uses carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini. However, feel free to throw in your favorites to bulk it up!
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Instructions
How to Make the Lentil Bolognese
- Dice the onion, zucchini, celery, carrots and bell pepper. Add the vegetables to a non-stick pan and cook over medium heat until tender. About 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked lentils and the marinara sauce and stir to combine.
- Set aside until it is time to assemble the lasagna.
How to Make the the Vegan Ricotta
- Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a food processor and process until it is well combined. The mixture will resemble a creamy ricotta cheese mixture.
- Set aside until ready to use
How to Make the Spinach Béchamel
- Heat a pot over medium heat, add the vegan butter and allow to melt.
- Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux turns a pale golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Add the almond milk and whisking to incorporate.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, whisking until the sauce thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the Vegan Parmesan until completely combined, then remove the pot from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the mixture to a blender with the flax eggs and spinach. Puree until completely combined. Add back to the pot and set aside.
How to Assemble the Lasagna Verde
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the thawed, frozen chopped spinach.
- In a 13” x 9” lasagna pan spread ½ cup of the spinach béchamel to form a thin bottom layer.
- Top with an even single layer of the noodles.
- Spread 1 ½ cups of Bolognese over the top of the noodles then the frozen chopped spinach followed by ½ cup vegan ricotta.
- Repeat the process 3 more times, for a total of 3 layers of noodles, ending on a layer of the noodles and topping it with the remaining sauce and vegan ricotta.
- Bake the lasagna until it is bubbly and cooked through, about 60 minutes.
- Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes to cool before serving. Cut into 8 equal slices.
Hint: Frozen spinach holds a lot of liquid. To reduce the amount of liquid and not make the lasagna watery, thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. Alternatively, you can use chopped fresh spinach.
Substitutions
- Lentils - If you aren't a huge fan of lentils, you can make this with vegan beef crumbles instead.
- Spinach - Try swapping the spinach for kale if you prefer it.
- Vegetables - Feel free to mix up the vegetables if you want! If you don't like zucchini, feel free to leave it out or swap it with something else!
Variations
- Skillet Dinner - If you don't want to make a full lasagna out of this, you can turn it into a yummy skillet pasta dish. Simply use your pasta of choice and add it and the sauce to the lentil bolognese and bake for 30 minutes.
- Lasagna Roll-Ups - For a fun variation, make this into lasagna roll-ups! Simply add the filling to the lasagna noodles and roll from end to end, add to the casserole dish and bake!
- Extra Cheesy - Top this with some vegan mozzarella to add extra cheesiness to the dish!
Check out this Green Pasta Sauce for another fun way to get your vegetables in your pasta!
FAQ's
Lasagna Verde simply means "Green Lasagna" it is different than traditional lasagna that uses a red sauce.
Béchamel sauce is one of the 5 French mother sauces. It is a sauce traditionally made from a white roux and milk.
Bolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce in Italian cuisine, typical of the city of Bologna. We are switching this one up a bit and using lentils instead of meat.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need to make this recipe.
- Food Processor
- High-Speed Blender
- Chef Knife
- Cutting Board
- Non-stick Skillet
- Sauce pan
- 9x13 inch casserole dish
- Measuring cups and spoons
Storage
Store this lasagna in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to portion it out into individual servings and store it in an airtight container for meal prep.
To freeze this lasagna, wrap tightly in tin foil and saran wrap and freeze for up to three months. Bring the lasagna to room temperature overnight and bake as instructed.
Top tips
- Frozen spinach holds a lot of liquid. To reduce the amount of liquid and not make the lasagna watery, thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. Alternatively, you can use chopped fresh spinach.
- To save on time the lasagna can be assembled a day ahead of time, refrigerated and then brought to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- Buy oven-ready lasagna noodles to save time. These noodles do not have to be boiled before assembling.
Other Great Pasta Recipes To Try!
- Vegan Ravioli Pesto Bake
- Vegan Cajun Pasta
- Easy Spicy Rigatoni Alla Vodka
- Fall Butternut Squash Vegan Tortellini
- Easy and Delicious Vegan Stuffed Shells
Easy Lasagna Verde
Ingredients
- 1 box 12 ounces Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
- 1 package 16 ounces firm tofu
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 medium zucchini
- 3 small carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 cup cooked brown lentils
- 16 ounces jarred marinara sauce
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- 8 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 3 ½ cups almond milk
- ½ vegan parmesan
- 2 flax eggs
Instructions
For the Lentil Bolognese:
- Dice the onion, zucchini, celery, carrots and bell pepper. Add the vegetables to a non-stick pan and cook over medium heat until tender. About 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked lentils and the marinara sauce and stir to combine.
- Set aside until it is time to assemble the lasagna.
For the Vegan Ricotta
- Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a food processor and process until it is well combined. The mixture will resemble a creamy ricotta cheese mixture.
- Set aside until ready to use
For the Spinach Béchamel
- Heat a pot over medium heat, add the vegan butter and allow to melt.
- Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux turns a pale golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Add the almond milk and whisking to incorporate.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, whisking until the sauce thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the Vegan Parmesan until completely combined, then remove the pot from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the mixture to a blender with the flax eggs and spinach. Puree until completely combined. Add back to the pot and set aside.
How to Assemble the Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the thawed, frozen chopped spinach.
- In a 13” x 9” lasagna pan spread ½ cup of the spinach béchamel to form a thin bottom layer.
- Top with an even single layer of the noodles.
- Spread 1 ½ cups of Bolognese over the top of the noodles then the frozen chopped spinach followed by ½ cup vegan ricotta.
- Repeat the process 3 more times, for a total of 3 layers of noodles, ending on a layer of the noodles and topping it with the remaining sauce and vegan ricotta.
- Bake the lasagna until it is bubbly and cooked through, about 60 minutes.
- Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes to cool before serving. Cut into 8 equal slices.
Notes
- Frozen spinach holds a lot of liquid. To reduce the amount of liquid and not make the lasagna watery, thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. Alternatively, you can use chopped fresh spinach.
- To save on time the lasagna can be assembled a day ahead of time, refrigerated and then brought to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- Buy oven-ready lasagna noodles to save time. These noodles do not have to be boiled before assembling.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Jerika says
YUM!!!I am already craving for this!:) Yay, can't wait to try it!
Gloria says
Now this is a version of lasagne that I need to make ASAP. What a great twist on the classic. Can't wait to make this for family dinner on Sunday.
Angela says
Great lasagna. Love the béchamel sauce.
Bernice says
You have me drooling over your amazing lasagna. I've never made a veggie lasagna before, but I like the idea of using a verde sauce instead of a tomato sauce. It lightens the dish up, so nice and fresh for Spring.
Audrey says
This was a great spin on regular lasagna! I loved all the veggies.
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
This is so good! Can't wait to make it again.
Ash B says
This was my first time making and trying Lasagna Verde! It was delicious and fresh. So perfect for spring!
Emily Flint says
Loved all the veggies in this one!
Agnieszka says
Fantastic lasagne recipe!
Jen says
This was really good! Everyone loved it!
Jamie says
A delicious dinner for my family!
Liz says
We are big lasagna lovers in our house. I love the idea of putting a little twist on the traditional lasagna! Excited to give your recipe a try!
Jill says
Loved how easy this was! and so good too!!
Gwynn says
My family loves lasagna and this is a great twist on a traditional lasagna recipe. And so delicious too!
Kathryn says
This lasagna is so delicious and I love how it's so different from traditional lasagna but still so tasty and hearty! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Dennis says
I made your lasagna for vegan friends that came to visit and they absolutely loved it!!
sara says
This would be one delicious way to get my kids to eat more veggies! They love lasagna!
Debbie says
We loved this healthy version of Lasagna! We have embraced to eating meatless a few times a week and this is our new favorite recipe. Thanks for all of your special details.
Jenny says
This is a winner! Such a classic, wonderful vegetarian lasagna and so flavorful. I love this recipe, fantastic– thank you so much.
Hayley Dhanecha says
This is the best! Due to some medical reasons I can not consume dairy cheese and always look out the dishes that ate without them. Made it and turned out absolutely amazing! Saving this recipe
Lauren Michael Harris says
I am not a big fan of traditional lasagna, but am totally on board for salsa verde lasagna! This sounds amazing - adding to the menu next week!