Description
This hearty Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce is a comforting, satisfying dish layered with sautéed vegetables, creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and a rich homemade white sauce. Perfect for a family dinner, it combines wholesome ingredients like broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, and navy beans with a luscious béchamel-style sauce for a delicious vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
Vegetable Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
- 1 zucchini, chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed and chopped into small pieces
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 15-ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed
White Sauce (Béchamel)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3.5 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Lasagna Assembly
- 9 to 12 fresh or dried lasagna noodles
- 1.5 cups ricotta cheese (whole milk)
- 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F to prepare for baking the lasagna.
- Prep Ingredients: Gather all ingredients and chop the vegetables into small pieces to streamline the cooking process.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook diced onion until softened, then add minced garlic and broccoli. Stir until the broccoli brightens, then add mushrooms and zucchini; cook 5 to 7 minutes until tender and most moisture evaporates. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Finally, stir in spinach and navy beans and cook until spinach wilts.
- Cook Noodles: Bring salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions, ensuring they are al dente since they will bake again. Drain and rinse to prevent sticking. Test the fit in a 13×9-inch baking dish to know how many noodles are needed for layering.
- Make White Sauce: In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until combined to form a roux. Gradually pour in milk while whisking steadily. Add garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-low, stirring frequently until sauce thickens into a creamy consistency. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread ½ cup of white sauce evenly on the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Layer noodles (about 3 per layer: 2 whole and 1 halved to fill gaps). Spread ¾ cup ricotta cheese over noodles, then half of the vegetable and navy bean mixture (approx. 2 cups). Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and spread 1 cup white sauce on top. Repeat layering with noodles, ricotta, remaining vegetable mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 cup sauce, then top with noodles, ½ cup mozzarella, and ½ cup parmesan cheese.
- Bake Lasagna: Place the assembled lasagna on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbling. To prevent excessive browning, you may cover with foil for half the cooking time.
- Rest Before Serving: Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 to 20 minutes after baking to set layers and facilitate easier slicing.
- Enjoy and Review: Serve warm and enjoy your vegetable lasagna. Leave a rating or review as desired!
Notes
- Ensure noodles are not overcooked during boiling as they will bake further in the oven.
- Use fresh or dried lasagna noodles but adjust cook times accordingly.
- If you prefer less spicy, reduce or omit red pepper flakes.
- Letting the lasagna rest after baking helps it hold together better when sliced.
- You can cover with foil during baking to prevent the cheese from browning too much.
- Make sure to drain and rinse beans well to avoid excess moisture in the filling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
