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Sorta healthy, super simple and so tasty you won't even miss the meat! This Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna is packed with veggies, homemade sauce and of course cheese for a tasty comfort food combo!
Winter is in full swing and all I want to do if switch my crockpot on and let it do all the work. This Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna is perfect for weeknight family dinners, and saves great for lunches all week. This classic Italian comfort food is made easier by letting the crockpot do all the hard work and a bit healthier by the addition of all the veggies.
Don't have a slow cooker? No problem! This vegetarian lasagna recipe can be made in the oven if you are short on time, or just prefer the oven method. My meat loving husband adores when I make this recipe, so it is perfect for both vegetarians and will still appeal to meat eaters. I hope you and your family love this simple homemade lasagna.
Kitchen Tools
- A Large Crockpot: You will need a large crockpot/slow cooker for this recipe. I recommend using a 6 or 8 quart crockpot if you have one. Either will work great. If you do not have a slow cooker you can make this vegetarian lasagna with some alterations. See oven directions below!
- A Chef's Knife and Cutting Board: There is a lot of chopping involved in this recipe, so get yourself a quality knife and cutting board to make your life easier.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons:
- A 13x9 inch baking dish is making in the oven
Ingredients
- Dried Lasagna Noodles:This is VERY important! Do not use "not boil" or "oven ready" lasagna noodles for this recipe. You want to use just plain ole' dried lasagna noodles. If you use a different variety the noodles will be a mush texture that no one wants.
- Perfect Marinara Sauce:Personally, I love my homemade marinara sauce for this vegetaian crockpot lasagna recipe. Of course if tasty homemade sauce isn't your thing, you can use your favorite store-bought brand!
- Assorted Fresh Vegetables:I like to use mushrooms, red bell peppers, spinach and zucchini for this vegetarian slow cooker recipe. I think the combination of these vegetables are hearty, but also blend into the flavor of the sauce well. This means that it is perfect for picky eaters (including kids), but is still filling even though there is zero meat. Of course you can swap out these veggies or leave some out completely. Some other great options include shredded carrots, eggplant, squash, kale, or tomatoes.
- Cheese:My go to cheese combo is shredded mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese. This is my favorite, but you could swap the ricotta out for cottage cheese for a more creamy vegetarian lasagna.
- Spices
- Fresh Parsley for Topping (Optional)
How To Make A Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
Combine and Prepare Ingredients
- If making your own marinara sauce for this recipe you will want to start that first. Personally, I always make mine ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. If you are using a store bought jar brand you can skip this step completely.
- Measure and combine ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, spices and grated Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir/mash together until incorporated. The mixture will be thick and slightly clumpy. Set aside.
- Wash and chop your vegetables of choice. I like to chop my veggies pretty small, so they get soft and incorporate well into the lasagna. This also helps avoid large chunks of veggies that may not completely soften up. I suggest you chop your veggies into pieces that are around ¼ inch thick and no more than ½ an inch. Once you have everything chopped set your vegetables aside.
Layering the Vegetarian Lasagna
Now that you have your sauce ready, veggies chopped, and cheese mixture combined it is time to get layering!
- Start by spraying your crockpot with a little bit of cooking spray. This step helps the lasagna not stick and it come out clean when cooked. Next add a small amount of marinara sauce and spread it out completely coating the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Next, add a layer of dried lasagna noddles. It is okay to break some, overlap a bit to make them fit!
- Then add about ⅓ of the cheese mixture and spread it out evenly over the top of the noddles.
- Finally, add an even amount of each chopped vegetable (I used mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper and spinach) and spread everything out into an even layer.
- Repeat these steps until you have 3-4 layers of vegetarian lasagna and all of your ingredients are used. On the final layer I like to top with a bunch of shredded mozzarella cheese!
- Once layered, place the lid on the crockpot and cook the lasagna on LOW for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, switch the crockpot OFF and let the lasagna chill out and rest in the slow cooker for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This rest time helps the lasagna soak up some of the sauce and make it let watery. If you skip this step the lasagna will still be delicious, but the sauce will be a bit runny.
- When ready to serve the vegetarian crockpot lasagna, slice and serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Baking Instructions
If you do not have a crockpot you can make this homemade vegetarian lasagna in the oven. Personally I love the crockpot option, but if you forget to put it in early enough the oven works great too! If making this easy vegetarian lasagna in the oven you will want to swap the regular dried lasagna noodles the recipe calls for, for NO BOIL noodles. Besides that the steps are very similar to the crockpot preparation.
- Prepare the cheese mixture, and prep the vegetables according to the crockpot lasagna recipe instructions.
- In a deep 13x9 inch pan spay cooking spay then add a thin layer of marinara sauce. Continue to layer the lasagna according to the recipe instructions until you have used all of your ingredients.
- In a preheated oven (425 degrees F) cook the veggie lasagna on the center rack covered with foil for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes to allow lasagna to soak up some excess moisture. Enjoy!
More Vegetarian Recipes
15 Minute Marghreita Pizza
Veggie Quesadillas
Vegan Lentil Lemon Soup
Crockpot Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Apple Spinach Salad
Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich
Common Questions
How do you store leftover lasagna?
When storing the vegetarian crockpot lasagna it is best to remove it from the crockpot and place it in a separate airtight container. Store the lasagna in the fridge for up to 4 days. To re-heat the vegetarian lasagna place the desired amount on a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through. I like to go int 30 increments and slice the veggie lasagna up so it is heated all the way through.
Can homemade lasagna be frozen?
Yes! To freeze the cooked crockpot lasagna, let cool completely and add to either plastic Tupperware, or a large freezer bag. Make sure to remove all of the air and store flat in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, either add back to a crockpot and heat on warm until completely warmed though (about 2 hours). Alternatively, add the lasagna to a large baking dish and heat covered in the oven and 400 degrees F for 1 hour or until warmed through.
I hope you and your family LOVE this Crockpot Vegetarian Lasagna! This is one of my favorite "hidden veggie" recipes to serve for my family and everyone always enjoys it.
Happy Eating!
Vegetarian Crockpot LasagnaRecipe
Caitlyn Erhardt
This Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna recipe will please even meat eaters! Packed with veggies, sauce and cheese this lasagna is perfect for family dinners!
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 4 hours hrs
Rest Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Main Dish, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 713 kcal
Ingredients
- 10-12 Dried Lasagna Noodles *NOT "Oven Ready" or "No Boil" See Notes
- 6 Cups Perfect Marinara Sauce or 2 24 Oz Jars of Your Favorite Store Bought Brand
- 1 Cup Mushrooms
- 1 Cup Spinach Leaves
- ½ Large Zucchini
- 1 Large Red Bell Pepper Ribs and Seeds Removed
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Sea Salt To Taste
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes Optional
- 24 Oz Ricotta Cheese
- 4 Cups Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese Grated or Shredded
Instructions
If making your own marinara sauce for this recipe you will want to start that first. Personally, I always make mine ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. If using store bought marinara sauce you can skip this step.
Measure and combine ricotta cheese, 3 cups shredded mozzarella, spices and grated Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir/mash together until incorporated. The mixture will be thick and slightly clumpy. Set aside.
Wash your mushrooms, spinach leaves, red bell pepper, and zucchini and dry. Use a sharp knife to chop into small pieces and add to a large prep bowl. I like my vegetables about ¼ inch large, but you can dice them even smaller if you want to to really meld into the sauce when cooking.
Once everything is prepped, start by spraying your crockpot with a little bit of cooking spray. This step helps the lasagna not stick and it come out clean when cooked. Next add a small amount of marinara sauce and spread it out completely coating the bottom of the slow cooker.Next, add a layer of dried lasagna noddles. It is okay to break some, overlap a bit to make them fit!Then add about ⅓ of the cheese mixture and spread it out evenly over the top of the noddles.Finally, add an even amount of each chopped vegetables and spread everything out into an even layer.
Repeat these steps until you have 3-4 layers of vegetarian lasagna and all of your ingredients are used. On the final layer I like to top with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese.
Once layered, place the lid on the crockpot and cook the lasagna on LOW for 4 hours.After 4 hours, switch the crockpot OFF and let the lasagna chill out and rest in the slow cooker for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This rest time helps the lasagna soak up some of the sauce and make it let watery. If you skip this step the lasagna will still be delicious, but the sauce will be a bit runny. Serve topped with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover Storage: Store leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat lasagna in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.
- Oven Option:Prepare the cheese mixture, and prep the vegetables according to the crockpot lasagna recipe instructions.In a deep 13x9 inch pan spay cooking spay then add a thin layer of marinara sauce. Continue to layer the lasagna according to the recipe instructions until you have used all of your ingredients.In a preheated oven (425 degrees F) cook the veggie lasagna on the center rack covered with foil for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes to allow lasagna to soak up some excess moisture.
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Nutrition
Calories: 713kcalCarbohydrates: 57.3gProtein: 49.2gFat: 29.1gSaturated Fat: 15.2gCholesterol: 52.3mgSodium: 1101mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 4.1gSugar: 4gCalcium: 1119mgIron: 3mg
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I'm Caitlyn, I love creating simple and delicious recipes for my entire family to enjoy! I hope you find some new go-to recipes and favorites for your own family and friends to enjoy! Find Out More!
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