My tremendous satisfying, wholesome vegetable lasagna is a lightened-up model of the beloved basic Italian recipe. Made with layers of complete wheat noodles, a mix of gooey cheese, contemporary herbs, and filled with veggies, this low-calorie veggie lasagna is right for anybody in search of a hearty, one-dish meal that tastes identical to the normal model. I assure this recipe will quickly change into a favourite amongst your loved ones and pals!
My complete household completely loves Italian lasagna. I believe it is likely to be their favourite Italian meal. However we not often order it at eating places as a result of most vegetable lasagna recipes are made with white pasta (no fiber, refined carbs), method an excessive amount of cheese (which is excessive in energy and fats), and barely any veggies (which makes it much more heavy and dense!)
So I made a decision to create a coronary heart wholesome vegetable lasagna recipe with all the taste and heartiness you’d anticipate from a conventional lasagna recipe, however with a couple of swaps to make it higher for you.
And I’ve to say: it was successful! Each time I’ve made this: for events, for meat-eaters, for the vacations, for my household — everybody loves this recipe! It’s probably the greatest wholesome vegetarian Italian recipes!
I like it when folks ask me, is vegetable lasagna wholesome? Mine is! I take advantage of fiber-rich complete wheat noodles as an alternative of basic lasagna noodles, which offer a wholesome dose of complete grains and preserve you fuller longer.
Moreover, I take advantage of much less cheese and a mixture of low-fat and full-fat choices to create a low fats veggie lasagna that tastes superb. My wholesome vegetable lasagna recipe is just 260 energy for one big piece!
This can be a low calorie vegetable lasagna however my recipe is simply nearly as good as the true deal. It’s an ooey-gooey, tacky, veggie packed lasagna loaded with taste that may have everybody craving seconds.
It’s additionally a incredible kid-friendly vegetable lasagna recipe. It’s straightforward for little ones to eat, and I’ve discovered it’s a good way to get some further veggies into your youngsters since they’re wrapped in a cheesy-carby-lasagna-bow.
Whereas this dish isn’t a fast weeknight meal, it’s so price it in the long run! Regardless of the cooking time, it’s an easy wholesome lasagna that makes for nice leftovers and is tremendous freezer-friendly as nicely. I do know you’ll love this recipe as a lot as my household and I do!
Newest Recipe Video!
🥘 Elements
My wholesome veggie lasagna is made with very primary substances. You’ll be able to simply discover complete wheat lasagna noodles at any native grocery retailer. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for the precise measurements and dietary data.
Complete-Wheat Noodles: These create the bottom of my coronary heart wholesome lasagna recipe. Utilizing complete wheat pasta provides dietary advantages, however you actually can’t inform the distinction in style between it and common lasagna noodles.
Ricotta Combination: I take advantage of low-fat ricotta cheese and some sorts of shredded cheese, together with part-skim mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, and Asiago, to take care of the gooey texture with much less fats and fewer energy.
Contemporary Greens: I used pink bell peppers, zucchini, child spinach, and pink onion — however you need to use any combine of colourful greens you want! Butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, summer time squash, and even asparagus would all style nice in my low calorie vegetarian lasagna.
Purple Sauce: To maintain my recipe straightforward, I made a easy tomato sauce utilizing crushed tomatoes and Italian spices, mixed with a pre-made jar of marinara sauce.
Spices: Dried Italian seasoning, crushed pink pepper flakes (or black pepper), salt, and contemporary minced garlic add tons of taste to low fats vegetarian lasagna. You can even use contemporary basil within the filling or as a garnish.
🔪 How To Make Wholesome Vegetable Lasagna
Making my wholesome lasagna recipe might take a while, however it’s excellent for each rookies within the kitchen and seasoned cooks. The steps are straightforward and also you don’t want any fancy cooking instruments.
Try my video under to see how simply this low-calorie vegetarian lasagne comes along with little or no effort!
Boil Noodles: To start, I prepare dinner the lasagna noodles in accordance with the bundle instructions to al dente. When carried out, I lay them flat on foil and put aside.
Cook dinner The Veggie Filling: First, I quarter all 4 zucchini and thinly slice. Then I cube all 3 bell peppers and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Subsequent, I warmth olive oil in a big skillet over medium-high warmth, saute the garlic, half the diced onion, all the zucchini, and all the bell peppers collectively till simply softened.
Proceed Cooking: Now, I decrease to medium warmth, add the newborn spinach, and stir with a picket spoon for one more 3 minutes till it’s wilted. Then I sprinkle the filling with Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed pink pepper to style, stir, and let it prepare dinner for a pair extra minutes earlier than eradicating it from the warmth.
Make The Marinara Sauce: Earlier than cooking, I mince 3 cloves garlic. Then I spray a medium sized saucepan with cooking spray and calmly saute the garlic and remaining pink onion till the onion is translucent. Subsequent, I add the crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning to style, if utilizing unseasoned tomatoes. As soon as my sauce is heated by, I flip the warmth all the way down to low.
Combine The Cheeses: The Parmesan cheese (or Italian mix, if utilizing) needs to be put aside. I combine 1.5 cups of ricotta cheese with 1 cup of mozzarella till nicely mixed to make the tacky filling.
Assemble The Layers: First, I spray the underside of a giant casserole dish or baking dish with cooking spray and put 1 cup of sauce on the underside.
Then I put a single layer of the lasagna noodles.
Then I add one other layer of sauce, a layer of the veggie combination, and high it with ½ cup of the cheese combination. I don’t attempt to unfold the cheese; the crumbles work nicely.
End Assembling: Subsequent, I add one other layer of pasta sheets, adopted by sauce, veggies, and cheese. Lastly, I add a layer of noodles, high with sauce, and sprinkle 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (or Italian cheese mix) excessive. Word: For each layer of sauce, I take advantage of ½ cup home made and ½ cup pre-made sauce.
Bake And Serve: As soon as assembled, I cowl the unbaked lasagna with foil and bake it at 350 levels Fahrenheit (177 levels Celsius) for Half-hour. Then I uncover it and bake for one more 5 minutes or till the cheese has melted. When carried out, I take away it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Lastly, I slice the wholesome vegetarian lasagna and serve it heat.
My #1 Secret Tip for making my wholesome vegetarian lasagna recipe is to generously salt the water and solely prepare dinner the lasagna noodles to al dente.
This implies they need to be barely agency to the chunk and never totally cooked by earlier than you begin layering them within the casserole dish.
I’ll usually cease boiling the lasagna noodles about 2-3 minutes sooner than I’d for fully cooked pasta. The noodles will end cooking within the oven, so cooking them partially earlier than this prevents the noodles from changing into too gentle and mushy in the course of the baking course of.
Different Suggestions To Preserve In Thoughts:
- Lay the Noodles on Foil: After boiling, I’ll lay the cooked lasagna noodles flat on a sheet of aluminum foil to forestall them from sticking collectively. Typically I even calmly spray the foil with olive oil spray to actually make certain they keep separated.
- Minimize The Veggies Uniformly: Thinly slice the bell peppers after which minimize them in half to match the scale of the zucchini items. Having uniform items ensures that all the things cooks evenly and offers my wholesome vegetarian lasagne a constant texture.
- Add The Spinach Final: Sauté the zucchini, peppers, onion, and garlic till virtually carried out, then add the spinach. Spinach cooks shortly, so including it final prevents it from changing into overcooked and soggy.
- Use Contemporary And Dried Herbs: Use a mix of contemporary and dried herbs to boost the flavour. Contemporary herbs add a vibrant, contemporary style, whereas dried herbs present a wealthy, slow-cooked depth of taste.
- Spray To Forestall Sticking: I at all times spray or grease my casserole dish earlier than layering the substances. This prevents the lasagna noodles from sticking to the dish, making it simpler to serve.
- Combine The Purple Sauces: Begin with a layer of sauce on the backside of the dish, utilizing a mixture of pre-made and home made sauce. This provides this wholesome veggie lasagna recipe a flavorful base.
- Go away The Cheese Crumbles: The cheese combination isn’t very spreadable because it’s a mixture of ricotta and shredded cheese. So as an alternative of spreading the cheese, I wish to crumble it on high of the veggie layer. As soon as it bakes, the crumbles mix nicely with the greens and soften to create a uniform layer.
- Relaxation Earlier than Slicing: Let this wholesome veggie lasagne relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour after baking. This permits it to set, making it simpler to slice and helps the layers maintain collectively when served.
📖 Variations
Gluten Free Veggie Lasagna: Use gluten free pasta sheets to show my recipe right into a 100% gluten-free low calorie vegetable lasagne!
Roasted Vegetable Lasagne: As an alternative of sauteeing your veggies, roast the greens within the oven at 400 levels Fahrenheit (200 levels Celcius) till tender.
Totally different Veggies: Spinach, zucchini, and bell peppers all work nicely in a veggie lasagna. Kale, mushrooms, summer time squash, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and even carrots would work nicely on this recipe.
Zucchini Vegetarian Lasagna: As an alternative of pasta sheets, use zucchini to make this right into a low carb recipe!
Vegan Vegetable Lasagna: Make my wholesome vegetable lasagna dairy-free by utilizing a vegan ricotta and vegan parmesan as an alternative of the common cheese.
🍽 Serving Solutions
My low fats vegetable lasagna is a flexible dish that shines by itself however could be paired with bread, salad, or different veggies for a much bigger meal. These are just some of my favorites:
With Salads: Serve my lasagna with a contemporary salad so as to add extra greens and a burst of coloration to your desk. This spinach and arugula salad or feta salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and lentils are each fantastic choices.
With Bread: Complement the lasagna with heat, crusty bread. I like choices like this gluten free focaccia, air fryer garlic bread, or vegan dinner rolls – they’re all excellent for absorbing the scrumptious sauce.
With Sides: Serve it with roasted root greens, inexperienced beans with a squeeze of lemon, or portobello mushroom steaks.
Suggestions For Serving To Youngsters: This lasagna is already fairly kid-friendly, however when you’ve got particularly choosy eaters, I’d suggest chopping up the veggies tremendous advantageous and mixing them into the sauce. For SUPER choosy eaters, you possibly can puree the complete veggie combination after sauteeing it, and blend that with the sauce.
🧊 Storage Instructions
Fridge: As soon as cool, I place the lasagna in an hermetic container or cowl it tightly with plastic wrap. It should preserve nicely within the fridge for as much as 4 days. This child pleasant veggie lasagna is a lifesaver throughout busy weeks.
Freezer: For longer storage, you possibly can freeze lasagna utilizing considered one of two strategies relying on if you happen to’re freezing leftovers otherwise you’re freezing the lasagna earlier than it’s baked.
- Pre-Baked Lasagna: First, I assemble the lasagna and let it cool fully earlier than storing it in an hermetic container. It should final for 2-3 months within the freezer. When able to bake, I pull it out of the freezer and pop it into the oven straight, following the baking directions within the recipe. This methodology helps retain the freshness of the dish higher than if you happen to freeze it after baking.
- Baked Lasagna: If it’s been baked, I retailer it in an hermetic container within the freezer for as much as 3 months. For greatest outcomes, I recommend storing it in particular person servings to retain freshness and use it as a fast go-to weeknight meal.
Reheating: The most effective elements about this wholesome vegetable lasagna is that it reheats rather well. For the perfect outcomes, place the lasagna in an oven-safe dish, cowl it with foil, and bake for 20-Half-hour at 350 levels Fahrenheit (177 levels Celsius). I’ve additionally reheated particular person parts within the microwave on excessive for 2-3 minutes, or till sizzling – which works nicely after I’m on time. I at all times cowl the lasagna with a microwave-safe lid or a humid paper towel to retain moisture.
❓Recipe FAQs
You’ll know your noodles are al dente once they’re agency however not laborious. Cook dinner them in accordance with the bundle directions, often boiling for 8-10 minutes. They need to have a slight chunk to them—resistant, however positively not crunchy.
Watery lasagna typically comes from veggies releasing an excessive amount of moisture. To keep away from this, prepare dinner the greens completely till a lot of the moisture evaporates earlier than layering them. Additionally, let the wholesome vegetable lasagne relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour after baking to assist it set and cut back extra liquid.
Completely! No-boil lasagna noodles are tremendous handy. They’re made to prepare dinner proper within the oven because the lasagna bakes, absorbing the sauce’s moisture. Simply make certain to make use of a bit extra sauce than common to make sure the noodles prepare dinner correctly.
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📋 Recipe Card
Hearty Wholesome Vegetable Lasagna (Straightforward Recipe!)
My tremendous satisfying, wholesome vegetable lasagna is a lightened-up model of the beloved basic Italian recipe. Made with layers of complete wheat noodles, a mix of gooey cheese, contemporary herbs, and filled with veggies, this low-calorie veggie lasagna is right for anybody in search of a hearty, one-dish meal that tastes identical to the normal model. I assure this recipe will quickly change into a favourite amongst your loved ones and pals!
Servings: 12 servings
Energy: 304kcal
Store Elements on Jupiter- Salt water and prepare dinner lasagna noodles al dente (perhaps about 4-5 minutes). They are going to proceed to prepare dinner if you bake the lasagna within the oven – and that method you gained’t have mushy noodles!
- Lay the noodles flat on aluminum foil to forestall the noodles from sticking collectively. You’ll be able to even spray the foil with olive oil spray to actually make certain the noodles stay separated.
- Thinly slice the bell pepper after which minimize in half so your items are about the identical measurement as your zucchini.
- Cook dinner the zucchini, peppers, onion, and garlic till virtually carried out earlier than including spinach.
- A mixture of contemporary and dried herbs offers a vibrant and sluggish cooked taste.
- Make the sauce in a separate pan from the veggies.
- Spray or grease the casserole dish to forestall sticking.
- Don’t attempt to unfold the cheese layer. Crumble the cheese on high of the veggies.
- Let the lasagna relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than slicing it, that method it should maintain collectively when you do slice and serve it.
Serving: 1piece | Energy: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 17g | Fats: 8g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Ldl cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 810mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g
