Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (2024)

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Are you looking for the perfect recipe to make vegan lasagna? Then you're in the right place! This lasagna is easy to make, super delicious, and, icing on the cake, it can be prepared ahead of time and then put in the oven when you want to bake it.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (2)

This lasagna is filled with creamy bechamel, vegan mozzarella, and mushroom or lentil bolognese. In the lasagna you see in this blog-post I used my mushroom bolognese but if you prefer you can also use my lentil bolognese. Both are absolutely delicious!

Before you jump to the recipe that you will find at the end of this page I suggest you read this blog-post carefully. In fact, I will explain how to substitute ingredients, how to store the lasagna and other important things.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • vegan pasta sheets (fresh or dry)
  • Vegan Bolognese Sauce
  • Vegan Bechamel Sauce
  • Vegan Mozzarella
  • Lasagna Sheets
  • Assembling Lasagna
  • How to make Lasagna ahead
  • How to store lasagna leftovers
  • How to reheat lasagna leftovers
  • More recipes you may like:
  • If you try this recipe for vegan lasagna ...
  • Pinterest
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews
Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (3)

Ingredients

This recipe for vegan lasagne is pretty much easy to make. There are no difficult steps and all you need to have in order to make this recipe are the following 13 ingredients.

  • champignons or lentils
  • onion
  • carrot
  • celery stick
  • tomato paste
  • red wine
  • pelati
  • vegan butter
  • all-purpose flour
  • soy milk
  • nutmeg
  • vegan mozzarella

vegan pasta sheets (fresh or dry)

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (4)

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

One of the fundamental elements of a lasagna is the bolognese sauce. This recipe is totally vegan, so we will not use any minced meat to make the bolognese. Instead we will use either chopped mushrooms or lentils.

Both variations result in a delicious bolognese. The only difference is that the lentil bolognese is slightly easier and quicker to prepare, while the mushroom bolognese is a little more tedious to make (due to having to chop the mushrooms) but turns out slightly more flavorful.

Choose the one you prefer. Here I leave links for you to take a look at them: mushroom bolognese, lentil bolognese.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (5)

Vegan Bechamel Sauce

The second essential element for a delicious lasagna is the bechamel sauce.

Making a vegan bechamel sauce is super easy. We replace cow's milk with soy milk (be careful to use unsweetened soy milk!) and cow's butter with vegetable butter.

The recipe is the same as the traditional one: we melt the butter, add the flour and mix well. Little by little we stir in the milk and, always mixing, bring the mixture to a boil. Once we reach a creamy, lump-free sauce, we add salt, pepper and nutmeg.

In case the sauce has lumps we can blend it for a few seconds.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (6)

Vegan Mozzarella

Some people put mozzarella in their lasagna and some people don't. I prefer to add it because it gives a touch of flavor.

You can use any plant-based mozzarella of your liking, I used the delicious plant-based mozzarella from the Züger Frischkäse AG.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (7)

Lasagna Sheets

To make this recipe for vegan lasagna you can use either fresh or dry lasagna sheets.

If you want to make them by hand, I recommend following my recipe for vegan manicotti (the pasta sheets are the same).

If you use dry lasagna sheets, I recommend you follow the packaging instructions on how to use/bake them.

Also, be careful because some lasagna sheets contain eggs and some do not. So if you want to make vegan lasagna, read the ingredient list carefully.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (8)

Assembling Lasagna

Assembling lasagna is super easy. We start by spreading an even layer of bolognese sauce over the base of an oven-proof dish.

Then, we place a layer of pasta sheets on top. Next, we spread over a layer of béchamel and repeat the process until both sauces are finished.

Finish with a layer of white sauce and sprinkle with olive oil and black pepper.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (9)
Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (10)
Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (11)

How to make Lasagna ahead

If you want to make lasagna in advance, you can do it without any problems. Once you've assembled it, allow it to cool to room temperature.

Next, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator (if you want to bake it the next day) or freeze it (if you want to bake it more than a day later).

In case you freeze the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking it in the oven.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (12)

How to store lasagna leftovers

If you have leftover lasagna, don't throw it away. Put it in an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (13)

How to reheat lasagna leftovers

You can reheat lasagna leftovers with no problems. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (360 °F) and bake it for 15 minutes until hot and crispy.

Serve straight away.

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (14)

More recipes you may like:

  • Sesame crusted Mushroom Pie
  • Vegan Chickpea Nuggets
  • The Ultimate Vegan Wellington
  • Vegan Mushroom Pasta

If you try this recipe for vegan lasagna ...

Please let me know! Leave a comment, rate the recipe and don't forget to tag a photo with #carlocao or #vegaliciously on Instagram or Tiktok.

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📖 Recipe

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (15)

Best recipe for vegan lasagna

Carlo Cao

Are you looking for the perfect recipe to make vegan lasagna? Then you're in the right place! This lasagna is easy to make, super delicious, and, icing on the cake, it can be prepared ahead of time and then put in the oven when you want to bake it.

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Baking Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 49 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

Bolognese

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 kg ((35 oz)) mushrooms finely chopped OR 200 g ((7 oz)) red lentils
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 stick of celery chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 200 ml red wine ((⅘ cup))
  • 500 g pelati ((17½ oz))

Bechamel

  • 120 g vegan butter ((4¼ oz))
  • 120 g white flour ((4¼ oz))
  • 1000 ml soy milk unsweetened (( 4 cups))
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Pasta sheets & vegan cheese

  • 2 vegan mozzarella cut into thin slices
  • 400 g vegan lasagna sheets ((14 oz))

Instructions

Bolognese

  • for the ragout, heat olive oil in a pan.

  • add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until golden brown.

  • add mushroom and sauté until all liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. If you use lentils do the same but sauté for about 3-4 minutes.

  • add tomato paste and mix well.

  • deglaze with red wine and simmer until the wine has completely evaporated.

  • add pelati, mix well and simmer for about 30 minutes. If you used lentils you might want to add some water from time to time if too dry.

  • finally, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Bechamel

  • For the béchamel sauce, melt butter over low heat.

  • add the flour and stir vigorously with a whisk so that no lumps form.

  • Gradually pour in the milk, stirring vigorously.

  • Let the béchamel simmer briefly until it thickens. 12.

  • Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and set aside.

Assembling the lasagna

  • spread 4 tablespoons of ragout in a large baking dish. Place lasagna sheets on top and cover with ¼ of the béchamel, ragu and mozzarella. Repeat the process until everything is used up (about 4 layers). Important: bechamel sauce should be the last layer.

  • finally put the mold in the oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for 35 minutes.

Keyword béchamel, bolognese, lasagna, mozzarella

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Best Ever Recipe for Vegan Lasagna (Easy & Delicious!) - Carlo Cao (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put milk in lasagna? ›

The secret ingredient? Milk. It tenderises the meat, to leave you with the most tender ragù. Use a deep dish and find out how to layer a lasagne.

How do you make lasagna firmer? ›

Use the oven-ready (no boil) lasagna noodles. It absorbs some of the extra liquid released from the cheeses and sauce and keep it firmer. Also, do NOT use part-skim mozzarella or ricotta - use the whole milk versions.

How to jazz up lasagna? ›

11 Ways To Add More Flavor To Your Homemade Lasagna
  1. Diversify your sausage. Artisteer/Getty Images. ...
  2. Sswap out that sausage for seafood. ...
  3. Reconsider the veggies you're using. ...
  4. Don't use the same exact cheese. ...
  5. Try ricotta cheese. ...
  6. Use no-boil noodles. ...
  7. Test out white lasagna. ...
  8. Consider cinnamon your secret ingredient.
Feb 26, 2023

What not to do when making lasagna? ›

Too much between one layer and another will keep you from ever getting a perfect slice. Too little and all you'll taste is pasta. Do not put large pieces of vegetables or meat in lasagna for the same reason as above. To get a perfect lasagna, the filling should be finely sliced or even creamy.

Why do Italians put boiled eggs in lasagna? ›

It adds a wonderful texture and flavour to the lasagna.

What happens if you don't add egg to ricotta for lasagna? ›

Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact. So what happens if you don't put eggs in your lasagna? It'll just be a bit runnier, but omitting the egg won't affect the taste.

Why add tomato paste to lasagna? ›

A good tomato paste helps to thicken but also adds a sweet and savory umami flavor. Lean Ground Beef: Lean beef adds a robust and hearty meatiness that's essential in a classic lasagna recipe.

What makes lasagna taste better? ›

Five Secrets of Building the Ultimate Lasagna
  1. Secret #1: No-Boil Noodles Actually Taste Better. ...
  2. Secret #2: For a Rich Sauce, Use Pork Sausage Instead of Ground Beef. ...
  3. Secret #3: Fresh Mozzarella Actually Makes a Difference.
Jan 6, 2015

How do you keep veggie lasagna from getting soggy? ›

For this recipe, we help reduce excess moisture by using no-boil noodles, cooking the mushrooms, onion and bell peppers before adding them to the lasagna, and squeezing the liquid out of the cooked spinach with a kitchen towel. You want your veggies as dry as possible so you are not adding more moisture than necessary.

How many layers should a lasagna have? ›

Then repeat the layers. Top the last layer of your lasagna with sauce and cheese. You can also alternate layers of sauce and ricotta cheese. Most lasagna recipes have two to three layers.

Is lasagna better made the day before? ›

If you make your lasagna the day before, it will probably taste better! Letting the dish set for a day let's the flavors meld. Just make sure that when you do make it, you don't overcook it is — that will make the pasta soggy; remember, you will need to reheat it when you are ready to serve.

Should you overlap lasagna noodles? ›

BUILDING YOUR LASAGNA

Coat the bottom of pan with a couple ladles of sauce Layer noodles length-wise in pan, making sure to get in corners and overlap each other.

What is a good substitute for basil in lasagna? ›

Substitutes for Basil:

Basil substitutes can include its mint cousins: Greek oregano, mint, and thyme. Tarragon and savory are also suitable alternatives to basil. Because basil is included in Italian seasoning, that is also a good alternative for basil when called for in an Italian-style recipe.

Do you have to mix ricotta and egg for lasagna? ›

Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact. So what happens if you don't put eggs in your lasagna? It'll just be a bit runnier, but omitting the egg won't affect the taste.

What is the correct layering for lasagna? ›

The best way to layer your lasagna is to start with a layer of red sauce, follow it up with a layer of white sauce, then pasta, then cheese. Follow this pattern until you've filled your tray.

Do you put sauce or sheets first in lasagna? ›

Start by spreading a layer of your tomato-based sauce (either a plain tomato sauce or your pre-made ragù) on the bottom of your dish. Next, add a single layer of pasta sheets. Then, add a layer of white sauce, followed by another single layer of pasta sheets.

Should homemade lasagna be covered when baking? ›

If uncovered, the prolonged exposure to heat will quickly dry out your lasagna, no matter how much sauce you've added. Make sure to always add a layer of tin foil over your baking dish, which will trap the moisture inside while still allowing the dish to cook properly.

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