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This High Protein Vegetarian Lasagna is low fat, loaded with veggies and an absolutely hearty and comforting meal that the entire family can enjoy. You can customize it, prep it ahead of time, and even freeze it for months - it’s seriously delicious.
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There's simply something irresistible about a plate of vegetarian lasagna! This healthier version of lasagna boosts the protein with plenty of cheese and the addition of an egg white. Even better, each bite is packed with veggies!
Keep in mind, this isn’t one of those quick dinner recipes, but that teeny bit of extra kitchen time and effort is all worth it - I promise.
If you love lasagna, check out my easy Crockpot Lasagna, this healthy Lasagna Skillet, and everyone's favorite Healthy Lasagna Soup next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthier: If you’re looking for a healthy meatless lasagna recipe, this one ticks all the boxes. It packs in a lot of fiber from the veggies and uses healthy, wholesome ingredients to achieve those classic lasagna flavors.
- High protein: Every serving of the lasagna gives you a decent amount of protein. Ricotta cheese is an excellent high protein, low fat cheese which is the star ingredient.
- Comforting dish: On days when you’re really craving some comfort food but still want to keep it healthier, turn to this easy vegetarian lasagna recipe.
High Protein Vegetarian Lasagna Ingredients
- Lasagna noodles: No-boil noodles can be convenient, but I would recommend using the regular noodles for the best texture.
- Cheese: We're using low moisture mozzarella cheese for the topping. This is actually a good protein rich cheese that's perfect for this dish. You will also need ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese for the filling. Cottage cheese makes a great swap for the ricotta. It's similar in nutrition but you will need to blend it to make it creamier before adding it to the other ingredients.
- Veggies: These bulk up the dish. I used diced cremini mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, red bell pepper, and green bell peppers. Feel free to mix and match to create your own combination. Eggplant and butternut squash are some other great options! We're also sneaking in some spinach into the ricotta filling too.
- Sauce: Grab a jar of your favorite marinara or pasta sauce. Using jarred sauce makes homemade lasagna easier but feel free to use a homemade sauce if you prefer.
- Aromatics and seasonings. Sauteed white onion and garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, oregano and some salt and pepper boost the flavors of the marinara sauce.
- Egg white: This adds a bit more protein while also giving the cheese layer some structure.
- Seasoning for filling: Add a dash of lemon juice and some dried parsley and basil to add brightness and more herbal flavors.
- Olive oil: Oil is needed to roast the veggies and saute the veggies. I choose olive oil but you can swap it for a different vegetable oil if you prefer.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Low carb: To make a low carb version of this high protein lasagna recipe, use low carb lasagna noodles instead of the regular ones.
- Gluten-free: Swap the regular lasagna noodles with a gluten-free version. If you also choose an option made from legumes you can boost the protein even more.
- Egg free: I used egg white in the filling to help firm up the cheese layer. If you’re allergic to eggs, just skip using it, and the lasagna will still taste great!
How to Make High Protein Vegetarian Lasagna
To make this healthy vegetable lasagna, you’ll need to start by preheating the oven to 400 F degrees and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Also, bring a pot of water to a boil and start cooking the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Once they're ready, drain and allow them time to cool before layering the lasagna.
Step 1: Prep veggies: Toss all the veggies in some olive and season them with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Roast veggies: Arrange the veggies on the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set them aside.
Step 3: Saute aromatics: Saute the onion in some olive oil in a large pot until translucent. Then add in the garlic, Italian seasoning and oregano and saute for another minute.
Step 4: Make the sauce: Add in the marinara sauce, bay leaf and season it with salt and pepper. Turn down the heat and let the sauce cook for about 12 minutes, then take it off heat and set it aside. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf too.
Step 5: Wilt the spinach: Saute the spinach for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat in a bit of oil until it wilts.
Step 6: Make the filling: Combine the wilted spinach with the other ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl and set it aside.
Step 7: Layer the noodles: Start by adding a cup of the marinara sauce to the baking dish, followed by a layer of four cooked noodles.
Step 8: Top with cheese: Spread the ricotta mixture over the noodles and top it with the mozzarella cheese.
Step 9: Add another layer: Follow this up with a layer of roasted veggies and then repeat the same layers again until the dish is filled to the top. End with a layer of the noodles topped with the spinach ricotta mixture and the leftover marinara sauce.
Step 10: Finish up and serve: Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover it and let it bake for another 20 minutes. Allow it to rest, garnish with Parmesan and chopped basil and serve.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store your leftover healthy vegetarian lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to three months. I like to freeze it in individual portions so I can easily remove just what I need for a meal.
- Reheating: To reheat in the oven, place the leftovers in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350° F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave individual servings on a plate covered with a paper towel.
- Make Ahead: You can make this ahead of time too. Simply assemble the lasagna in the casserole dish, cover it up with foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. You can then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then bake it as you would, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy this protein rich veggie lasagna on its own, or team it up with a simple salad like southwestern Caesar salad, this healthier copycat Olive Garden salad, or a simple tomato cucumber salad.
- If you love a bread side, try my low carb cauliflower bread, pick up your favorite crusty bread, or make some garlic bread to serve on the side.
- Kick the meal off with a small serving of this high protein minestrone soup or healthy zuppa Toscana for more veggies and protein.
Expert Tips
- Prep the sauce: To make things quicker, you can prepare the tomato sauce and roast the vegetables up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate them until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.
- Time it right: Make sure you don’t overcook the noodles. Check the package instructions and cook the noodles just until they’re al dente. Drain them right away and allow them to cool down before you use them for the recipe.
- Let it rest: Let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before you serve. This will help the filling, noodles and the cheese mixture hold its texture better as you portion it out.
- Using no-boil noodles. Add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time if you’re using no-cook noodles instead of the fully cooked, drained noodles.
More Delicious High Protein Recipes
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High Protein Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Veggies & Pasta:
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Carrot diced
- 1 Zucchini diced
- 8 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms diced (or mushrooms of choice)
- 12 Lasagna Noodles
- 4 cups Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese
For the Sauce:
- 2 – 25 oz. Marinara Sauce or pasta sauce of choice
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- ½ cup White Onion diced
- 2 tbsp Garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ tsp Oregano
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the Filling:
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 5 oz. Spinach chopped
- 1 Egg White
- 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp dried Parsley or fresh use ¼ cup
- 1 tbsp dried Basil or fresh use ¼ cup
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all the vegetables – mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini and carrots in a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the vegetables onto the sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes. When finished, remove from the oven and set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Then add the garlic, Italian seasoning and oregano. Sauté 1-2 minutes then add the marinara sauces, dried bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, remove the lid and discard the bay leaf. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Next make the filling by adding the one teaspoon of olive oil to another pot with the spinach. Sauté on medium heat until the spinach is wilted about 3-5 minutes.
- To a mixing bowl, add the spinach, egg white, lemon juice, ricotta, parsley, basil and parmesan. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lasagna. Cook according to package instructions. Drain and cool the lasagna noodles before assembling the casserole.
- To an 8-inch by 8-inch casserole dish, add 1 cup of the marinara sauce to the bottom. Add 4 lasagna noodles, lengthwise, overlapping the edges if necessary. Add ½ cup of the ricotta mixture spreading it evenly over the top. Then add 1 ¼ cups of the mozzarella evenly over the top then add 1/3 of the roasted vegetables over the top. Repeat for a second layer. For the third (last) layer, skip the mozzarella cheese. Instead add the noodles, ricotta filling, roasted veggies then pour remaining marinara sauce over the top.
- Bake uncovered at 400 F for 25 minutes. Then remove the lasagna from the oven and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and return to the oven to finish cooking for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and remove the cover. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes then add the parmesan on top and garnish with freshly chopped basil.
Notes
- Avoid overcooking the noodles. Check the package for instructions and cook the noodles until they’re just al dente.
- Make the tomato sauce and roast the veggies up to 2 days ahead of time if you want to put the dish together quicker.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for a few minutes before you slice and serve!
Nutrition
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