This easy Vegetarian Lasagne made with mediterranean vegetables is a tasty and filling meat free lasagne. Aubergines, courgettes, peppers and red onions are cooked in a tomato sauce, sandwiched between lasagne sheets and a simple white cheese sauce then topped with grated cheddar cheese to give a nice crisp and golden topping.
I use my Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta Sauce Recipe as the basis for this lasagne, but the instructions here will help you make the sauce from scratch. If you have the time, I would always recommend making a batch of the pasta sauce. It freezes well and is very handy. I freeze it in individual portions in old jam jars and use it to add to pasta for packed lunches or as a standby sauce for casseroles. More meat free vegetarian lasagnes you might like are my easy Quorn Lasagne or Spinach and Ricotta or Cauliflower, Leek and Kale
Recipe Tips and Variations
- To make the lasagne, you will need a square or rectangular oven proof dish. I use a lasagne dish that is 26cm x 18cm (internal measurement) as I can fit 3 lasagne sheets across without having to break them. This is big enough for 4 people. You can of course use dishes that are other sizes. You should try not to have the sheets overlapping as they won't cook as well. If you do need to break them, score with a sharp knife first. Don't worry if it looks a bit messy, once the sauce is poured over them, they won't be seen.
- You can make the basic sauce very quickly in just 10 minutes by simmering all the vegetables together in passata. If you have the time however, I would recommend cooking the sauce for longer in the oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes to one hour. This really helps develop the flavours.
- I use a basic white cheese sauce in this recipe. It's not difficult to do, just add all the ingredients to a pan at the same time and keep stirring. Press out any lumps on the side of the pan with the back of your spoon. I always use a mature cheddar cheese in a white sauce as you need less of it to get that cheese flavour.
- With a vegetarian lasagne, I like to use a mature cheddar cheese on the top as I think the flavour goes well. However, you could use other grated cheese such as mozarella which has a milder flavour but is more gooey when melted.
How to make it
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Put the onions, garlic, peppers, courgettes aubergines and passata into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper and stir.
To make the cheese sauce
- Put the butter, flour, mustard, milk and stock together in a pan. Heat gently and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Push out any lumps on the side of the pan with the back of your spoon. Don't worry about a few smaller lumps and these won't be noticed. Remove from the heat and add about half the cheese and stir in until it melts.
Assembling the Lasagne
- Spread a thin layer of the vegetable sauce on the bottom of the dish. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagne sheets. Pour over a layer of cheese sauce and repeat this pattern until it is all used up. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. If you are using a large dish, you may need more cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes.. Serve the lasagne with a green salad.
Reheating Lasagne
Ideally, you want to defrost your lasagne before reheating. If you're not able to do this, you can defrost it in the microwave on the defrost setting for about 5 minutes. Once defrosted, cover it with foil to stop the top from burning or browning further. Place in an ovenproof dish and reheat in the oven at 190°C / 375°F/ gas mark 5 for 20 - 30 minutes. The lasagne should be piping hot before serving. To check this, place a fork in the middle for a few seconds. If the fork is hot, the lasagne is also hot in the middle. The middle will be the last bit to reheat.
Sustainability
Aubergines, courgettes and peppers are all in season throughout the summer months. Try to buy them from local sources if possible. This not only reduces food miles, but helps to support your local economy. As always, buy them loose without any plastic packaging. Only buying what you need helps to reduce food waste. Eating food in season is the best way to enjoy our food. It tastes better and has a lower carbon footprint since it has not been put into storage. For more information on how eating in season helps, check out my Eating Sustainably page.
Storing Lasagne
You can assemble this Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 24 hours. Once cooked, it will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for 2 - 3 months.
Vegetarian Lasagne with Mediterranean Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 red onions organic, peeled and diced
- 1 garlic cloves organic, peeled and crushed
- 1 red peppers organic, de-seeded and chopped
- 1 courgettes organic, cut into batons
- 1 aubergine organic, cut into 1cm cubes
- 500 ml passata organic
- 10 g fresh basil organic, chopped
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
- 9 lasagne sheets organic, more depending on the size of your dish
- 320 g green salad organic
White Sauce
- 40 g butter organic
- 40 g plain flour organic
- ½ teaspoon English mustard organic
- 300 ml milk organic
- 300 ml vegetable stock organic
- 120 g mature cheddar cheese organic, grated
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Put the onions, garlic, peppers, courgettes aubergines and passata into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper and stir.
To make the cheese sauce
- Put the butter, flour, mustard, milk and stock together in a pan. Heat gently and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Don't worry about a few lumps. Remove from the heat and add about half the cheese and stir in until it melts.
Assembling the Lasagne
- Spread a thin layer of the vegetable sauce on the bottom of the dish. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna sheets. Pour over a layer of cheese sauce and repeat this pattern until it is all used up. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. If you are using a large dish, you may need more cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes.. Serve the lasagne with a green salad.
Notes
Tips
- You will need a square or rectangular oven proof dish. I use a lasagne dish that is 26cm x 18cm (internal measurement) as I can fit 3 lasagna sheets across without having to break them. This is big enough for 4 people. You can of course use dishes that are other sizes. Try not to have lasagne sheets overlapping as they won't cook as well. If you need to break them, score them with a sharp knife first. Don't worry if it looks a bit messy, once the sauce is poured over them, they won't be seen.
- You can make the basic sauce very quickly in just 10 minutes by simmering all the vegetables together in passata. If you have the time however, I would recommend cooking the sauce for longer in the oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes to one hour. This really helps develop the flavours.
- I use a basic white cheese sauce for this lasagne recipe. Add all the ingredients to a pan at the same time and keep stirring. Press out any lumps on the side of the pan with the back of your spoon. I always use a mature cheddar cheese in a white sauce as you need less of it to get that cheese flavour.
- I like to use a mature cheddar cheese on the top as I think the flavour goes well. You can use other grated cheese such as mozarella which has a milder flavour but is more gooey when melted.
Reheating
Ideally, defrost your lasagne before reheating. You can defrost it in the microwave on the defrost setting for about 5 minutes. Once defrosted, cover it with foil to stop the top from burning or browning further. Place in an ovenproof dish and reheat in the oven at 190°C / 375°F/ gas mark 5 for 20 - 30 minutes. The lasagne should be piping hot before serving. To check this, place a fork in the middle of the lasagne for a few seconds. If the fork is hot, the lasagne is also hot in the middle.Storing
You can assemble this Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 24 hours. Once cooked, it will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for 2 - 3 months.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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