Few dishes offer the same level of warmth and comfort as a Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. With layers of roasted peppers, courgette, and aubergine nestled between rich tomato sauce, velvety béchamel, and tender lasagna sheets, it delivers both depth of flavour and satisfying texture. Whether you’re catering for vegetarians or simply looking to add more plant-based meals to your rotation, this dish is an excellent choice. It requires patience, but the results make every step worthwhile.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- The Key to Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
- Creating a Well-Balanced Tomato Sauce
- The Secret to a Silky Béchamel
- Layering for the Ultimate Lasagna
- Baking and Resting
- Storage and Reheating Tips
- More Lasagna Recipes
Ingredient Breakdown
- Red sweet pointed peppers: Naturally sweet, these add a smoky, slightly charred flavour when roasted.
- Courgette: Softens beautifully and soaks up the surrounding flavours.
- Aubergine: Adds a rich, almost meaty texture to the lasagna.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Enhances the vegetables and sauces with a smooth, fruity depth.
- Dried Italian herbs: A mix of oregano, thyme, and basil for classic Mediterranean seasoning.
- Garlic granules: Provides a mild, aromatic flavour.
- Sweet onion: Forms the base of the tomato sauce, adding subtle sweetness.
- Carrot: Introduces natural sweetness and enhances the sauce’s richness.
- Celery: Contributes a savoury depth to the tomato base.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic intensifies the flavour in the sauce.
- Fresh rosemary: Earthy, aromatic, and slightly piney, it pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables.
- Double concentrated tomato purée: Boosts the umami depth of the sauce.
- Crushed or chopped plum tomatoes: The heart of the sauce, providing a rich tomato foundation.
- Water: Loosens the sauce to ensure it coats the lasagna sheets evenly.
- Sugar (optional): Balances acidity in the tomatoes if needed.
- Fresh basil leaves: Adds a burst of freshness at the end.
- Unsalted butter: Forms the base of the béchamel, creating a rich texture.
- Plain flour: Thickens the béchamel sauce to a smooth consistency.
- Whole milk: Gives the béchamel its creamy body.
- Grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano: Adds nutty saltiness to the béchamel.
- Fine sea salt & freshly-ground black pepper: Essential seasoning.
- Ground nutmeg: Subtly enhances the creaminess of the sauce.
- Fresh lasagna sheets: Absorb the sauce while maintaining an al dente texture.
- Grated mozzarella: Melts into a golden, bubbling topping.
The Key to Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
Achieving perfectly roasted vegetables is all about balance: even cuts, the right seasoning, and proper roasting technique. The high temperature caramelises their natural sugars, intensifying their flavours and giving them a delightful texture.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer to ensure even cooking. Overcrowding the tray causes steaming instead of roasting, which can result in soggy vegetables. Turning them halfway through the cooking process ensures that all sides develop a slightly charred, crisp exterior.
A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, dried Italian herbs, and garlic granules elevate the natural sweetness of the vegetables. Once roasted, they should be tender yet slightly firm, ready to be layered into the lasagna.
Creating a Well-Balanced Tomato Sauce
A rich tomato sauce sets the foundation for a truly indulgent Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. Starting with a soffritto of finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery provides depth and sweetness. Slowly cooking the mixture in extra-virgin olive oil allows the vegetables to release their natural sugars, forming the backbone of the sauce.
Adding garlic and rosemary enhances the aroma before stirring in double-concentrated tomato purée, which intensifies the umami flavour. Once the crushed tomatoes and water are incorporated, allowing the sauce to simmer gently ensures a thick, luscious consistency. The final addition of fresh basil rounds out the sauce, lending a delicate, peppery freshness.
Simmering the sauce covered and then uncovered lets it thicken naturally, ensuring it coats the roasted vegetables and pasta layers beautifully. The goal is a sauce that’s slightly looser than traditional pasta sauce, as the lasagna sheets will absorb moisture during baking.
The Secret to a Silky Béchamel
A well-executed béchamel transforms a good lasagna into an outstanding one. Starting with a roux of melted butter and plain flour, constant whisking prevents lumps from forming. Gradually incorporating hot whole milk while whisking ensures a smooth, lump-free consistency.
Once the sauce thickens to a velvety texture, stirring in parmigiano reggiano, sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and a touch of nutmeg enhances its complexity. The nutmeg subtly lifts the creaminess without overpowering the dish.
Allowing the béchamel to rest slightly before layering prevents it from becoming too runny. If preparing ahead, gently reheating and whisking restores its smooth texture.
Layering for the Ultimate Lasagna
The layering process is where the components come together to form a cohesive Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. A small amount of vegetable-tomato sauce on the base of the dish prevents the pasta from sticking.
Each layer should consist of lasagna sheets, a generous amount of sauce, and a smooth spread of béchamel. The key is even distribution: every bite should contain all three elements. The final layer should be a thick coating of béchamel topped with grated mozzarella, ensuring a golden, bubbling crust when baked.
Baking and Resting
Baking the Roasted Vegetable Lasagna at 180℃/fan 160℃ allows the layers to meld together while developing a golden crust. Placing the dish on a baking sheet catches any spills, keeping the oven clean.
After baking, letting the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing ensures clean, well-structured portions. Cutting too soon can result in a messy plate as the layers have not had time to set.
Storage and Reheating Tips
This Roasted Vegetable Lasagna stores beautifully. If refrigerated, it keeps well for up to four days. To reheat, microwave individual portions or bake at a low temperature until warmed through.
Freezing is another great option: store it baked or unbaked for up to one month. When reheating a frozen baked lasagna, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven. For unbaked lasagna, bake directly from frozen, adding extra cooking time until piping hot and golden.
More Lasagna Recipes
If you, like me, love a good lasagna, why not try some more of my lasagna recipes where I put a twist on the Roasted Vegetable Lasagna:
- One Pan Ham Hock Lasagna: This takes everything you love about lasagna – layered flavours, creamy béchamel, and bubbling cheese – but simplifies the process without compromising on depth.
- One Pan Sausage Lasagna: This one-pan sausage lasagna is a comforting, no-fuss meal that delivers all the cheesy, saucy goodness of traditional lasagna without the hassle of layering.
See how I make all these recipes and more over on my Instagram!
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
This delicious veggie lasagna is loaded with roasted peppers, courgette and aubergine, a tasty homemade tomato sauce and a cheesy béchamel, all baked to perfection. This hearty, comforting dish is sure to please even the most avid of meat-eaters! Don’t take my word for it – try it!
Lasagna isn’t a difficult dish to make, but it is labour intensive. It’s got a couple of different components, each of which require a good amount of work. But please don’t let that put you off – it’s well worth the effort!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 hungry people 1x
- Category: Pasta, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 red sweet pointed peppers (Romano peppers), sliced
- 1 large courgette, cut into small cubes
- 1 medium aubergine, cut into small cubes
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs or mixed herbs
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
- 2 tbsps double concentrated tomato purée
- 2 x 400 g tin good-quality crushed or finely chopped plum tomatoes
- 250 ml water
- 2 tsps sugar, optional
- 15 g fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g plain flour
- 1 litre whole milk
- 120 g grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 300 g fresh lasagna sheets
- 250 g grated mozzarella
Instructions
Making the veg:
- Heat your oven to 220℃ / fan 200℃. Place the peppers, courgette and aubergine in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Add the Italian herbs and garlic granules and toss to combine.
- Arrange the vegetables in a single layer; it’s alright if there’s some overlap. Roast for 20 mins, tossing once halfway through. Set aside.
- MAKE AHEAD: the vegetables can be prepared up to 3 days ahead; cool, place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Making the sauce:
- Heat a splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. You want to gently cook the veg, not brown it.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add the tomato purée and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to darken, 2 to 3 mins.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, water and sugar (if using) and season generously with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Stir to combine, turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce covered for 10 minutes, then simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken but still be a little looser than a traditional tomato sauce; the extra water content compensates for not pre-boiling the lasagna sheets.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the fresh basil and roasted vegetables and stir to combine. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. You want the sauce to be a little saltier than a standard pasta sauce to compensate for the fact that we are not pre-boiling the lasagna sheets in salted water.
- MAKE AHEAD: the sauce can be prepared up to 3 days ahead; cool, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Alternatively, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Making the béchamel:
- While the sauce is cooking, gently bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to bubble, remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer the hot milk to a heatproof jug (it facilitates pouring).
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 mins, whisking continuously.
- Quickly but carefully whisk in the hot milk and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the béchamel to a simmer, whisking often. It will quickly begin to thicken. Once it barely starts bubbling—a few small bubbles coming up to the surface—reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until thick and velvety-smooth, around 3 to 5 mins.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the parmigiano reggiano, sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper and nutmeg.
- MAKE AHEAD: the béchamel can be prepared the day before; cool, cover and refrigerate. Gently reheat in a saucepan to loosen before use.
Assembling the lasagna:
- Heat the oven to 180℃/fan 160℃. To layer the lasagna: 1) Spread 2 to 3 ladlefuls of the veggie-tomato sauce on the base of a tall, large roasting tin. 2) Cover with a single layer of lasagna sheets; you will likely need to cut some of the sheets to fill all the gaps. 3) Top with 2 to 3 ladlefuls of the cheesy béchamel, spreading it over the lasagna sheets in an even layer using the back of a spoon. 4) Repeat the layers—veggie-tomato sauce, lasagna sheets, béchamel—until you get to the top of the dish. Top the final layer with the grated mozzarella.
- Place the lasagna on a baking sheet (to catch spills) and bake for 40 to 45 mins, or until browned on top and bubbling at the edges.
- Let it rest for 10 mins before serving. This allows the layers to gel together and helps avoid a sloppy mess when serving.
Storage
- The lasagna can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cool, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. To reheat, heat in microwave on high until piping hot.
- The lasagna can also be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month, either baked or unbaked. Baked: cool, place in airtight, freezer-safe containers and freeze. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave or oven. Unbaked: assemble the lasagna, cool, cover and freeze. To bake, thaw in the fridge overnight then bake at 180℃ /fan 160℃ for 1 hour or until browned on top and bubbling at the edges.
Equipment
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4 responses
Brilliant recipe’s thank you
It’s my absolute pleasure! It’s one of my favourites so I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I have been making this lasgana since I saw it on TikTok probably 2 years ago. It is always a hit with my family and they love it. I never thought I would prefer a vegetable lasagna over a meaty one but i always make this now.
Omg yay, I’m so happy to hear it! It’s honestly one of my favourites 🙂