Looking for the best vegetarian lasagna recipe? You're in the right place. This Butternut Squash and Spinach lasagna will become one of your favorites! This lasagna is stuffed with vegetables and combines Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheeses to create the ultimate Fall and Winter comfort food.
This delicious veggie lasagna recipe is healthy, meatless, gluten-free friendly, and perfect for the Fall and Winter season. Because it uses butternut squash, it's a great choice as a holiday vegetarian main dish or just a holiday recipe. It's so good, it's popular with kids!
To me, this is a great recipe to make any time of year, but because this lasagna has butternut squash, it is surely a good holiday veggie main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve.
This vegetarian recipe uses butternut squash puree, which you can easily make by following my easy step-by-step tutorial: how to make butternut squash puree. Or, you can always buy pureed butternut squash at the store.
I also want to warn you that this is my most photo-intensive post yet with lots of step-by-step photos which I think are quite helpful to make this delicious vegetarian lasagna. So, if you want to go directly to the bottom of this post - just scroll down.
Cooking tips
- Use cooked lasagna noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the noodles al dente, rinse each noodle with cold water and drain. This will guarantee the perfect texture!
- Make this vegetarian lasagna gluten-free! Use brown rice gluten-free lasagna noodles and follow all the recipe instructions as-is.
- For butternut squash filling, make your own butternut squash puree from scratch or use a store-bought version.
- Here is a great tutorial on how to cook fresh spinach - this recipe uses lemon juice and lemon juice which will pair well with the butternut squash, but you can also skip the lemon and/or lemon zest if you don't like it.
- No boil lasagna noodles. You can use no-boil lasagna noodles with this recipe! You might need to add about ½ cup of milk or water or vegetable stock to the squash purée, in addition to the milk called for in the recipe. (Thank you, Debbie, for your great tip!) You might also have to bake the lasagna for 10 extra minutes.
- Make this lasagna vegan. Use vegan Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses, then make vegan ricotta out of tofu and lemon juice using this recipe. (Thank you, Laura, for this wonderful tip!)
- Don't like vegetarian and want protein or meat? No problem. Add rotisserie chicken or cooked crumbled bacon in between lasagna layers.
I also tested this butternut squash and spinach lasagna with gluten-free noodles, and it works great! I used Tinkyada gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles - almost the whole 10 oz package. So, yes, this recipe is gluten-free friendly, for sure!
Bake this vegetarian lasagna at 375 F covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes.
With this delicious meatless vegetable lasagna, you will have no leftovers!
How to make vegetarian butternut squash and spinach lasagna (step-by-step photos):
First, prepare the butternut squash filling. Using a food processor, combine butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste, and add more salt, if needed:
Next, make spinach filling by mixing cooked spinach, Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, salt and pepper:
Prepare a baking dish - I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the bottom of the baking pan lightly with olive oil spray. Spread ⅓ of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese.
Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Top the first layer of butternut squash mixture with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping - as you can see I used 3 noodles. Use as many noodles as you need for your baking dish.
Spread half of spinach filling over the cooked noodles.
Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese:
Top with cooked lasagna noodles:
Spread another layer (⅓) of butternut squash mixture:
Sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese:
Top with cooked lasagna noodles:
Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese.
Top with the final layer of cooked noodles:
Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining ⅓) over this final layer of noodles:
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining Mozzarella cheese (about ½ cup of Mozzarella):
Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil:
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.
Your veggie lasagna is ready!
Recipes with Butternut Squash
Since you're looking at this butternut squash and spinach lasagna, I assume you like butternut squash. Here are a few other delicious recipes using this wonderful ingredient. All these recipes are also vegetarian and meatless.
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole
- Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash, Pine Nuts, Caramelized Onions and Feta cheese
Butternut Squash Salads:
- Autumn Salad with Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Seeds
- Butternut Squash Salad with Spinach, Pecans, Cranberries, and Pomegranate
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Filling:
- 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup milk or more, if needed
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus ⅛ teaspoon more
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Spinach Filling:
- 8 oz spinach (1 cup cooked spinach)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 10 oz lasagna noodles cooked (for gluten free, use Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles)
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese or more
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese on top
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
Butternut Squash Filling:
- For this filling, you will need to have pre-cooked butternut squash puree. Using food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed.
Spinach Filling:
- Combine cooked spinach, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix, taste, and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Note: The recipe I provide for how to cook spinach uses lemon juice and lemon zest which pairs nicely with butternut squash but you don't have to use lemon juice and/or lemon zest if you don't like it.
Cooking lasagna noodles:
- Bring a very large pot of water to boil, and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain. Using knife, trim noodles to fit your baking dish (if necessary).
How to assemble vegetarian lasagna:
- Prepare a baking dish - I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the lasagna dish lightly with olive oil spray. Spread ⅓ of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping (I used 3 noodles).
- Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
- Spread another layer (⅓) of butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
- Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of cooked noodles.
- Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining ⅓) over this final layer of noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese (about ½ cup of mozzarella). Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.
Notes
Make it GLUTEN-FREE
- Use brown rice gluten-free lasagna noodles (or any other kind of GF lasagna noodles) and follow all the recipe instructions as-is.
How to use NO-BOIL LASAGNA NOODLES
- You can use no-boil lasagna noodles with this recipe! You might need to add about ½ cup of milk or water or vegetable stock to the squash purée, in addition to the milk called for in the recipe. (Thank you, Debbie, for your great tip!) You might also have to bake the lasagna for 10 extra minutes.
How to make it VEGAN
- Use vegan Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses, then make vegan ricotta out of tofu and lemon juice using this recipe. (Thank you, Laura, for this wonderful tip!)
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Camille
This was a very good recipe, although I deviated quite a bit. I used fresh kale instead of spinach and steamed it for about 10 minutes before sautéing with garlic, shiitake mushrooms in a little butter. I added 1 grated fresh carrot in between layers and also added a generous amount of fresh basil. I didn’t have any ricotta, so I used a high quality plain yogurt culture that had a similar texture. I will definitely make this again.
Julia
Camille, your additions sound so delicious! Love the use of kale instead of spinach! Thank you for all the wonderful ideas in your comment!
stephanie
when freezing, should i cook first and then freeze of freeze uncooked. do i let it thaw before i cook or warm up?
thanks, stephanie
Julia
Assemble the lasagna and freeze it (without cooking even though all the ingredients are already cooked). Then let it thaw and bake it in the oven.
Rob
I don’t normally make things from scratch but was fed up having same boring meals every night. Saw this receipe whilst looking for something else-
MY GOD!! this was amazing! It tasted like heaven!
Thank you will definitely make again
Joy holm
I just made this using this recipe as a base. I roasted an onion and 2 cloves of garli with the butternut squash and blended. It together adding some milk along with cottage cheese instead of ricotta and the park. i sautéed some mushrooms with some fresh sausage mixed in some cottage cheese Parmesan and mozzarella along with Italian seasoning and some fresh sage and followed the rest of the recipe for layering. Very tasty. I’m sure your original recipe would be very good.thanks for the idea.
Debbie
This looks delicious! Could you use the no boil noodles?
Taryn
Yes! I use the trader joe’s no boil noodles. I make the purée and little thinner just so the noodles have enough to absorb.
Julia
Great tips! Thank you!
Lori
Do you think crumbled mild sausage would be good in this? Instead of bacon? I haven’t tried it but I am thinking about it...
Eva Schwartzentruber
Since I cannot use cow's milk or cheese, do you have a suggestion to replace the ricotta? I can get goat mozzarella?
Julia
You can try goat cheese mozzarella or just regular goat cheese.
Denise
This was so delicious!! What a perfect fall meal!
That butternut squash puree is so tasty for many different recipes!! I changed a few things up tho, I made homemade pasta sheets and put them right into the recipes. No need to pre-cook! For a delicious dish like this, tender home made pasta is a must I think! I mixed the spinach filling with raw spinach because we dislike spinach cooked down to much. The raw spinach worked perfectly!! It was just the right texture and not the overcooked iron taste spinach can get sometimes. I didn't add the paprika, as it didn't seem fitting to me. I added some of my dried basil and oregano from the garden on top. Next time I will add a little through out each layer so it will be more evenly distributed for taste.
We just loved it!! This will be a new fall must every year at our house!! Thank you for sharing 🙂 :)!! Denise
Julia
Denise, you are so welcome! I am so glad this recipe has become a must in the Fall at your house! I admire you for making your own pasta - WOW! And love your idea of mixing cooked spinach with raw spinach - I totally get why you do that because I myself dislike overcooked spinach.
Anne
Can you freeze this to cook later?
Julia
Yes, you can definitely freeze this. Make sure to cover it air-tight.
Ellen McGrath
(I had three butternut squases fro my garden.) I made a creamy soup with one and today made your butternut squash lasagna with another. It is fabulous! Will definitely make this dish again!
Julia
Thank you, Ellen! 🙂
Maureen
Could you use patty pan squash instead of the butternut squash?
Julia
Never tried making this with patty pan squash. I think patty pan squash are usually small size, and it's much easier to make this recipe with the butternut squash, as you only have to deal with 1 squash.
Mary Romano
If you want to make this lasagna ahead and freeze do you freeze before cooking or after cooking? How long to cook a frozen lasagna dish??
Julia
Cover the lasagna with air-tight cover, and freeze it before cooking. Bring the lasagna to room temperature before cooking.
Pamela
I made this recently and we loved it!! Will keep it in my recipe file for sure!
Julia
Pamela, thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Elene Ashe
Can you use pureed pumpkin instead of butternut squash?
Julia
Yes, you can!
Kerigan
Sounds great!Do you think pumpkin purée could be substituted for the butternut squash?
Julia
Yes, you can use pumpkin puree instead of butternut squash!