Vegetable lasagna
Lasagna can be many things, and creamy cottage cheese, leeks, and tomatoes are the perfect combo for knocking up a fantastic vegetable lasagna bursting with full-bodied flavours. The balance between cheese, lasagna sheets, and sauce is pure perfection. This is the best vegetable lasagna recipe to treat your family to a quick and delicious home-cooked meal that is a bit different but just as delicious as your normal weekday dinners.
Ingredients
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3
Leeks
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Butter
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400 g
Canned tomatoes
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50 ml
Tomato purée
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1 dice
Vegetable bouillon
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1 dl
Vegetable broth
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250 ml
Cooking cream
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1 tsp
Salt
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¼ tsp
Ground white pepper
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1 dl
Chopped fresh basil
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9
Lasagne sheets
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500 g
Cottage cheese
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2 dl
Grated cheese, gratin
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Instructions
Tips
Layer the lasagna in the following order: vegetable sauce at the bottom, lasagna sheets, then cottage cheese. Proceed with this layering until all the sauce has been used, finishing with a layer of sauce, and then shredded cheese on top.
Tips
This vegetable lasagna can be assembled ahead of time before you bake it in the oven. Cover it and store it in the fridge until you are ready to put it in the oven and serve it. Pay attention to the baking time, as you may need to bake it longer to compensate for the chilled temperature of the dish. If it starts to brown too much for your liking, loosely place a piece of foil on top of the dish for the remainder of the cooking time.
Tips
The baking time depends on the number of layers. You can tell the lasagna is done by inserting a toothpick or fork into the middle of the dish. If it goes in easily without too much resistance from the pasta sheets, it is done. Also, once the cheese on top has melted and turned golden brown, it is usually a sign that it is ready to be enjoyed.
Questions about vegetable lasagna
Make a light and fresh vegetable lasagna with cottage cheese that comes together quickly and easily. Read our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about this classic Italian dish.
How to make vegetable lasagna?
Rinse and shred the leeks and fry them in a pot with butter. Add canned tomatoes, tomato purée, broth, cooking cream, salt, pepper, and basil and let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes. Assemble the lasagna and layer the sauce with lasagna sheets and cottage cheese. Finish the final layer with sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cook the lasagna at the bottom of a preheated oven at 225°C for about 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil for a final touch.
What to serve with vegetable lasagna?
Complete the meal by serving delicious side dishes that can stand up to the creamy tomato lasagna. For a classic and simple pairing, garlic bread is an obvious choice. Garlic and tomato go hand in hand, especially in Italian cuisine, as the flavours are delicious together, and make the dish taste richer. Other than that, a fresh Caprese salad with sweet tomatoes and rich, mellow mozzarella is the perfect side to suit and balance the rich tomato and cheese flavours of the vegetable lasagna.
Can you freeze a vegetable lasagna?
You can prep the vegetable lasagna for freezing and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool down to room temperature. Freeze the dish as a whole by covering it with plastic film or freeze it in individual portions by storing cut pieces in airtight containers. Once adequately wrapped or stored, you can place the vegetable lasagna in the freezer.
Deliciously creamy vegetable lasagna
The Italian-inspired dish has a long history with a combination of different fillings and add-ins to give the classic more of a twist. Loaded with tender vegetables and a light and flavourful tomato sauce, plus topped with the perfect amount of melty grated cheese, this vegetable lasagna recipe is the ultimate crowd favourite. The vegetable lasagna is layered with cottage cheese and a leek and tomato sauce with cooking cream to add a creaminess that the whole family will appreciate.
Explore Italian cuisine with our recipes for homemade ravioli, classic spaghetti bolognese, and heavenly creamy spaghetti carbonara.
Tomato and leek lasagna with cottage cheese
You have got a real winner on your hands with this delicious and easy vegetable lasagna. There is a lot of intense tomato flavour going into this dish with a combination of canned tomatoes and tomato paste, while the tender leeks lend a sweet, oniony flavour that adds depth to the vegetable lasagna. Many recipes use ricotta, a traditional Italian cheese made from whey, to achieve a thick and richer texture. But we think cottage cheese in lasagna in place of ricotta makes for a lighter and more mild-flavoured sensation that does not overshadow the leeks and tomatoes.
Bursting with full flavours from vegetables and cheese
Enjoy a warm and hearty meal with layers of rich and creamy vegetable sauce, pasta sheets, and two types of cheese that will have everyone coming back for seconds. The leeks are fried and simmered with broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, cooking cream, seasoning, and fresh basil, giving it a savoury flavour from different salty, oniony, and umami-flavoured ingredients. What better way to get your family to eat more vegetables than with this creamy, flavour-packed vegetable lasagna? For a crowning touch, it is sprinkled with grated cheese, resulting in a golden, crispy, and cheesy top with layers of creamy, juicy sauce underneath.
Add your own touch
Experiment with different vegetables, for example, spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, or eggplant. Prep the vegetables of your choosing and fry them with the leeks before adding in the rest of the ingredients for the sauce. Depending on the vegetables used, they may have to cook a bit longer to achieve the perfect tenderness and to get rid of excess moisture. If you want a richer experience, a little tip is to use ricotta instead of cottage cheese.
Sometimes smaller things just taste better. You can use this vegetable lasagna recipe to make bite-sized snacks for school or work. In a muffin tin, press a wonton wrapper into each cup and add cottage cheese and sauce. Repeat the process until each cup is almost full, and sprinkle with shredded cheese on top. Bake the mini lasagna cups in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden and the edges are crunchy.
