Gluten Free Veggie Lasagna

If you love cheesy recipes loaded with veggies, you will go wild for this meatless lasagna. It is pure comfort food and one of the best ways that I have found to sneak vegetables into the kid's diet.  

I use Slow Cooker Marinara that I make ahead and keep in the freezer, but you could use jarred pasta sauce just as easily!

Combined with fresh gluten-free lasagna noodles, I've got a meal that is satisfying and delicious. (If you aren't gluten-free, you can substitute regular lasagna noodles!)

Serve this with Rosemary Focaccia and my Italian Chopped Salad.

Let's Talk Ingredients

I use fresh chopped spinach because it’s what I usually have on hand, but frozen works just as well once thawed and squeezed dry.

Ricotta keeps this creamy—I’ve tested full-fat, part-skim, and even vegan versions, and all work. Cottage cheese is a solid backup. (But if you want to go that route, check out my Cottage Cheese Lasagna.)

Freshly grated Parmesan adds the best flavor. Skip the canned stuff, and if you’re keeping it vegetarian, check that it’s rennet-free.

Part-skim mozzarella melts perfectly without making the lasagna watery. I save fresh mozzarella for the top layer only.

I use gluten-free frozen lasagna noodles—they taste great and skip the boiling step. If you’re using dried pasta, boil it in salted water with a drizzle of oil first.

Easy & Meatless

At my house, even the die-hard meat eaters love this veggie lasagna. With all the flavor, no one notices there's no meat. It's also one of the easiest ways I know to get a real pile of vegetables into my family without a fight. I use my Slow Cooker Marinara. If you are in a hurry, a good jarred sauce works just as well. Rao's is my go-to brand.

The Noodles

Regular lasagna noodles are classic here. For gluten-free, I like the frozen ones, which skip the boiling step entirely. They are a little pricy, but worth it in my opinion, because no one can tell the difference between them and "real" lasagna noodles.

Dried noodles, traditional or gluten-free, do better boiled first. No-boil noodles work too, but truth be told, I'm not the biggest fan. Add a little extra sauce and a bit more bake time so they soften all the way through.

One reader even baked it with uncooked GF noodles. She added extra water to the marinara and 15 minutes to the oven, and it came out perfectly.

Keeping It From Getting Watery

This is the whole trick, and it's an easy one. Vegetables hold a lot of water. You want them to shed it before they go in the dish, not after. So cook the spinach and squeeze it dry. It releases a surprising amount.

You could cook the zucchini, but I like to salt the slices and let them drain on paper towels before blotting. Do that, and you get clean, sliceable layers instead of a puddle.

Veggie Mix Up

There are so many vegetables that work! You can saute red pepper, onions, and mushrooms and add any of them to your lasagna.

Squash, and eggplant are other great options.

Variations

• Use Eggplant or Summer Squash in place of the zucchini. Carrot and bell pepper can also be added.
• Use a Creamy Tomato Sauce in place of traditional pasta sauce.
• Want to add some meat? You could easily add browned ground beef (or plant based crumbles) to the marinara before adding it to the veggie lasagna.

Gluten Free Vegan Lasagna

Vegan? Use vegan ricotta and Daiya shreds. Omit the egg. (No need to substitute anything in its place.).

Kite Hill has a fabulous dairy-free ricotta.

Make it Keto/ Low Carb

Make sure all of your cheeses are full fat, and the marinara is sugar-free. This Keto Marinara is fabulous. Omit the lasagna noodles and use zucchini in place of it. 

To do this, use a mandolin, food processor, or very sharp knife to cut zucchini into ribbons. 

Bake the ribbons in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes, and then transfer to paper towels to absorb extra moisture. Use the prepared zucchini ribbons in place of the lasagna.

Step By Step

For the full recipe with measurements, see the recipe card below.

Cook Your Vegetables If you do not wish to cook the zucchini, you can salt it well and let it drain on paper towels. Blot well. (You do need to cook the spinach.)

Make The Cheese and Spinach Mixture Combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, garlic, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and cooked spinach.

Spray the Baking Dish Dish Place ½ cup marinara on the bottom.

Layer Top with a layer of noodles, a layer of zucchini,½ of the cheese mixture, and mozzarella.

Repeat Layers Top with a layer of noodles, a layer of zucchini,½ of the ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.

Bake and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.