This recipe for meatless lasagna gets tons of meaty flavor from an eggplant and tomato sauce layered between lasagna noodles, lemon zest and herb spiked ricotta, and melty mozzarella cheese. Perfect for meal prep or serving a crowd.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by #PastaFits through my participation in the Healthy Aperture Network, which is awesome, because I love pasta. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes to cook for a crowd. It’s a budget friendly dish that pretty much everyone with taste buds enjoys. I have a ton of lasagna recipes I cycle through, but this meatless lasagna with eggplant and mushroom sauce is a favorite I keep coming back to. Not to be super dietitian-y here, but like pizza, I really love my lasagna stacked with veggies. It adds flavor, texture, and turns a big hunk of lasagna into a complete meal.

This meatless lasagna recipe is especially fun because it uses eggplant and mushrooms to create a sort of “meat sauce.” By finely chopping the veggies and sauteeing them to add to the sauce, it creates a meaty texture. Since both mushrooms and eggplant have a nice dose of umami flavor, it also adds some meaty flavor to the meatless lasagna as well.

Meatless Lasagna Ingredient and Recipe Notes

When cooking the lasagna noodles, make sure they are al dente, and even a little on the firm side. They’ll continue cooking when you bake it in the oven, so keeping them al dente ensure the noodles don’t come out mushy.

Having a good tomato sauce here is pretty essential. Stick with a classic tomato-basil (I personally love Rao's and Pastene, a brand I have become slightly obsessed with since moving to Boston), or go with something that has a little kick. I love spicy tomato sauces, like Arrabbiata, with veggie lasagnas (again, I love Rao’s and also Trader Joe’s was a staple when we lived near a store).

While you could certainly use part-skim ricotta and mozzarella if you need to for any medical reasons, I highly recommend sticking with full fat for the best flavor!
Make sure the veggies are well sautéed and super tender. If they’re still a little raw, it will release liquids while baking, making a soupy lasagna. Get them really nice and caramelized in the skillet!
Although you’ll want to dive right into this lasagna, remember to let it rest at least 10 minutes! Otherwise the layers will fall apart. Still tasty, just not quite as pretty or easy to serve!

Meatless Lasagna Recipe Adaptions

To add more protein to this meatless lasagna recipe, feel free to incorporate meatless crumbles or a product like Impossible Burger into the sauce. You could also use meatless Italian sausage to add more flavor. And of course, if you aren’t a vegetarian, just use regular ground beef or sausage.

For a gluten free version of this meatless lasagna, use gluten free lasagna noodles, or try one of my favorite hacks: use slices of precooked polenta from a tube! Here’s a recipe of mine for polenta lasagna that shows you how to make it.

I love this recipe with the combination of eggplant and mushrooms, but you could incorporate more veggies into it if you like. It’s also great with zucchini, spinach, or even cubes of roasted sweet potato or winter squash, which add a nice sweetness.

What to Serve With This Meatless Lasagna Recipe

While this vegetarian lasagna is a complete meal by itself, you could also serve it with the following sides:

A yummy side salad, like my fig and prosciutto salad or spring salad with sauteed peas and scallions.
Bread, which is perfect for sopping up any saucy bits left on your plate. Ciabatta or focaccia (like my no knead focaccia with roasted garlic) would be perfect.
Roasted veggies are always a favorite side dish. Roasted broccoli, green beans, or my recipe for roasted fall vegetables with pesto would be great.

If you like this recipe for meatless lasagna, follow my favorite cheesy pasta recipes pinterest board for more cooking inspiration.

This meatless lasagna recipe was originally published Oct 2015. Recipe, images and text have been updated to give you the best possible content.

Meatless Lasagna with Eggplant and Mushroom Sauce

Serves 6-8ish

Ingredients:

1 lb lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large eggplant, diced small
8 ounces cremini mushroms, diced small
1 25-ounce jar tomato sauce of choice
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
zest of 1 lemon
8 ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook 4-5 minutes until they are softened, but still quite al dente. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside until ready to use.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggplant, season with salt and pepper and saute about 5 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 7 minutes. Pour in all but 3/4 cup tomato sauce and simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning and lemon zest in a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/4 cup reserved tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch casserole dish. Spread a layer of lasagna noodles evenly on the bottom. Top with 1/2 the ricotta, 1/3rd of the mozzarella, and 1/2 the eggplant-mushroom sauce. Top with another layer of lasagna noodles, followed by the rest of the ricotta, 1/3rd of the mozzarella, and the rest of the eggplant-mushroom sauce. Top with another layer of lasagna noodles. Spread the rest of the reserved tomato sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove cover, turn the lasagna, and bake 15 more minutes until bubbly and cheese is melty and lightly golden. Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.