Vegetarian Bolognese Lasagna

Vegetarian bolognese lasagna feature layers of slow-cooked lentil ragù, pasta sheets and creamy bechamel sauce, all baked to a golden-brown perfection. You could hardly tell these bolognese lasagna are vegetarian!

Making bolognese lasagna is a labor of love, whether it’s vegetarian or not. Each element requires time and dedication, but in the end it’s all worth the effort! I’ve been dying to share this bolognese lasagna recipe with you for years, and I don’t know why I waited so long, because you absolutely need to know about it asap!

These vegetarian bolognese lasagna are based on my lentil-mushroom bolognese recipe, that has now become a solid classic in our house. Many of our readers have tried it too, and I’m so happy to see that even fervent meat-eater absolutely LOVE it! So I simply used this recipe (with a few adjustments), added a creamy bechamel sauce, some grated cheese, and of course the lasagna noodles. I bet you will be begging for seconds!

Why you’ll love these vegetarian bolognese lasagna:

• A rich, complex sauce prepared with lentils ✔
• A perfect creamy bechamel sauce ✔
• Some irresistible cheesy flavors ✔
• Thin pasta layers for a balanced bite ✔
• A great spin on the Italian classic! ✔
• Easy to meal prep ✔

The main recipe ingredients

Listing all the ingredients you need for bolognese lasagna can be a little bit intimidating at first, and it might discourage you to make the recipe. Yes, the recipe has a long list of ingredients and it takes time to prepare, but with a little organization, it will become easier than you originally thought. First of all, I recommend you organize the ingredients by category so you know when to use them in the recipe.

• Onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic come first. Except for the last two ones, you can place them all in a food processor and pulse until minced (no need to do this job manually!).
• Walnuts. Quickly pulse them in a small food processor, and reserve.
• Red wine, crushed tomatoes, stock, and herbs. You need them to bring deep flavors for the sauce and loosen its texture too. Adjust the amount of stock as needed in the recipe. And don’t forget the seasoning (salt and pepper), that is essential to boost flavors!
• Lentils (Puys or Beluga). Together with the other ingredients listed above, they comes as a replacement for minced meat in the recipe. The lentil ragù brings texture, as well as deep, smokey flavors to the dish.
• The bechamel ingredients (butter, flour, milk). They create this super creamy texture in the lasagna, making each bite melt in your mouth.
• Lasagna noodles (also called lasagna sheets). I recommend either fresh or pre-cooked lasagna noodles to spare you one extra step in the recipe (i.e. cooking the lasagna noodles in boiling water).
• Grated cheese. I used a mix of parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese to bring up the salty flavors of the dish. Together with the bechamel sauce, the grated cheese also make the lasagna super soft and creamy.

How to make vegetarian bolognese lasagna?

1. First up, you need to make the lentil ragù (aka vegan bolognese). This is the longest part of the recipe, but 1) you can make it ahead of time, even days before making the lasagna recipe, and 2) the chopping part is made easy thanks to the use of a food processor. So in the end, it’s mostly the slow-cooked part that takes some time.
2. Then, prepare the bechamel. Follow the instructions thoroughly, and keep whisking, to avoid some lumps to form. The bechamel is ready when it thickens and coats to the back of a spoon.
3. And now the fun part: layer up! Start with just a little bit of bechamel sauce at the bottom of the dish, then layer the lasagna noodles, the lentil ragù, the bechamel, the grated cheese, and repeat 3 times or until all of the ingredients are gone.

Meal prep and storing instructions

What I love about this lasagna recipe is that you can prepare some elements ahead of time, starting with the lentil ragù. Once ready, you can store it for up to a week in the refrigerator, and even freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw lentil ragù in the refrigerator the night before. The D-day, simply prepare the bechamel sauce (it’s ready within) minutes, assemble the lasagna recipe following the recipe instructions, and bake!

You can also make this vegetarian lasagna recipe from A to Z, store as a whole or in individual portions, for a week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. I find that the best way to reheat lasagna is in the microwave, as it keeps them soft and creamy (unlike the use of the oven, which tends to make them a little dry).

Can I make these lasagna vegan?

Short answer is yes, and I actually debated with myself for a long time before choosing which version I would share with you – the vegetarian or the vegan one. So here’s how to make it vegan:

• The lentil bolognese is entirely vegan, so this is an easy part in the recipe.
• Then, you can replace the bechamel sauce with a creamy vegan cashew sauce (simple triple the proportions for this recipe).
• For the rest, simply use vegan grated cheese (no dairy) and vegan lasagna noodles (no eggs).

Assemble and bake according to the recipe instructions, and enjoy!

More pasta and sauces:

• Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
• Lemon Butter Pasta with Burrata
• Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta Bake
• Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Pasta
• Butternut Squash, Spinach and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Vegetarian Bolognese Lasagna

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Savory
• Diet: Vegetarian

Vegetarian bolognese lasagna feature layers of slow-cooked lentil ragù, pasta sheets and creamy bechamel sauce, all baked to a golden-brown perfection. You could hardly tell these bolognese lasagna are vegetarian!

Ingredients

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For the vegetarian bolognese:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped roughly
• 2 sticks celery, chopped roughly
• 2 small carrots, chopped roughly
• 1 cup (80g) mushrooms, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup (65g) walnuts, crushed
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dry
• ½ cup (120 ml) red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup (200g) uncooked beluga or Puys lentils, rinsed*
• 1 ½ cup (360 ml) vegetable stock, or more as needed
• 1 28-ounces can (800g) crushed tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 9 oven-ready (no boil) lasagna noodles**
• 5.3 ounces (150g) grated cheese

For the bechamel:

• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (140g) unsalted butter, diced
• 4 cups (1L) milk, warmed
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Instructions

For the filling:

1. For the vegetarian bolognese, place the onions, carrots and celery in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until finely minced but not puréed.
2. In a smaller food processor, pulse walnuts until crushed.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot placed over medium heat, and add the minced vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add crushed walnuts, oregano, garlic and cook a couple more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
4. Pour the red wine and cook until the alcohol evaporates. Add bay leaf, lentils, vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked, stirring from time to time as not to burn the base of the sauce. Add more stock or water as needed, little by little, to loosen the sauce whenever it is looking dry. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.
5. For the bechamel, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, all at once, and whisk well. While still whisking, slowly pour the warm (not cold!) milk, until the bechamel sauce thickens and becomes creamy, about 10 minutes (it should coat the back of a spoon). Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

For assembling the lasagna:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease the bottom and sides of a 13×9″ baking dish (33×23 cm) with olive oil.
2. For assembling the lasagna, spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce at the bottom of the dish. Layer the lasagna noodles, the vegetarian bolognese, the bechamel sauce, the grated cheese, and repeat (noodles, bolognese, bechamel, grated cheese). Finish up with a layer of lasagna noodles and cover generously with bechamel and grated cheese. You should have 3 generous layers of noodles in your lasagna.
3. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until lasagna are fully baked. Broil on high for a few extra minutes, monitoring the oven closely to ensure the top is browned but not burned. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, and enjoy!

Notes

* Beluga lentils are large, plump black lentils that are available in specialty gourmet stores. They have a delicate flavor and a slightly firmer texture than small, green French Puys lentils. I prefer using the beluga for this bolognese lasagna recipe, but Puys lentils can work too ; just make sure the ragù is saucy enough, or loosen it up with a little bit of water or stock if necessary.

** Sometimes called oven-ready lasagna noodles or no-boil lasagna noodles, these noodles do not require you cook them prior using in the oven. This will spare you some precious time to make this lasagna recipe.

Fall, Family-Friendly, Lentils, Mushrooms, Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian, Winter

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Vegetarian Bolognese Lasagna, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!