Pumpkin & Spinach Vegetarian Lasagne is a healthy and delicious family dinner made with layers of creamy pumpkin and ricotta, spinach, lasagne sheets and tomato sauce.
When it comes to midweek meals, lazy weekend lunches or quick and easy family dinners, this is going to become your go-to recipe! Just like it’s counterpart – the traditional lasagne, this vegetarian lasagne is simple, comfort food at it’s very best!
Why You’ll Love This Vegetarian Lasagne
This delicious vegetable lasagne has 4 different layers… that taste absolutely AMAZING together! You won’t even miss the fact that there’s absolutely no meat!
- it’s tastes like the most delicious rich and creamy comfort food... but it’s much lighter and healthier than a traditional meat lasagne
- it’s packed full of vegetables
- roasting the pumpkin gives this dish a massive flavour boost
- using low fat ricotta saves on calories!
- the flavour in the homemade tomato sauce is AMAZING… but if you’re pushed for time, a jar of store-bought tomato pasta sauce works great too!
- it’s easy to substitute ingredients – use chopped English spinach instead of baby spinach, use sweet potato in place of pumpkin, use store-bought tomato pasta sauce in place of my homemade version… this is such a super versatile recipe!
Using Roasted Pumpkin In Lasagne
My vegetarian lasagne is made using a layer of creamy pumpkin that has been roasted then pureed and mixed with smooth ricotta.
The result is flavour-packed, creamy pumpkin that takes this lasagne to a whole new level!
To Make The Pumpkin & Ricotta Layer
- Roast the pumpkin for 30-40 minutes or until soft (this step is so important for adding a huge amount of flavour to your vegetarian lasagne!).
- Allow the pumpkin to cool and then add the ricotta and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use a potato masher, a fork or a hand-held food processor and mix until pureed (it’s fine for it to still be chunky!).
Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce
If you’re pushed for time, you can skip this step entirely and use a jar of store-bought pasta sauce… but if you’ve got 15 minutes to spare, then this is going to BLOW YOUR MIND and you’ll never go back to store-bought again!
TOP TIP: Make the sauce this while your pumpkin is roasting!!!
Cook the onions and garlic until soft
Add the passata, tomatoes, dried herbs, salt, pepper and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
How To Put Together The Layers In Lasagne
Start by spreading a layer of fresh pasta sheets on the base of the baking dish.
Note: fresh pasta sheets are so easy to use as you can easily ‘rip’ them into the shape you need.
Add a layer of tomato sauce.
Spread over a layer of the pumpkin/ricotta mixture.
Sprinkle over baby spinach leaves.
Continue to repeat the layers until you finish your ingredients or you reach the top of your baking dish. Finish with a layer of pumpkin/ricotta mixture and then sprinkle over the grated cheese.
Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe FAQ
What is the best variety of pumpkin to use?
You can use absolutely any variety of pumpkin you like – Kent, Jap, butternut or Jarrahdale are all great options.
What type of ricotta should I use?
The best kind of ricotta for this recipe is the smooth ricotta that you can buy in the refrigerated cheese aisle of the supermarket. You can use either low fat or full fat ricotta cheese.
What can I use instead of baby spinach?
You can use chopped English spinach or larger spinach leaves. Alternatively, you can use a packet of frozen spinach that can been defrosted and the liquid squeezed out.
What is passata?
Passata is pureed tomato. It can be bought in the pasta aisle of any major supermarket. If you can’t buy passata you can use an equal amount of diced tomatoes.
Can I use instant lasagne sheets instead of fresh lasagne sheets?
Because the vegetarian lasagne only needs to cook for 25-30 minutes, I recommend using fresh lasagne sheets as they cook much quicker. Instant lasagne sheets take longer to cook and aren’t as soft as fresh lasagne sheets.
What size baking dish should I use for lasagne?
I recommend using a deep medium-large rectangular baking dish that’s approximately 40cm X 25cm.
How long will this lasagne last?
This can be cooked and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or frozen for up to 3 months.
More Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
Who needs meat-free Monday when you can eat delicious vegetarian meals every night of the week!
Here’s a few more of our most popular vegetarian dinner recipes:
- Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni – a classic favourite that will be on the table in just 40 minutes!
- Tuna Pasta Casserole – a budget-friendly dinner that the whole family will love!
- Creamy, Cheesy Vegetable Quinoa Bake – the perfect midweek dinner (that the kids will love too!)
- Roasted Pumpkin, Caramelised Onion & Feta Tart – a simple tart with big flavours!
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Pumpkin & Spinach Lasagne
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg pumpkin peeled and diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 2 tbs olive oil to drizzle
- salt and pepper to season
- 450 g ricotta low fat
- 150 g baby spinach leaves see notes
- 375 g fresh lasagne sheets
For the tomato sauce:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 brown onions diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 500 g passata
- 400 g diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs parsley, oregano, basil
- 1 tbs raw sugar
- salt and pepper to season
- tasty cheese grated, for sprinkling
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Place diced pumpkin on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft.
- In a large saucepan on a low-medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and the diced onions. Cook until they are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes.
- Add the passata, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir and place back on the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside (see notes).
- Once the pumpkin has cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Place the pumpkin in a large bowl, add the ricotta cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use a stick blender or a fork to break up pumpkin and mix with the cheese to form a smooth consistency. Set aside.
- To assemble the lasagne, grease a medium-large baking dish (approximately 40cm X 25cm) and start by adding a layer of fresh lasagne sheets, followed by a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of the pumpkin/cheese mixture and then spinach leaves. Repeat until you have used all of your mixture (finish with a layer of lasagne sheets topped with the pumpkin mixture and then sprinkle over the grated cheese).
- Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pasta is cooked through.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place diced pumpkin on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft.
- Place the halved onions into the Thermomix bowl. Chop on Speed 6, 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the olive oil and minced garlic and saute on 80 degrees, Speed 2, 3 minutes. Add the passata, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook on Varoma, 15 minutes, Speed 2. Set aside in a seperate bowl (see notes).
- Once the pumpkin has cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Place the pumpkin in a clean Thermomix bowl. Add the ricotta, salt and pepper and mix on Speed 4 until smooth.
- To assemble the lasagne, grease a medium-large baking dish (approximately 40cm X 25cm) and start by adding a layer of fresh lasagne sheets, followed by a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of the pumpkin/cheese mixture and then spinach leaves. Repeat until you have used all of your mixture (finish with a layer of lasagne sheets topped with the pumpkin mixture and then sprinkle over the grated cheese).
- Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pasta is cooked through.
Thank you Lucy, for what is the best vegetarian lasagne recipe that I have ever tried!
Thank you so much Jo! xx
Could you use instant lasagne sheets in this recipe? DH is coeliac and I can’t buy fresh GF lasagne sheets.
Sure thing!
Thanks Lucy x
This is so delicious! I love the flavour of the roast pumpkin mixed with the ricotta. Very healthy and filling, will definitely be making this again.
Fantastic! Thank you so much!