Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce

This comforting vegetable lasagna with creamy white sauce is perfect for families who want something hearty and delicious on the dinner table. Every layer is packed with tender veggies and plenty of melted cheese that’ll make everyone ask for seconds. The best part is how the butternut squash adds this amazing sweet and creamy flavor that makes this dish feel extra special.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 25 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes, Serves: 12 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegetarian, High-Protein, Egg-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 486 Calories, 16g Fat, 68g Carbs, 22g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Extra-virgin olive oil: Just 1 tablespoon to get your veggies nice and tender. Any good olive oil you have at home will work perfectly.

Yellow onion: You’ll need 1 cup chopped up, which is about one medium onion. This adds such a sweet, savory base to the whole dish.

Garlic: 2 large cloves finely chopped will give you that amazing smell and flavor. Fresh garlic makes all the difference here.

Frozen mixed vegetables: 3 packages (10 ounces each) of green beans, carrots, zucchini and yellow squash. Frozen veggies are so convenient and they taste great in this recipe.

Fresh basil: ¼ cup chopped, plus extra for garnish. The fresh basil really brightens up all those rich, creamy flavors.

Unsalted butter: 3 tablespoons for making that silky white sauce. Butter makes everything better, right?

All-purpose flour: 6 tablespoons to thicken up your cheese sauce perfectly. This is what makes it nice and creamy.

Whole milk: 3 ½ cups for the creamiest, richest sauce ever. Whole milk really makes this sauce special.

Parmesan cheese: ½ cup grated adds that nutty, sharp flavor to the white sauce. Get the good stuff if you can!

Salt: Just ¼ teaspoon to bring out all the flavors. You can always add more later if you need to.

No-boil lasagna noodles: 1 package (9 ounces) makes this recipe so much easier. These noodles cook perfectly right in the oven.

Frozen butternut squash puree: 2 packages (12 ounces each), thawed. This gives the lasagna such a lovely sweet flavor and creamy texture.

Italian cheese blend: 4 cups shredded for all that melty, cheesy goodness. You can use whatever Italian blend looks good at the store.

How to Make Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until it’s just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring often.

Step 3: Transfer the onion and garlic to a large bowl. Stir in the frozen vegetables and chopped basil until everything’s mixed together nicely.

Step 4: Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk everything together really well.

Step 5: Cook the butter and flour mixture for 30 seconds, whisking the whole time. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 6: Add the Parmesan cheese and salt to the sauce. Whisk until it’s completely smooth and remove from heat.

Step 7: Spread ½ cup of the cheese sauce on the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top, spacing them evenly crosswise in the dish.

Step 8: Top the noodles evenly with 3 cups of the vegetable mixture, ¾ cup cheese sauce, and ¾ cup shredded cheese. Don’t worry if the noodles don’t cover the whole bottom – they’ll expand when they bake!

Step 9: Layer 3 more lasagna noodles over the cheese. Spread half the butternut squash over the noodles and sprinkle with ¾ cup cheese.

Step 10: Repeat the layers once more, starting with noodles and ending with the remaining squash. Sprinkle with another ¾ cup cheese.

Step 11: Layer the remaining 3 lasagna noodles on top. Spread the remaining cheese sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with all the remaining cheese.

Step 12: Lightly coat a sheet of foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish with the coated side facing down. Bake for 30 minutes.

Step 13: Uncover the lasagna and bake until it’s golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Let it stand for 15 minutes before serving, then sprinkle with fresh basil if you want.

Easy and Quick Vegetable Lasagna Version

Want to save some time? You can totally use a jar of good-quality Alfredo sauce instead of making the white sauce from scratch! You’ll need about 3 cups of Alfredo sauce. Just skip steps 4, 5, and 6, and use the jarred sauce for all the layering. This cuts about 10 minutes off your prep time and still tastes amazing.

Serving Ideas

This lasagna is pretty much a complete meal all by itself with all those veggies and protein. If you want to add a little something extra, a simple green salad with Italian dressing goes perfectly. Some warm, crusty garlic bread is also really nice for sopping up any extra sauce on your plate.

Storage

You can keep leftover lasagna in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered container. To reheat, just pop individual servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or reheat larger portions in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes until heated through. You can also freeze this for up to 3 months – just thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Substitutions

No butternut squash? You can use sweet potato puree or even ricotta cheese mixed with a beaten egg. If you can’t find Italian cheese blend, just use mozzarella and add a little extra Parmesan. Fresh vegetables work great too if you don’t want to use frozen – just sauté them until tender first.

Pro Tips

• Let it rest: Don’t skip that 15-minute resting time! It helps the layers set up so your lasagna doesn’t fall apart when you cut it.
• Spray that foil: Coating the foil with cooking spray keeps all that beautiful melted cheese from sticking to it.
• Layer evenly: Try to spread each layer as evenly as possible so every bite has the perfect mix of flavors.
• Make ahead: You can assemble this whole thing a day ahead and just bake it when you’re ready to eat.

FAQs

Can I make this lasagna ahead of time?

You bet! You can assemble the whole lasagna up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just cover it tightly and keep it in the fridge. You might need to add an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time if you’re starting with a cold lasagna.

Do I really need to use no-boil noodles?

The no-boil noodles make this recipe so much easier, but regular lasagna noodles work too. If you use regular noodles, just cook them according to the package directions first, then drain and use them the same way.

Can I freeze this lasagna?

Sure! This freezes really well. You can freeze it before or after baking. If you freeze it unbaked, add about 30 extra minutes to the baking time. If it’s already baked, just thaw it overnight and reheat in a 350°F oven.

What if my white sauce gets lumpy?

No worries! If your sauce gets a little lumpy, just keep whisking vigorously, or you can strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. The key is adding the milk gradually and whisking constantly.

I’d love to hear how this lasagna turns out for you! It’s become such a favorite in my house, and I think you’re going to love how all those layers come together. Let me know if you try any fun variations too!