Budget Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Use the oven to make dinner feel bigger than the effort it takes.
Make this when you want comfort food but do not have the energy for anything fussy. The vegetables roast while you get the sauce and cheese ready, so most of the work happens in the oven instead of at the stove. It tastes like a real lasagna: saucy, cheesy, and cozy, with sweet browned vegetables in every layer. Expect a simple weeknight version, not a restaurant-style showpiece. It is forgiving, budget-friendly, and perfect for when you want one dinner that can quietly handle leftovers tomorrow.
Ingredients
- 9 oz lasagna noodles — Regular noodles, not no-boil
- 3 cup zucchini — Chopped
- 3 cup mushrooms — Sliced
- 2 cup bell pepper — Chopped
- 1 unit yellow onion — Sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 24 oz marinara sauce — One jar
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 unit egg
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 0.5 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Method
- 1 Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion with olive oil, salt, and black pepper on a sheet pan. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once, until browned at the edges.
- 2 While the vegetables roast, boil the lasagna noodles until just tender. Drain and lay them flat so they do not stick.
- 3 In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, and oregano with a pinch of salt.
- 4 Spread a thin layer of marinara in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add noodles, ricotta mixture, roasted vegetables, more marinara, mozzarella, and parmesan. Repeat for 2 to 3 layers, ending with sauce and cheese on top.
- 5 Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until bubbling and lightly browned.
- 6 Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing so the layers hold together.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Keep it fully vegetarian as written, or add a layer of spinach if you want more green without changing the dish.
- Faster swap — Use oven-ready noodles and stir the roasted vegetables directly into the marinara to skip the noodle-boiling step.
- Substitutions — Use cottage cheese instead of ricotta, swap in any other soft vegetables you have, or use provolone in place of some mozzarella.
Notes
If your vegetables look crowded on the pan, use two pans so they roast instead of steam. This lasagna is flexible: a little extra sauce helps keep the budget version generous and cozy.
Equipment that helps
- Sheet pan — Roasting the vegetables on a wide pan gives them browned edges without extra fuss.
- 9x13-inch baking dish — The shape keeps the layers even and makes slicing and serving much easier.
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