Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna

Zucchini-eggplant lasagna is THE best no-meat lasagna recipe. Saucy and creamy with layers of roasted vegetables, two types of cheese, and fresh herbs.

Even though this Vegetable lasagna isn't a traditional Greek recipe, its flavor is very similar to that of a Vegetarian Moussaka. Because it is also made with zucchini, eggplant, tomato sauce, and cream.

Table Of Contents

• What You Need For The Layers
• How To Make
• Type Of Cheese To Use
• Make Ahead
• Storing
• Reheating
• Recipe

This zucchini eggplant lasagna recipe uses lasagna noodles as well as well as veggies. If you're looking for a lasagna recipe without noodles you can try this recipe.

Whenever I make lasagna I always use Barilla's Oven Ready. You don't need to boil them first, their texture is nice and firm and they're the real Italian thing!

What You Need For The Layers

• No-boil lasagna noodles.
• Vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, red and green bell pepper.
• Tomato sauce: made with tomato passata, olive oil, garlic, and herbs.
• White sauce/cream: made like Bechamel cream, making a roux (flour+butter mixture) and then adding milk. Once thickened you mix in cooking cream and two types of cheese (see cheese options below).
• Fresh herbs: basil + parsley

How To Make

Making this Vegetarian lasagna recipe is a bit of a process that requires a few different steps. None of which is difficult though. See the picture tutorial below to help you out.

Roasting The Vegetables

Dice the eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and green pepper, toss, and mix in a bowl with seasonings (sweet paprika, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper). Then spread on a lined pan and roast in the oven.

This is done to bring out the flavor of the vegetables and soften them a bit. Another way to do this is to use a wok pan and toss the veggies until charred lightly. We don't want the veggies to cook too much as they will cook inside the lasagna as well.

The Tomato Sauce

The tomato sauce for this vegetable lasagna recipe couldn't be easier (unless you buy it ready in a jar). It's a toss-everything-in-a-saucepan and simmer type of sauce (no sauteeing or anything). To make it you need tomato sauce (the thin and runny tomato puree called Passata), garlic, olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Adding Extra Flavors To The Sauce

I like veggie dishes to be light in seasonings. In order to be able to taste the actual flavor of the veggies. Just like in this lasagna recipe. But I know many people want something extra in flavor. And the tomato sauce is where you can add your personal touch and add extra ingredients/seasonings.

For instance, use some vegetable or chicken stock instead of water. Or add sun-dried tomatoes, fire-roasted red peppers, smoked paprika, garlic, and/or onion powder, olive slices, and so much more. Think of what you like on top of a pizza and you can most likely add it here as well!

You May Also Like These Recipes...

• Roasted Vegetable Pie
• Baked Eggplant And Zucchini
• Baked Eggplant Rolls Stuffed With Cheese
• Briami - Roasted Vegetable Bake

The White Sauce/Cream

To make a white sauce for vegetable lasagna you need butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper, and cooking cream. You make a thin Bechamel cream and mix the cooking cream at the end. And this sauce you add it both in the middle layers but also to coat the lasagna on top.

What's cooking cream? A heavy cream with half the percentage of fat to that of heavy cream. Also, it doesn't curdle as easily when used in cooking.

Type Of Cheese To Use

For this vegetable lasagna with eggplant, I'm using two types of cheese. One is a semi-hard yellow cheese (a Greek Gruyere) and the second is a hard salty cheese (Kefalotyri cheese).

Why two types of cheese? Well, a semi-hard cheese melts better and binds everything together, also adding sweetness. While a hard cheese gives a strong savory flavor but also adds a nice crust when sprinkled on top.

Other cheese you can use is Greek Kasseri, Parmesan, or Pecorino cheese. You can even use Mozzarella cheese if you want the lasagna to be more cheesy and stringy.

Make Ahead

You can make the lasagna a day ahead and bake on the day you wish to serve them. If you want to make this veggie lasagna with eggplant and zucchini more than a day ahead you need to prepare each part of the recipe and keep it separately.

To make veggie lasagna 2-3 days ahead, roast the vegetables and store them in a food container in the fridge. Also, make the tomato sauce and white sauce and store them separately in the fridge. Then put everything together and bake on the day you want to serve the lasagna.

Storing

Zucchini and eggplant lasagna keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze if you want. Place in airtight food containers in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Reheating

To reheat a pan with lasagna cover it with foil and reheat in the oven at a temperature of 180°C/ 350°F for 15-20 minutes. To reheat individual portions you can microwave for 4-5 minutes.

Recipe