Lentil Lasagne with Vegetables

This delicious vegetarian lentil lasagne contains 2 types of lentils as well as a generous amount of vegetables.  It's super easy to make, hearty, filling and nutritious, perfect as a family meal.

You might also like turkey lasagna with vegetables.

This vegetarian lentil lasagne contains a handful of ingredients so preparation is quick and uncomplicated.

Lentil lasagne ingredients

The bulk of the filling consists of lentils, carrot, zucchini and kale.  I used onion, garlic and celery as the base for this lasagne and a combination of canned tomatoes, tomato puree and water to create a rich sauce.  I also added oregano, paprika, seasoning and a small amount of grated parmesan cheese into the lasagna filling for a more intense flavour.

The bechamel consists of butter, flour and milk and I finished the dish off with a handful of grated cheddar cheese to ensure the top is golden and crispy.

What lentils to use

I used a combination of red lentils and puy lentils.  The red lentils add richness and thicken the sauce while the puy lentils, which keep their shape throughout cooking, add texture.

This combination of green and red lentils creates quite a ‘meaty’ filling, and you won’t miss the real thing!

Lentils are a super convenient ingredient as they do not need pre-soaking or precooking.  Simply rinse and stir into the sauce together with the other ingredients and cook until soft (see Instructions).

Should I cook the lasagna covered

You can if this is your preferred method though it's not necessary.  If you would like to cover your lasagna I recommend cooking it in the centre of the oven at 200 C/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes.  After that remove the foil and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes until the top has browned.

If you prefer to cook your lasagne without covering it follow the Instructions in this recipe.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

Start by preparing the filling mixture.

1.In a large pan heat up the oil, add the garlic, onion and celery and cook gently for about 3 minutes until softened.

2. Add the lentils, carrot, zucchini and kale, stir and cook for a minute.

3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and water. Cover, bring to the boil and let the mixture simmer away for 20 minutes.  Don’t forget to stir it occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese, adjust the seasoning if needed and make the bechamel sauce.

How to make easy bechamel sauce

Once the filling mixture is ready make the white (bechamel) sauce.  For this vegetarian lasagne with lentils I have adapted my 3-ingredient simple white sauce recipe.  It takes just minutes to prepare.

1. In a saucepan melt the butter, add the flour and whisk until smooth. 

2. Pour in some of the milk, increase the heat and whisk until the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the milk and continue cooking until and the sauce starts bubbling up. Remove from the oven, season lightly and set aside for 5 minutes.

How to assemble the recipe

You can now put the lasagne together.

1. Lightly grease the bottom of your lasagne dish (20 cm x 30 cm) and cover with 3 lasagne sheets.

2. Cover with half of the filling mixture and drizzle half of the bechamel sauce over the top. Cover with 3 more lasagne sheets and add the rest of the filling mixture then place the final 3 lasagne sheets on top. 

3. Pour the rest of the bechamel over the top ensuring it covers the pasta sheets completely and scatter the cheddar over the whole thing.

4. Bake the lasagna in the lower part of the oven for 40 minutes. If the lasagna starts browning too much cover loosely after 30-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven, set aside for 10 minutes then serve.

Top tips

• Cheese: I used a moderate amount but you can adjust the amount according to your preference.
• Bechamel sauce: The sauce should be quite thick and cover the top lasagna sheets evenly.
• Lentil sauce: Taste the sauce before assembling the lasagne to ensure it is well seasoned.
• It is important to bake your lasagna in the lower part of the oven so it doesn't brown too quickly.
• Best served hot.  Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

Substitutions

• If you can't find Puy lentils you can use ordinary green lentils or beluga (black) lentils.
• Use grated mozzarella for the top instead of the cheddar if preferred.
• I only used oregano and paprika but you can also add basil into the lasagna filling.
• If you prefer not to use parmesan cheese use vegetable stock instead of water and do not season the filling mixture until it's cooked so you can taste it and decide if it needs more salt (add plenty of pepper though).

You might also like

• Easy Eggplant Pasta Bake with Chickpeas
• Creamy Tomato Lentil Soup
• Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Casserole
• Lentil Vegetable Shepherd's Pie (Vegetarian)
• Tofu Bolognese Sauce Recipe

Check out also this collection of over 12 healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

Keep in touch!

Have you made this lentil vegetable lasagna? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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