This classic vegan lasagna recipe is a family favorite- and fully approved by my Sicilian grandmother! With no boil lasagna noodles and layers of garlicky lentils, marinara, and creamy vegan ricotta filling, this easy vegan lasagna is a family favorite for dinner every week- or whenever you’re craving a nostalgic classic!

sliced vegan lasagna recipe
Featured Review
★★★★★

This was so good! My two YO son who is hit-or-miss with food loved this, which made me so happy. I was skeptical on the lentils, but we loved it! I froze half for later and can’t wait to keep this as a staple recipe in our house.  -Haley

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Why we make this lasagna every single week:

  • Homey, welcoming, like a warm hug when you’re feeling down. Especially when served with a batch of fresh vegan garlic bread. And like my lentil shepherd’s pie, it’s just a fantastic easy dinner that all will love (including the non-vegans).
  • Super easy: you don’t even need to boil the noodles!
  • Simple Ingredients: we’re talking no hard to find vegan cheeses nor tofu! Yet it uses classic methods from authentic lasagna that’s been fully approved by my Sicilian grandmother. Yes, 83 years old, and she LOVES this recipe. I used my homemade ricotta along with vegan mozzarella. You can also use homemade vegan mozzarella cheese that takes only 10 minutes to make.

In fact, it’s so good, this vegan lasagna inspired my vegan lasagna soup (just as easy and protein packed!).

close up of vegan lasagna sliced

Overview: How to make homemade vegan lasagna approved by Nonna

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

As I mentioned above, making vegan lasagna is, in my opinion, way easier than traditional lasagna (mainly because there’s no need to handle any meat lol). It’s quicker to cook, and you don’t even need to boil the noodles.

The lasagna making process can be broken down into three major steps:

  1. Make the lentil filling: you’ll simply cook the lentils with the garlic until fragrant. This will be your lentil filling!
  2. Make the ricotta filling:
  3. Assemble the lasagna: this is layers of pasta, sauce, lentils, and cheese. I did two full layers, then topped mine with the remaining sauce and cheese.
ricotta filling before mixing
ricotta filling after mixing
lentils being cooked
assembling the lasagna
lasagna before being cooked
lasagna after being cooked

Then simply bake the lasagna in the oven covered, then serve!

plate of vegan lasagna

Vegan lasagna variations:

This vegan lasagna is a classic for a reason, but it’s also so fun to switch up the fillings! Here are some great filling ideas to add along with the lentils:

  • Roasted zucchini
  • Sautéed mushrooms
  • Sautéed eggplant
  • Sliced olives
  • Raw spinach (it will cook in the oven!)
close up of sliced vegan lasagna

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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Best Ever Vegan Lasagna Recipe (gluten free!)

Homemade Easy Vegan Lasagna- No Nuts, No Tofu!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This classic vegan lasagna recipe is a family favorite- and fully approved by my Sicilian grandmother! With no boil lasagna noodles and layers of garlicky lentils, marinara, and creamy vegan ricotta filling, this easy vegan lasagna is a family favorite for dinner every week- or whenever you’re craving a nostalgic classic!

Ingredients

Scale
  •  1 cup dried mixed lentils
  • 3 cups low sodium or homemade vegetable broth
  • 1 batch vegan ricotta
  • 2 cups (16 ounces) vegan mozzarella cheese*
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
  • 1 package lasagna noodles store bought or homemade lasagna noodles, uncooked
  • 24 ounces marinara sauce or 2 batches of cherry tomato sauce
  • 16 ounce liquid mozzarella or homemade vegan mozzarella (see notes)
  • Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Read through the instructions.
  2. Prep: preheat the oven to 375F. Prep vegetable broth and vegan ricotta ahead of time (if using homemade vegetable broth). The vegan ricotta will take 20-30 minutes to make, and is best used when cold in this recipe, so it’s helpful to prep the ricotta the day before. 
  3. Boil the lentils: Add the vegetable broth to a medium saucepan or pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the lentils, and cook for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and keep the lentils covered to let sit for 5-10 minutes. Once fully cooked, drain the remaining liquid, and set aside. 
  4. Make the ricotta filling: In a large bowl, add the vegan ricotta, mozzarella (if using the Miyoko’s version, which does contain nuts, it’s best to tear the mozzarella into pieces), dried parsley, and garlic powder. Stir to combine then set aside.
  5. Make the lentil filling: in a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and garlic, cooking on medium heat until the garlic is lightly browned. Then add in the lentils (and additional sea salt to taste if desired), and sauté on medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, until the lentils have started to lightly crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.
  6. Assemble the vegan lasagna: Use a 9×13″ casserole dish for the lasagna. Spread about 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by half of the ricotta cheese filling, half of the lentils, and about 10 ounces of marinara sauce. Then repeat with another layer of lasagna noodles, ricotta, lentils, and sauce. Add a final layer of noodles, followed by the remaining sauce, and the liquid or shredded mozzarella (either homemade or store bought) and vegan parmesan cheese. 
  7. Bake the vegan lasagna: cover the lasagna casserole dish in tinfoil, and place the lasagna into the oven to bake for 45 minutes. Remove the tin foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
  8. Serve: allow the lasagna to cool for 10 minutes. Then slice into 12 squares, serve, and enjoy!
  9. Storage: store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Notes

Gluten free: use gluten-free lasagna noodles as needed.

Nut-free vegan cheese: The homemade ricotta is nut-free and works beautifully here. I also have a vegan mozzarella cheese (linked above in the ingredients section) that uses beans instead of nuts. Other brands that are nut-free include Violife and Good Plant.

Lentils: if you don’t like lentils, you can use any bean or legume that you prefer! Cooking in the vegetable broth will add the needed salt to the dish, and extra flavor, so your lasagna might be less flavorful if you opt for pre-cooked beans.