This delicious Vegetarian Lasagna Casserole Recipe is a breeze to make and perfect for a weekday meal.
Whenever our daughter comes home for the weekend, I make sure she’s well fed from the moment she walks in on Friday afternoon. On the dining room table, she’ll find glass stands with her favorite cookies, cakes, and other baked treats. There will also be a pot of tea ready and waiting, along with my prettiest teacups. While sipping tea and catching up, I’ll ask what she wants for dinner that night, and nine times out of ten, it’s something with pasta. I don’t blame her, as she grew up eating a whole lot of pasta and even saw how it was freshly made during our many trips to Italy. In Bari, we saw nonnas (grandmothers) making orecchiette on the streets, and in Alba, we took a cooking course that taught us how to make thin tajarin noodles (so delicious with the local truffles).
The great thing about pasta is that there are hundreds of different varieties (some say as many as 500) and that it can be prepared in myriad ways. On Sundays, for example, we’ll make ravioli by hand, usually stuffed with spinach and plant-based ricotta, but on a Friday, when we’re both still a bit exhausted from the week that’s coming to an end, we stick to easy recipes such as this vegetarian lasagna casserole. Well, it isn’t really a lasagna, as we didn’t use lasagna noodles, but because it’s layered, I took a little artistic freedom when naming the dish!
While the pasta boils, I’ll make the simple cheese mixture with sour cream, mozzarella, cottage cheese, egg, and dried parsley. In the meantime, she’ll chop up a medley of zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and mushrooms. The penne gets layered with the sautéed veggies in store-bought marinara sauce and the cheesy sauce. After half an hour in the oven, we have a pasta dish that’s wholesome and incredibly delicious. Served with a salad or some greens and a bottle of Chianti, we enjoy it while we chat about what we’ll be making for breakfast the next morning! I can’t think of a better way to ring in the weekend!
Give it your own touch
To make this pasta dish extra wholesome, feel free to use whole-grain penne or even penne made from legumes such as chickpeas or lentils, which tends to be a good source of protein. In fact, you don’t have to stick to penne either. Use farfalle, fusilli, or cavatappi. If you don’t like the vegetables we’ve used, swap in sliced peppers or sautéed spinach or eggplant. For a kick and extra zest, add some chili flakes and fresh herbs such as basil to the sauce. Have extra time? Go ahead and make your own marinara sauce from scratch. The choice of cheeses is also totally up to you. Sometimes I use mascarpone instead of the sour cream and ricotta instead of the cottage cheese.
How do I store leftovers?
Once cooled, cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a 350°F oven for approximately 15 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Serve this casserole with a side of Wilted Spinach or The Best Roasted Asparagus. To make the meal more substantial, bake up a warm loaf of our irresistible Olive Bread. In the mood for dessert? Round off the meal with a bowl of Homemade Oreo Ice Cream!
Vegetarian Lasagna Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes or dried Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces penne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 1/2 cups zucchini and yellow squash chopped
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 3 cups prepared marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cottage cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, egg, and parsley (or dried Italian seasoning). Set aside.
- Prepare penne according to package directions, until al dente. Then drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and mushrooms over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until tender.
- Reduce heat to low. Add marinara sauce and garlic powder. Stir while simmering over low heat, until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.
- Place half of the penne in the baking dish.
- Spoon half of the marinara sauce over the penne.
- Dollop half the cheese mixture over the sauce.
- Repeat the process, ending with dollops of the cheese mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
This looks healthy and pretty good too. I will have to try this.
This does sound good. I used to make different vegetarian lasagnas all the time. Wow, I miss them. The pasta is one I’d like to try, too!
This looks delicious and I’d love to try it for my family!
This looks really good. I eat very little meat so this is perfect for me!
This recipe looks amazing! I would love to make this for . my family soon!
Great flavors in this recipe. I’d eat that!
I haven’t had Casserole in years; might be time to try some out again.
I love this recipe! I love having meatless meals because they are so healthy. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
This looks delicious. Thank you for sharing.
While I’m not vegetarian, I do like having vegetarian dishes available at get-togethers. This would be a good one.