This vegetarian white lasagna is loaded with mushrooms and leeks for an aromatic, creamy, rich, and easy vegetarian lasagna recipe.
Think you can’t make lasagna on a weeknight? Think again. This creamy, dreamy white lasagna is a meal you can make any day of the week! It does take about 2 hours from start to finish, but 45 minutes of that is spent waiting for the lasagna to bake in the oven.
Loaded with creamy, sweet vermouth mushrooms and leeks, this vegetarian lasagna recipe is easy to prepare and tastes amazing.
You can use dry lasagna noodles, no-boil noodles, or fresh lasagna noodles. I prefer to use store-bought fresh lasagna noodles since they are so easy to work with.
How to make this vegetarian white lasagna recipe:
There are a few main components to this dish. First, the mushroom béchamel filling. Next, the herbed ricotta mixture. Finally, the lasagna noodles. Sprinkled between the layers and on top is a mixture of Gruyère cheese and grated mozzarella cheese.
First, prepare the mushroom sauce. This recipe starts with roasting a whole head of garlic. Next, you move on to browning two pounds of mushrooms. Cook them in batches to ensure even browning.
Next, add the leeks and sage and then return the mushrooms to the pot. Continue cooking and then add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add sweet vermouth and then add warm milk, in increments. Whisk after each addition until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Simmer for 10–20 minutes until the béchamel is thickened.
From there, prepare the ricotta mixture. Simply combine ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, and minced parsley with two eggs and stir until combined.
To assemble the lasagna, add a few spoonfuls of the béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Add two lasagna noodles, avoiding overlap when possible. Next, add half of the ricotta mixture and half of the remaining béchamel. Add two more noodles and then the remaining ricotta and béchamel. Add half of the remaining mozzarella. Add the remaining two lasagna noodles and finish with the remaining mozzarella and a generous sprinkle of Gruyère.
Bake the lasagna and then broil for a few minutes to get those beautiful brown spots on the cheese.
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Check my archives!
If you made this recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!
Vegetarian White Lasagna
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 9×13 Baking Dish
- Aluminum foil
- Small baking sheet
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Mushroom béchamel:
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 pounds of mixed mushrooms torn or sliced depending on the variety
- 1 leek white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- .2 ounces fresh sage finely minced
- 1 stick of butter
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup sweet vermouth
- 4 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ricotta mixture:
- 16 ounces ricotta
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley minced
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
For assembly:
- 12 ounces fresh lasagna noodles you will need 6 sheets total, depending on the size of the noodles
- ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Roast the garlic:
- Cut the top off the garlic and leave the cloves in the paper. Place the garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Wrap in the foil and place on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven for 40 minutes as you prepare the béchamel sauce.
- Once the garlic finishes roasting, carefully remove the foil and pop the cloves out of the paper. Use a fork to mash the garlic into a paste and set it aside.
Brown the mushrooms:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a large pot. Add enough mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pot and cook for 12–15 minutes until completely browned. Transfer to a bowl and continue with the remaining mushrooms, cooking them in batches for 12–15 minutes at a time until all mushrooms are completely browned all over.
Cook the leek:
- If the pot seems dry, add another drizzle of oil to the pot. Add the sliced leek and cook for 5–6 minutes until it just begins to soften.
Prepare the roux:
- Heat the milk in a large measuring glass in the microwave for 1–2 minutes until just warmed through.
- Melt the butter into the cooked leeks. Once bubbly, add the minced sage and cook for 45 seconds. Return the cooked mushrooms to the pot and season with salt. Add the roasted garlic paste and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 2–3 minutes. Next, add sweet vermouth and constantly stir to create a slurry.
- Next, add the warm milk in 1 cup increments. Whisk after each addition until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Next, add the nutmeg and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Finally, simmer the mushroom béchamel for 10–20 minutes until thickened.
Prepare the ricotta mixture:
- In a bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, parsley, mozzarella, and parmesan with a hand-mixer until thoroughly combined—taste and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the lasagna:
- Add a few spoonfuls of the mushroom béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Add two lasagna noodles, avoiding overlap when possible. Next, add half of the ricotta mixture and half of the remaining béchamel. Add two more noodles and then the remaining ricotta and béchamel. Next, add ½ cup of the shredded mozzarella. Add the remaining two lasagna noodles and finish with the remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella and the shredded Gruyère.
Bake the lasagna:
- Cover the lasagna with foil and transfer to the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the broiler on. Broil for 3–5 minutes until the cheese bubbles and turns golden brown in spots.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and cover with foil. Let stand for 10–15 minutes.
To serve:
- Slice the lasagna into 12 pieces and then serve with fresh parsley.
