This easy Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser packed with vegetables and creamy cheese. Choose your favorite combination of vegetables and make this healthy, vegetarian slow cooker recipe today.
The perfect tender pasta coated in marinara sauce and loaded with richly slow roasted vegetables and cheese creates the perfect meal. Definitely a Healthy Crock Pot recipe!
With the sauce's richness and the cheesy goodness expected, nobody misses the traditional meat sauce of a typical lasagna.
For our version, spinach, peppers, onions, and zucchini are the perfect vegetables as a base. You can pick your own combination or follow ours to create a perfect lasagna that is healthier while still being delicious.
Crock Pot Vegetable Soup is another veggie-packed recipe. Crockpot Pizza Casserole is also a favorite slow-cooked pasta recipe!
Slow Cooker Tips
If you're getting to know your Slow Cooker, make sure to check out these important Crock Pot Tips and Tricks.
Table of Contents
What Are the Best Vegetables for This Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna?
Since you're replacing a meat sauce with vegetables, you want something that will offer a level of richness to replace the meat.
We almost always choose the combination of spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. You can pick whatever combination you prefer. Some yummy combinations are listed below.
- Mushrooms, onions, and spinach
- Zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, and kale - these make the final dish delicious and colorful!
- Shredded carrots, cabbage, and onions -
- Broccoli, mushrooms, and red onion - pack in more nutrition with the addition of these veggies.
Should You Use Ricotta or Cottage Cheese?
We make this vegetable lasagna with both ricotta and cottage cheese and honestly cannot tell the difference in the flavor.
We find that cottage cheese has a different texture and may not be preferred by kids, so if you will be serving your children, ricotta is smoother and
You could also use a mix of the two kinds of cheese to add more texture to your vegetables and cheese mixture.
Can I Make This a Vegan?
Yes! While it takes a bit of work to find the right vegan substitutions, you can definitely turn this into a vegan lasagna recipe with great success.
- Use vegan ricotta or soft tofu in place of the ricotta and cottage cheese
- Top with vegan cheese shreds. We prefer Daiya or Trader Joe's vegan options.
- Sprinkle the top with nutritional yeast for that nuttiness you expect from Parmesan.
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes! If you know you will be busy the morning you want to make this lasagna, just assemble and refrigerate until time to cook.
You can make this recipe up to 24 hours ahead of time. Assemble the lasagna, cover tightly, and refrigerate in the slow cooker insert. You will need to let the crock insert warm up a bit before putting it in the crockpot to cook.
Cook time will take longer; cook until heated through in the center.
Can You Freeze Crockpot Lasagna?
If you want to freeze this recipe, we recommend cooking it, letting it cool, and then freezing it.
To reheat from the freezer, leave the lasagna in the refrigerator overnight and cook it in the microwave until heated through.
Alternatively, you can place it in an oven-safe dish and heat it at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes if thawed.
How to Make - Step by Step Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions, and you'll have the best lasagna your family will rave about!
Step 1 - Prep Ingredients
First, gather your ingredients and spray or line your Crock-Pot to prevent the noodles and cheese from sticking. Place a ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the crock.
Step 2 - Mix ingredients
Next, in a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper if using.
Then, you will mix together your cheese mixture with your vegetables in the large bowl.
Tip: For the vegetables, small dices or shreds work best for this recipe.
Step 3 - Layer
Once you have the vegetable ricotta mixture ready, you will begin making your layers in the slow cooker. You will be making three layers, so divide your ingredients accordingly as you start building your lasagna.
Start with a bit of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pot, then top that with noodles, the veggie cheese mixture, and shredded cheese.
You will repeat this process ending with a layer of noodles. You will pour the last bit of remaining sauce on the noodles and top with the last of your shredded cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
Note: Let the lasagna cool down for around an hour before cutting to serve. Otherwise, it will be too moist and not cut well for serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Spread the tomato sauce all over the bottom of the crock to ensure the noodles don't stick.
- The noodles in the bottom of the crockpot will look a little awkward as you lay them in, but this is no big deal. They will cook just fine.
- Many different vegetable combinations work in this lasagna, including sliced mushrooms, yellow squash, red onion, grated or chopped carrots, or green bell pepper; pick your favorite.
- IMPORTANT: Make sure you let the cooked lasagna sit for at least an hour after it's cooked, or it will have too much moisture and be very soupy.
Why is my vegetable lasagna watery?
The vegetables give off lots of moisture as they cook, which can make the lasagna watery.
To avoid this issue, make sure you let the cooked pasta sit to reabsorb the water before cutting into and serving it. 60 minutes should do the trick.
What should the last layer of lasagna be?
After your last layer of noodles, finish off your lasagna with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese. This makes the melty cheesy layer on top.
More Healthy Crock Pot Recipes You'll Love
Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
Crock Pot Pork Tacos
Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
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Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
- Crock Pot
- mixing bowl
- Spatula or cooking spoon
Ingredients
- 36 ounces marinara sauce (about a jar and a half)
- 9 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
- 24 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese
- 3-4 cups chopped vegetables of choice (we used spinach, zucchini, red peppers, and onion)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (if desired)
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- fresh parsley for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Spray a 5-6 quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the crock.
- In a large bowl, mix vegetables, ricotta cheese, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper if using.
- Break 3 noodles to fit and cover the bottom of the crockpot. Cover with about one-third of the ricotta and veggie mixture. Then, top with ⅓ of the Mozzarella cheese and ⅓ of the remaining sauce. Repeat the layers two more times (for a total of three times). End with noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Turn the crockpot off completely and let the lasagna sit for at least one hour. This allows all the moisture to soak into the noodles.
Notes
- The noodles in the bottom of the crock pot will look a little awkward, but this is no big deal. They will cook just fine.
- IMPORTANT: Make sure you let the cooked lasagna sit for at least an hour, or it will have too much moisture and be very soupy.
- Other good vegetables in this recipe are sliced mushrooms, yellow squash, red onion, grated or chopped carrots, or green bell pepper.
Agnes says
I love that it's both vegetarian AND a crockpot recipe. Thank you!!
Erin Henry says
Yes, this crock pot pasta recipe is pretty perfect! Enjoy!
Jen Dart says
I'm blown away, who knew how easy this is to make in the crock pot! So delicious, thank you!
Erin Henry says
That is one of the reasons we love this recipe so much. It's so easy to make. We love coming home to a tasty, tender pasta recipe after a busy day.
katerina @ diethood.com says
This vegetable lasagna looks incredible!! My family would love it!