Easy Zucchini Lasagna Recipe (Not Soggy)

Sep 21, 2019 (Last updated Aug 25, 2022) by Hannah Sunderani

Easy Zucchini Lasagna Recipe (Not Soggy)

This vegan and gluten-free zucchini lasagna recipe is so delicious! With a vegan cheese sauce and zucchini noodles, this is a nourishing and impressive alternative to classic lasagna. It’s the perfect vegan lasagna recipe.

This Zucchini Lasagna is gluten-free, vegan and a much healthier version to the traditional, using thinly sliced zucchini for lasagna noodles.

I love this vegan zucchini lasagna because of its comforting warm flavours. But most of all, I come back to this recipe because it’s a much healthier version to traditional lasagna – swapping traditional noodles for zucchini – for a gluten-free zucchini lasagna! So I don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in this comforting dish over and over.

So, cozy up to a big dish of this healthy vegan zucchini lasagna. You’re going to love it!

Vegan Zucchini Lasagna Recipe:

I was planning to include this recipe in The Two Spoons Cookbook, but alas – it was a little more Italian than French and so here it is on the blog for you!

This zucchini lasagna follows pretty much the same preparation method as a traditional lasagna. By layering a casserole dish with vegan bolognese sauce, lasagna noodles (in this case zucchini), and homemade cheese sauce (in this case vegan). The only real noticeable difference is in preparing the zucchini noodles.

I will say, that a lasagna recipe requires time – it’s not one of those “recipe-in-20-minutes”, but unless you’re buying a ready-made lasagna, it’s pretty much the same time-requirement as traditional homemade lasagna.

Another easy vegan dinner recipe that’s similar to this is my Stuffed Zucchini Pizza Boats – so definitely give it a try if you’re looking for something fast!

All-in-all this is one of my favourite gluten-free recipes to make for date-night or a weekend of entertaining. It’s certainly a recipe worth sharing! Whether you’re vegan or not.

Watch my latest video:

How to make zucchini noodles:

So, let’s get into how to make the zucchini noodles for this dish. Zucchinis in general have a high water content, and so the goal is to remove some of the excess water before baking your lasagna. Otherwise it will be too watery.

To do this you’ll want to thinly slice the zucchini using a mandoline, and lay onto paper towel sheets. Place more paper towel on top and gently press the water out.

Now, we’re not quite done. The next step is to lay your zucchini noodles onto a baking tray and place in the oven on broil for 5 minutes. This will help to bring out more water from the zucchini. Let zucchini cool slightly, then gently pat out any excess moisture with paper towel.

I promise this is the most cumbersome part of the recipe! And tbh – it’s really not too tricky.

How to make vegan bolognese:

Now this part is simple: the vegan bolognese. Made by combining garlic, tomato puree and green lentils. And simmering until thickened.

This simple vegan bolognese can also be used as an easy mid-week tomato sauce for quick pasta dishes.

How to make vegan cheese sauce:

Lucky for you, making this homemade vegan cheese sauce is also simple. The ingredients are:

• cashews (soaked)
• nutritional yeast
• garlic
• lemon juice
• water
• onion powder
• sea salt

Just add the ingredients to a blender until smooth and creamy. You won’t believe just how cheesy this vegan sauce is!

Vegan mozzarella to sprinkle:

To make this recipe less complex I’ve used a store-bought vegan mozzarella cheese in this recipe. However, it’s optional to use.

It’s not always easy to find vegan cheese, but your best bet is at an organic grocers. The brand I used for this recipe is Daiya Mozzarella Shredded Cheese, and I bought it at Wholefoods. I like this brand because it melts well for a stringy style cheese. And it’s similar in texture and taste to real mozzarella. I also like the ingredient list. As it’s minimal and easy to understand.

However, if you can’t find vegan mozzarella cheese at your grocers (or you don’t like the ingredients make-up) than you can can omit the mozzarella altogether and just use my homemade vegan cheese sauce.

Or, if you have a little extra time than I highly recommend layering it with my melty and stretchy vegan mozzarella cheese.

Assembling zucchini lasagna:

Now for the fun part! Assembling your zucchini lasagna.

It begins by lathering a layer of your vegan bolognese into a casserole dish. Next, layer the zucchini noodles on top, side-by-side to cover.

Then, pour a thin layer of homemade vegan cheese sauce, and sprinkle with a thin layer of vegan mozzarella cheese (optional).

Repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up (ending with the vegan mozzarella cheese or homemade vegan cheese sauce).

Now it’s time to bake!

Tips for zucchini lasagna:

How do you keep zucchini lasagna from being watery?

It’s important to follow the instructions for removing excess water from your zucchini before baking this vegan zucchini lasagna. Otherwise, the outcome will be too wet.

To do this you’ll want to thinly slice the zucchini using a mandoline, and lay onto paper towel sheets. Place more paper towel on top and gently press the water out.

The next step is to lay your zucchini noodles onto a baking tray and place in the oven on broil for 5 minutes. This will help to bring out more water from the zucchini. Let zucchini cool slightly, then gently pat out any excess moisture with paper towel.

Be sure to follow the instructions in the recipe below, or see how to make zucchini noodles above for more details.

Is zucchini a 1-1 substitute for lasagna noodles?

Not quite… it depends on the size and thickness of your zucchinis. For this recipe I’ve used 3 zucchinis – enough to layer them like noodles.

I’ve sliced my zucchini into noodles using a mandoline. You can also do this by hand, but I find the mandoline is easiest. You can buy mandolines on Amazon. See Shop my Kitchen below for the one I use.

Should you salt zucchini after slicing?

I do not salt the zucchini after slicing, but instead use a different method to remove water content.

After thinly slicing the zucchini using a mandoline, lay them onto paper towel sheets. Place more paper towel on top and gently press the water out. Then I pop them in the oven on broil to steam them out.

This is a great approach and requires no additional salt. See above on How do you keep zucchini lasagna from being watery above for more details.

Can you freeze zucchini lasagna?

Yes! You can freeze zucchini lasagna! Either slice the lasagna and store in individual peices in air-tight containers, or freeze the whole bake after it’s cooled.

This zucchini lasagna can be frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, covered at 350F/180C until bubbling (30 minutes).

My recommendation is to freeze this lasagna after baking. But you could freeze before baking, thaw slightly, then bake fully when ready. 

Where do you buy vegan cheese?

To make this recipe less complex, I’ve used a store-bought vegan mozzarella cheese in this dish, but it’s optional.

Fortunately it’s getting easier to find vegan cheeses at generic grocery stores. The brand I used for this recipe is Daiya Mozzarella Shredded Cheese.

If you can’t find vegan mozzarella at your grocers, you can omit this step and just use the homemade vegan cheese sauce.

Other recipes you might like:

If you like this recipe for Healthy Vegan Zucchini Lasagna, you might also like:

• stuffed sweet potatoes
• fully loaded black bean nachos
• easy no-knead foccacia

Shop my kitchen:

I’m always asked what items I like to use in the kitchen. So, I’ve included my favourites for making this Healthy Vegan Zucchini Lasagna. You can also find more of my favourite kitchen essentials and products on my Shop page.

Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer, Green

Used to slice the zucchinis very thin 

Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade

This is the blender I use. To pulse the lentils, and blend the homemade vegan cheese sauce.

Daiya Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

used as the vegan cheese in this recipe

So there you have it! A comforting zucchini lasagna that’s vegan, gluten-free and delicious. I’m sure you will be making this recipe whenever you want a dish to impress your loved ones. This is certainly a plant-based recipe worth sharing!

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

GF

Easy Zucchini Lasagna Recipe (Not Soggy)

5 from 1 vote

By Hannah Sunderani

This vegan and gluten-free zucchini lasagna recipe is so delicious! With a vegan cheese sauce and zucchini noodles, this is a nourishing and impressive alternative to classic lasagna. It’s the perfect vegan lasagna recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 31 minutes

Serves 8 people

Ingredients

• 3 zucchini
• 3 cups vegan mozzarella , grated (*optional)

vegan bolognese:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2.75 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lemon , juiced (about 4 tbsp)
• pinch sea salt
• 1.5 cups green lentils , cooked

vegan cheese sauce

• 1 cup raw cashews , soaked overnight and strained
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon , juiced (approx. 4 tbsp)
• 1 cup water , plus more if needed
• 1 tsp onion powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• Using a mandolin thinly slice zucchinis to be 1/8 inch thick. Lay out onto paper towel sheets. Place more paper towel on top and gently press the water out of zucchini as best you can.
• Turn oven to broil and line baking tray with parchment paper. Lay zucchini slices onto tray without crowding, and place in oven for 3 minutes. (You might have to do this in a few batches so as not to overcrowd the tray). Remove and gently flip zucchini slices to bake other side, place back in the oven for another 2 minutes. (This will help to get more moisture out of the zucchini as they contain a lot of water). Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then gently pat out any excess moisture with paper towel.
• To make your vegan Bolognese: Finely chop garlic and add to a saucepan with tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer. Pulse lentils in blender (or food processor) and add to a saucepan. Cook sauce for 30 minutes until thick, and liquid is reduced by almost half.
• Make your homemade vegan sauce. In a blender add soaked cashews (strained), nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, water, onion powder (optional) and salt. Blend until creamy and smooth.
• Turn oven to 375F/190C, and build your lasagna: In a 8×11 casserole, spread a thin even layer of vegan Bolognese on the bottom and layer the zucchini on top to cover. Pour a thin layer of homemade vegan cheese sauce over top of zucchini. Then sprinkle with a thin layer of vegan mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up (ending with the vegan mozzarella cheese, or homemade vegan cheese sauce).
• Cover with foil and bake zucchini lasagna for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Let lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Recipe will keep for up to one week. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container. Simply reheat. 

Or, zucchini lasagna can be frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, covered at 350F/180C until bubbling (30 minutes).

Using vegan mozzarella in this dish is optional. If not using, just skip during the layering process. I really like the store bought brands Daiya and Violife.

Removing the moisture from the zucchini requires a few additional steps, but is necessary to ensure your lasagna isn’t too watery. Zucchinis contain a lot of water so it’s important to try and get some of the moisture out before baking.

Cashews must be soaked in advanced, otherwise pour boiling water over cashews in a bowl and let sit for 1 hour. If you do not have time for this you can also substitute the cashews for hemp hearts. Hemp hearts require no soaking before use.

Nutrition information is a rough estimate

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 1118mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 7mg

DID YOU

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