Loaded Veggie White Lasagna is creamy, comforting, and packed with wholesome vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach! It has a dreamy homemade béchamel sauce, three types of cheese, and layers of tender pasta.
Love More Lasagna Recipes? Try My Easy Seafood Lasagna or this White Lasagna Soup next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Loaded with layers of creamy sauce, tender noodles, and vibrant vegetables, Loaded Veggie White Lasagna is a wholesome and comforting twist on a classic. Each bite is rich, cheesy, and full of garden-fresh flavor — a perfect choice for veggie lovers and cozy family dinners alike.
Print
Loaded Veggie White Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours
- Yield: 1 lasagna
Description
Loaded Veggie White Lasagna features layers of tender pasta, a rich and creamy homemade béchamel sauce, sautéed vegetables including broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach, protein-rich navy beans, and a trio of cheeses—ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. This vegetarian comfort food is perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
Vegetable Filling:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
- 1 zucchini, chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed and chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
White Sauce (Béchamel):
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3.5 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Assembly:
- 9–12 fresh or dried lasagna noodles
- 1.5 cups ricotta cheese (whole milk)
- 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Chop everything about half-inch pieces. Smaller cooks faster, bigger stays crunchy. Do all the chopping before you turn on the stove.
Heat oil in the big skillet on medium. Add onion and garlic, cook 2-3 minutes until soft. Add broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini. Stir every couple minutes for 8-10 minutes. The mushrooms will shrink a lot and release water—that’s fine, it cooks off.
Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Toss in spinach and beans, stir until the spinach wilts down to nothing. Move the pan off the heat.
Boil water with a lot of salt in it. Cook noodles until they’re almost done but still have some bite. Drain them. I put mine on a baking sheet with a little oil so they don’t stick while I make the sauce.
Melt butter in the saucepan on medium. When it’s melted, dump in the flour and whisk it around for a minute or two. It’ll look like wet sand and smell a little toasty.
Pour in maybe half a cup of milk, whisk until there’s no lumps. Add another half cup, whisk. Keep going until all the milk is in there. Keep whisking while it heats up and gets thick. Should take maybe 5 minutes total.
When it coats your spoon, add garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and the Parmesan. Whisk it smooth. Done.
Turn it to 375°F now.
Pour half the white sauce in the bottom of your 9×13 pan. Lay down noodles—3 or 4 depending on how they fit. Spoon ricotta around on top, doesn’t need to cover every inch. Spread half the vegetable stuff over that. Sprinkle maybe a cup of mozzarella. Pour some white sauce over everything.
Do it again: noodles, rest of the ricotta, rest of the vegetables, more mozzarella, more sauce.
Last layer is noodles, all the remaining sauce, rest of the mozzarella, and the half cup of Parmesan on top.
Cover with foil. If you remember, stick toothpicks in first so foil doesn’t touch cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes.
Take foil off, bake another 10-15 minutes. Top should be brown and bubbling. Edges will be bubbling too.
Walk away for 15 minutes. Set a timer if you have to. First time I didn’t wait and when I cut into it, everything just ran everywhere. After 15 minutes it holds together perfectly.
Notes
- Uniform vegetable sizes are KEY! Big chunks won’t cook through properly, and tiny pieces will turn to mush. Aim for consistent 1/2-inch pieces.
- Don’t skip salting your pasta water! It should taste like the ocean. This is your only chance to season the noodles themselves.
- Squeeze out excess moisture from the spinach if you’re using frozen instead of fresh. Too much liquid will make your lasagna watery.
- Common mistake to avoid: Don’t spread your vegetable filling all the way to the edges of the pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of space—this prevents messy overflow during baking.
- Smart shortcut: Use a rotisserie chicken and add it to the veggie mixture if you want to make this heartier (though it’s plenty filling as-is!).
- The foil-and-toothpick trick is genius! It prevents your beautiful cheesy top from sticking to the foil and getting ruined when you remove it.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes + Resting Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredient List
Vegetable Filling:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
- 1 zucchini, chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed and chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
White Sauce (Béchamel):
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3.5 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Assembly:
- 9-12 fresh or dried lasagna noodles
- 1.5 cups ricotta cheese (whole milk)
- 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Substitution Notes:
- Bell peppers or eggplant work instead of zucchini
- Cannellini beans if you’re out of navy beans
- 2% milk is fine but whole milk tastes better
- Drain cottage cheese really well if you’re using it instead of ricotta
- No-boil noodles need more liquid in the sauce
Why These Ingredients Work
Mushrooms make this feel heavy without actual meat. The zucchini releases some moisture while cooking, which keeps everything from drying out. Spinach disappears but adds green flecks everywhere. Navy beans were an accident the first time—I had half a can leftover—but now I add them on purpose because they make the texture creamier.
Béchamel is just flour, butter, and milk with Italian herbs mixed in. Way easier than it sounds. The ricotta goes on cold and melts into pockets of creaminess. Mozzarella gets stretchy and brown on top. Parmesan adds salt.
Essential Tools and Equipment
Large skillet, medium saucepan, whisk, 9×13 baking dish, aluminum foil, big pot for noodles. Sharp knife for all the chopping. Some people use toothpicks under the foil but I forget half the time and it’s fine.
How To Make Loaded Veggie White Lasagna
Step 1: Prepare Your Vegetables
Chop everything about half-inch pieces. Smaller cooks faster, bigger stays crunchy. Do all the chopping before you turn on the stove.
Step 2: Cook the Vegetable Filling
Heat oil in the big skillet on medium. Add onion and garlic, cook 2-3 minutes until soft. Add broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini. Stir every couple minutes for 8-10 minutes. The mushrooms will shrink a lot and release water—that’s fine, it cooks off.
Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Toss in spinach and beans, stir until the spinach wilts down to nothing. Move the pan off the heat.
Step 3: Cook the Lasagna Noodles
Boil water with a lot of salt in it. Cook noodles until they’re almost done but still have some bite. Drain them. I put mine on a baking sheet with a little oil so they don’t stick while I make the sauce.
Step 4: Make the White Sauce (Béchamel)
Melt butter in the saucepan on medium. When it’s melted, dump in the flour and whisk it around for a minute or two. It’ll look like wet sand and smell a little toasty.
Pour in maybe half a cup of milk, whisk until there’s no lumps. Add another half cup, whisk. Keep going until all the milk is in there. Keep whisking while it heats up and gets thick. Should take maybe 5 minutes total.
When it coats your spoon, add garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and the Parmesan. Whisk it smooth. Done.
Step 5: Preheat Your Oven
Turn it to 375°F now.
Step 6: Assemble the Lasagna
Pour half the white sauce in the bottom of your 9×13 pan. Lay down noodles—3 or 4 depending on how they fit. Spoon ricotta around on top, doesn’t need to cover every inch. Spread half the vegetable stuff over that. Sprinkle maybe a cup of mozzarella. Pour some white sauce over everything.
Do it again: noodles, rest of the ricotta, rest of the vegetables, more mozzarella, more sauce.
Last layer is noodles, all the remaining sauce, rest of the mozzarella, and the half cup of Parmesan on top.
Step 7: Bake to Perfection
Cover with foil. If you remember, stick toothpicks in first so foil doesn’t touch cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes.
Take foil off, bake another 10-15 minutes. Top should be brown and bubbling. Edges will be bubbling too.
Step 8: Rest Before Serving
Walk away for 15 minutes. Set a timer if you have to. First time I didn’t wait and when I cut into it, everything just ran everywhere. After 15 minutes it holds together perfectly.
You Must Know
Wait the 15 minutes. I’m serious. Put the pan on the counter, set a timer, leave the kitchen. It needs time to firm up.
Pour milk into the roux slowly or you get lumps. Once you have lumps they’re hard to get rid of.
Personal Secret: My sauce always looks too thin when I’m making it. Then it bakes and thickens up and it’s perfect. If yours looks like pudding, add more milk.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
- Everything should be chopped the same size
- Salt the pasta water until it tastes salty
- Frozen spinach works but squeeze all the water out first or your lasagna will be soup
- Stop spreading stuff about half an inch from the edge or it bubbles over
- I never do the toothpick thing and my cheese sticks to the foil every time but it still tastes good
- Rotisserie chicken makes this more filling if you need to feed teenage boys
Flavor Variations & Suggestions
Sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts make it taste fancier. Feta instead of some ricotta. Fresh basil on top.
More red pepper flakes and some jalapeños if you want spicy. Pepper jack cheese.
Italian sausage or bacon if you want meat in it.
Stir pesto into the béchamel. Makes it green and herby.
Butternut squash instead of zucchini for fall. Add sage and a tiny bit of nutmeg.
Cream cheese in the vegetable mixture makes it richer.
Make-Ahead Options
Make the whole thing, cover it, stick it in the fridge up to a day before you bake it. Add 10-15 extra minutes in the oven since it’s cold.
You can freeze it before baking. Wrap it really well. Thaw in the fridge overnight before you bake it.
After it’s baked, freeze individual pieces. Microwave them for lunch later.
Cook the vegetables and make the sauce a day or two ahead. Keep them separate in the fridge, then assemble when you’re ready.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
Fresh noodles don’t need cooking first—just use them straight from the package.
Sauce should be thick enough to stick to a spoon but still pour. Like melted cheese.
Cooking the vegetables for 8-10 minutes gets rid of extra water. Otherwise your lasagna is watery.
Navy beans blend in completely. You can’t tell they’re there but they make it creamier.
Stick a knife in the middle and leave it for 5 seconds. Take it out and touch it. Hot knife means it’s done.
Serving Suggestions
Garlic bread. That’s it, that’s all you need. Maybe a salad if you’re feeling ambitious. We usually just eat the lasagna and call it dinner.
Fresh basil on top looks nice. More Parmesan too.
Good for Sundays when everyone’s home. Takes in a covered dish if you’re going somewhere. Lunch for the rest of the week.
How to Store Your Loaded Veggie White Lasagna
Refrigerator: Cover it with foil or put it in a container with a lid. Lasts 4-5 days.
Freezer: Wrap in plastic wrap then foil after it cools. Write the date on it. Keeps 3 months.
Reheating Instructions:
- From fridge: Microwave a piece for 2-3 minutes. Whole pan covered with foil at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
- From frozen: Thaw it overnight in the fridge first. Or just add 15-20 extra minutes if you’re reheating from frozen.
Splash of water or milk before reheating keeps it from drying out.
Allergy Information
Contains: Dairy, wheat, gluten
Dairy-Free: Plant butter, oat milk or almond milk, dairy-free cheese. Nutritional yeast tastes cheesy.
Gluten-Free: Gluten-free noodles and gluten-free flour or cornstarch for the sauce. Whisk it a lot.
Nut Allergies: No nuts in this.
Vegan: Use the dairy-free stuff and skip eggs if your pasta has them.
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
My béchamel sauce turned lumpy—can I fix it?
Whisk harder. If that doesn’t work, pour it through a strainer. Or blend it. Better to just add the milk slowly in the first place.
Do I have to use all these vegetables, or can I simplify?
Use whatever vegetables you have. Two or three kinds is fine. Bell peppers, eggplant, cauliflower all work.
Why is my lasagna watery?
Vegetables still had too much water in them. Cook them longer. Or you didn’t let it rest after baking. Or you used frozen vegetables and didn’t squeeze them dry first.
💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!: Tell me what vegetables you used. Did it work? I read all the comments.
