The past few months have been extremely busy with work (gotta take it when you get it right now!), so we have eaten A LOT of convenience foods. Boxed or frozen dinners that tend to be high in sodium and preservatives and low in nutrients.
So I decided it’s time to get healthy and eat better. Get some good habits in BEFORE the end of the year. This time I decided I’m not doing it by myself, but will also include the whole family. It’s so much easier to stick to a healthy meal plan when you only have to prepare one meal for everyone.
Something else that really helped me make this decision is all the extra produce I’ve been getting from my subscription boxes Hungry Harvest (sign up through this link and get $10 off your first order) and Misfits (use code COOKWME-JK5NGQ to get 30% off your first box). All that extra fresh produce that I hated to go to waste pushed me into meal planning and “healthyfing” everyday recipes (that my kids will actually eat). Not to mention all the great recipes I’ve been finding on Facebook. I’ve found a few fabulous groups where I not only discovered a plethora of healthier and interesting recipes, I also discovered Meatless Monday.
“Meatless Monday is part of the Healthy Monday initiative. Research conducted by Johns Hopkins concludes that health promotions utilizing…the unique cultural associations of Monday as the beginning of the week, have the potential to positively affect a range of healthy behaviors. People view Monday as a day for a fresh start and are more likely to starts diets and exercise regimes, quit smoking, and schedule doctor’s appointments on Monday than any other day. And a Monday start helps them carry out their healthy intentions for the week.” — Healthy Monday initiative
Becoming a Flexitarian
According to The Mayo Clinic “The term “flexitarian” has been coined to describe someone who eats mostly plant-based foods, but occasionally eats meat, poultry, and fish. That kind of healthy eating is central to the Mediterranean diet — which limits red meat and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy fats — and has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”
A small change like eliminating red and processed meat once a week and replacing them with more plant-based foods increases your consumption of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
I have become much more aware of the meals I’m preparing for my family. We are buying fewer convenience items, bringing home more fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooking more from scratch meals. I’ve started eating more salads when I need something quick to make that I can eat while I’m working, instead of grabbing some chips and mindlessly snacking at the computer.
I’ve also started incorporating more fresh vegetables with our meals, like substituting zoodles (zucchini noodles) for pasta. Serving smaller portions of proteins like chicken, pork, and beef and adding a stir-fry of chopped veggies. I will also swap out the meat in a main dish for something else, like using chickpeas in place of chicken when I make curry.
This past week I received a fresh supply of vegetables perfect for a vegetarian lasagna.
Roasted Veggie Vegetarian Lasagna
I’d never made a vegetarian lasagna before, but I had a good idea of how I wanted to put it together. Fresh, made from scratch tomato sauce, goat cheese instead of ricotta, no boil lasagna noodles, and of course, lots of fresh veggies.
I decided to go the extra mile and roast the vegetables before making the lasagna. I love the way roasted vegetables taste and thought it would give the dish a more interesting flavor. They smelled so good in the oven I knew I made the correct choice!











Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Penzeys Italian Herb Mix (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary)
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 2 medium yellow squash, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 6 small multi colored carrots, sliced
- 1 Stokes purple sweet potato, sliced
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp dehydrated minced onion (or 1 small onion, minced)
- 1 tsp basil
- 2 tsp Penzeys Italian Herb Mix (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary)
- 1 tsp garlic and herb no salt seasoning
- if needed, 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
For Lasagna:
- 1 (16 ounce) package no boil lasagna noodles
- 2 eggs
- 12 ozs crumbled goat cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a bowl, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, carrots, and sweet potato with olive oil, and 2 teaspoons Italian herb mix.
- Lay on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until soft, but not mushy.
While the veggies are in the oven make the tomato sauce.
Tomato Sauce:
- Add olive oil and red pepper flakes to a medium saucepan, cook over medium high heat until aromatic.
- Add dehydrated onion (if using fresh chopped onion, add and stir until they begin to “sweat” or become translucent.).
- Turn heat to low, and slowly pour in canned crushed tomatoes.
- Add basil, Penzeys Italian Herb Mix, and garlic and herb no salt seasoning, stir.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 15-30 minutes so the flavors can meld.
- Cool slightly before assembling lasagna.
For Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix goat cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and eggs.
- Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. (I always use a glass pan for tomato-based recipes. I feel like a metal pan alters the taste somewhat.)
- Place a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Spread a layer of vegetables, cheese mixture, sliced fresh mozzarella, and tomato sauce.
- Continue layering until all ingredients are used, ending with a top of cheese and tomato sauce.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover, and top with some extra Parmesan, and mozzarella, if desired.
- Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
The tomato sauce in this recipe is delicious and so easy to make. It's ready in just a few minutes and so much healthier than jarred sauce!
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 367Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 457mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 18g
Here are a couple other favorites from some chef friends:
Instant Pot Vegan Tortilla Soup with Jackfruit
Instant Pot Vegan Dirty Rice
Vegan Cashew Mac and Cheese
Do you have a favorite vegetarian recipe your family loves? Share it below!

That looks so good! I love all the different veggies you used in this. I must make it!
So many pretty veggies! I am a vegetarian, but I honestly do not cook lasagna much. Even then, I kind of stick with the box recipe and just leave out the meat. This lasagna looks amazing and I love the addition of so many kinds of veggies.
This veggie lasagna would be a great alternative to regular lasagna on pasta night. I like the various vegetables you used to make this.
I’ve been looking for a good vegetarian lasagna to make. Thanks so much for sharing!
That looks delicious! My husband just made me a zucchini lasagna because i’m gluten free and can’t eat noodles. It was delicious!
Those vegetables looked so fresh! And the lasagna was mouth watering!
This veggie lasagna sounds and looks good! I have been trying to have one meatless day a week but I don’t think I could go without forever…LOL!
How delicious! Vegetarian lasagna is one of my favorite dishes. I have never made my own, but I’ll definitely try out this recipe sometime.
I’m trying to eat healthier, as well. I agree that it’s SO much easier when everyone in your house is on the same page! This looks delicious.
This is a good idea but I don’t think I could get away with serving it to my family. They are picky when comes to food. 🙂
That recipe looks so tasty. The produce box is an awesome concept. I typically walk around the market lost and confused passing on great deals as I am just not sure how to prepare the items.
This veggie lasagna would be great! I’ve been trying to reduce my meat intake! I love you used so many veggies!
Yum! I love lasagna, but I’ve never tried this version. And I love vegetables too so I’m definitely going to make this ASAP.
I bet this is good! I love vegetables so this would be perfect.
I love to have vegetarian meals so this is one to add to my rotation. I love all the fresh veggies you used.
I love lasagna and the meatless one is my favorite, Kate! I can’t wait to try your recipe as it has some of my all-time favorite ingredients included!