This small batch white vegetable lasagna is the perfect dinner for a small crowd! It's made with a creamy ricotta filling, a rich and smooth white sauce, and all the best spring veggies like carrots, peas, broccoli, beets, and more.
Lasagna is a great comfort food any time of year, but it's particularly delicious in the springtime when you can fill it with an abundance of fresh veggies! This dish is still a hearty meal, but it's full of bright flavors and yummy spring vegetables and greens like spinach, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, and beets. Roasting the veggies first gives this dish a really nice depth of flavor that compliments the bright ricotta filling and the herbed béchamel sauce. Lasagna recipes also traditionally make huge batches, but this one can feed 2-4 people – perfect for a cozy dinner party or just a normal weeknight dinner for two!
Here are some more spring and summer pasta recipes you'll love: Bean and Chickpea Pasta Salad, Sweet Corn and White Wine Chickpea Pasta, and Creamy Avocado Basil Pasta.
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Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this white vegetable lasagna:
- Small baking dish (mine is about 8x6in)
- Baking sheet
- Lasagna noodles
- Ricotta
- Mozzarella cheese
- Grated parmesan
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Peas
- Cauliflower
- Beets
- Spinach
- Egg
- Butter
- Shallot
- Heavy cream (or milk)
- Flour
- Garlic powder
- Ground sage
- Parsley flakes
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Switch up the veggies. I used my favorite spring vegetables that I think really complement each other in this lasagna, but if you want to experiment with other veggies, go for it!
- Add some heat. This lasagna is very light and fresh, but it would taste great with a kick from some cayenne or chili powder in the filling, or even a drizzling of hot honey on top!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Timing is everything. This lasagna can take a long time to make if you aren't multitasking - roast the veggies first and boil your noodles first so you can make the ricotta filling and the sauce in the meantime, and everything should finish up around the same time! Or, better yet, make the filling and/or the sauce a day in advance to save time.
- Pink or white sauce? Do note that if you fold all the veggies into the sauce when assembling the lasagna, the beets will turn the sauce pink! If you want a true white sauce with just hints of pink throughout your lasagna, layer the vegetables on top of the sauce like you would with a sprinkling of cheese.
More savory recipes:
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Small Batch Vegetable Lasagna
This small batch white vegetable lasagna is the perfect dinner for a small crowd! It's made with a creamy ricotta filling, a rich, smooth white sauce, and all the best spring veggies like carrots, peas, broccoli, spinach, and more.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the ricotta filling:
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley flakes to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ cup spinach chopped
For the roasted vegetables:
- ⅓ cup chopped broccoli florets
- ⅓ cup chopped cauliflower florets
- ⅓ cup chopped carrots
- ⅓ cup peas
- ⅓ cup chopped beets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
For assembly:
- 5+ lasagna noodles cut into halves
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
For the roasted vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Finely chop your vegetables (about the size of a medium dice), mix them with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and add to baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, until well roasted (a bit of char is encouraged for a nice roasted flavor!). Set aside until use.
For the noodles and filling:
- While vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta noodles according to package directions. Either break them in half before cooking, or cut them once boiled to fit your small baking dish.
- Add all ingredients for the ricotta filling to a medium sized bowl and mix until fully combined. Set aside until use.
For the sauce:
- To make the sauce, add butter and shallots to a large saucepan and heat on medium-low until the shallots become translucent and fragrant. Add in the sprigs of rosemary and thyme once the butter has melted and let them simmer with the shallots for a few minutes.
- Remove the herb sprigs and stir in the flour, whisking until a roux forms.
- Stir in the cream, then add in the garlic powder, salt, and pepper, whisking to incorporate fully. Reduce to low heat and whisk the sauce often for about 10 minutes, or until gently bubbling and slightly thickened. Keep the heat on low - any overheating can make the sauce grainy.
- Whisk in the parmesan cheese to incorporate fully, then remove from heat and set aside until assembly.
For assembly:
- Turn the oven down to 350ºF.
- To assemble the lasagna, first spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom and sides of a small baking dish. Fold in the roasted vegetables to the sauce to use for the remainder of assembly.
- Add a layer of cooked noodles to the dish, then top with a layer of the ricotta filling. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta, then spread another thin layer of sauce on top. Repeat this layering process until you reach the top of the dish, then sprinkle a final layer of cheese on top.
- Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake the lasagna for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the top layer of cheese has fully melted.
- Let the lasagna rest for about 15 minutes so it can set fully. Sprinkle with some remaining herbs if desired before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Timing is everything. This lasagna can take a long time to make if you aren't multitasking - roast the veggies first and boil your noodles first so you can make the ricotta filling and the sauce in the meantime, and everything should finish up around the same time! Or, better yet, make the filling and/or the sauce a day in advance to save time.
- Pink or white sauce? Do note that if you fold all the veggies into the sauce when assembling the lasagna, the beets will turn the sauce pink! If you want a true white sauce with just hints of pink throughout your lasagna, layer the vegetables on top of the sauce like you would with a sprinkling of cheese.
- Switch up the veggies. I used my favorite spring vegetables that I think really complement each other in this lasagna, but if you want to experiment with other veggies, go for it!
- Add some heat. This lasagna is very light and fresh, but it would taste great with a kick from some cayenne or chili powder in the filling, or even a drizzling of hot honey on top!
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