Healthy Lasagna Recipes - Cooking Light

Photo: Randy Mayor

Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna

An Italian classic that has become a staple in many American kitchens, lasagna is a wonderfully versatile go-to dish. It can fit the bill for a simple weeknight dinner, or be the perfect addition to a spread for entertaining. Lasagna’s varieties suit an array of taste buds and preferences, from strict vegetarians to the most carnivorous meat lovers. Many of these recipes can be made ahead of time and frozen, or prepared in the slow cooker. Click through the gallery below to see some of our favorite healthy lasagna recipes.

First on our list, this zucchini eggplant lasagna makes use of fresh summer produce in a filling meatless entrée.

View Recipe: Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna

Photo: José Picayo

Truffled Wild Mushroom Lasagna

You don't have to spend a lot on truffle oil; look for small 2- or 3-ounce bottles, which are less likely to go bad before you use up the oil.

View Recipe: Truffled Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Creamy Spinach Lasagna

The mild flavor and creamy texture of this spinach lasagna will appeal to kids and adults alike. You may want to reduce or increase the pepper amounts according to your family's preferences.

View Recipe: Creamy Spinach Lasagna

Photo: Randy Mayor

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

Grilling the vegetables deepens their flavors, which makes for a delicious vegetarian entrée. To speed preparation, use no-boil lasagna noodles; the baking time remains the same.

View Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

Photo: Johnny Autry

Mushroom Lasagna

Rich porcini broth and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano add deep umami taste to this vegetarian lasagna. Plain white button mushrooms will work in place of cremini. Serve with a simple green salad for a satisfying meal.

View Recipe: Mushroom Lasagna

Polenta Lasagna

This polenta lasagna is a great way to work extra vegetables into a weeknight meal, as it calls for chopped zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and red bell pepper.

View Recipe: Polenta Lasagna

Chicken-Ham Lasagna

To shorten prep time, skin, bone, and shred rotisserie chicken; add to sauce.

View Recipe: Chicken-Ham Lasagna

Photo: John Autry

Butternut Squash, Carmelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

This layered pasta dish is a great way to add both color and vegetable servings to your dinner plate.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash, Carmelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Photo: Randy Mayor

Lasagna Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

These rolls require some assembly time, but are a nice change of pace from layered pasta. Use baby spinach to eliminate the task of trimming stems.

View Recipe: Lasagna Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Mushroom Lasagna with Creamy Béchamel

Lots of porcini, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms are smothered in a creamy sauce for this tasty entrée. The white sauce, or béchamel, for the lasagna is thinner than traditional ones. It will just coat the back of a wooden spoon, but it thickens and soaks into the noodles as the lasagna bakes.

View Recipe: Mushroom Lasagna with Creamy Béchamel

Photo: Lee Harrelson

Vegetable Lasagna

This vegetable lasagna is perfect for making ahead and can easily transport to a potluck or the freezer.

View Recipe: Vegetable Lasagna

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Baked Vegetable Lasagna

Don't press out extra water from the tofu for this recipe; that way, the cheesy layer will remain moist and creamy.

View Recipe: Baked Vegetable Lasagna

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Parmesan and Root Vegetable Lasagna

Butternut squash, sweet potato and onion blend together with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses for a flavorful vegetarian lasagna. When selecting a wine to serve at this meal, keep in mind that root vegetables pair well with earthy varieties such as tempranillo, pinot noir and sangiovese.

View Recipe: Parmesan and Root Vegetable Lasagna

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana

Named for the town from which it hails (Amatrice in central Italy), this sauce typically combines pancetta with tomatoes. Imported San Marzano tomatoes were used to test this recipe. Use cured bacon to allow the tomatoes and heat to star, or add a smoky note with smoked bacon. It's best to cook pasta sheets one at a time. Then build the individual lasagna portions, and bake them all together. Don't worry if the pasta tears as you build each dish—just patch it together and continue assembling.

View Recipe: Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana

Photo: Karry Hosford

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Sweet squash contrasts beautifully with Smoky Marinara in this butternut squash lasagna. You can make the marinara in advance, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash Lasagna

Rachel's Special Lasagna

You can make this dish ahead--just cover and refrigerate or freeze after you've spread the final layer of marinara sauce. Serve with a salad and breadsticks to round out the meal.

View Recipe: Rachel's Special Lasagna

Photo: Randy Mayor

Grilled Summer Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe has a number of components, but all can be made ahead, particularly the tomato purée and the white sauce. You can substitute 3 (8-ounce) cans of tomato purée for the homemade tomato purée. You can also use a grill pan to prepare the vegetables indoors.

View Recipe: Grilled Summer Vegetable Lasagna

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Tex Mex Lasagna

Use different salsa to vary the flavor for this meatless lasagna. Make it smoky with chipotle salsa, or spice it up with the hot stuff.

View Recipe: Tex Mex Lasagna

Photo: Oxmoor House

Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

Since this lasagna is prepared in the slow cooker, it’s a great weeknight dinner option that can be assembled ahead of time, cooked throughout the day, and then served in the evening. No-boil lasagna noodles are perfect for this recipe, as they absorb all the juices that accumulate in the crockpot. Use 2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach in place of fresh, if you prefer. Also, any mushroom will work.

View Recipe: Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

Photo: Randy Mayor

Seafood Lasagna

You can always splurge on fresh crabmeat, but we tested this dish with canned Chicken of the Sea lump crabmeat and liked the results. Shrimp shells render a quick stock to flavor the sauce. We used oven-ready lasagna noodles to save time.

View Recipe: Seafood Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock

Three-Cheese Lasagna

Ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella combine to give this lasagna an irresistible gooey factor. Store-bought tomato sauce offers convenience and is perked up with a little fresh basil, garlic, and ground red pepper.

View Recipe: Three-Cheese Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock

Butternut-Kale Lasagna

Gruyère-spiked Béchamel drapes over the noodles and squash to give this dish velvety richness. Hearty, earthy kale perfectly balances the sweet squash. Crunchy toasted pecans on top? Yes, please!

View Recipe: Butternut-Kale Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock

Greek Lamb and Feta Lasagna

You don't think of lamb when you think of lasagna, but that's one of the reasons you'll love this dish. The meat plays exceptionally well with rosemary and feta.

View Recipe: Greek Lamb and Feta Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock

Classic Light Bolognese Lasagna

We played it straight with this lasagna standard, which retains all of its meaty, cheesy, saucy goodness but has less than half the calories.

View Recipe: Classic Light Bolognese Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Spicy sausage gives this dish some kick, though you can also go with mild. Three cheeses—ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan—make it wonderfully indulgent.

View Recipe: Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna