For Sunday Supper I tend to rotate through a savory roast chicken or a baked pasta like this Lasagna with Seasonal Vegetables and Meat Recipe. This hearty meat lasagna is the perfect antidote to cold winter blues. We keep it as close to a classic lasagna recipe as possible. We make a delicious meat sauce from ground meat, a variety of different vegetables reflective of the season, and a creamy béchamel to coat our no-boil lasagna sheets.
It’s a mouthwatering lasagna that’ll be a huge hit at your dinner table. Scroll down to see how we make it and don’t forget to pin or print the recipe card for the best vegetable lasagna recipe with lean ground beef you’ll make today!
What Makes This Delicious Lasagna Recipe Stand Out
What makes this recipe the best lasagna we’ve made to date is, hands down, the red sauce. A fresh tomato sauce made from roasting the dry farmed Early Girl Tomatoes is slow simmered to concentrate it’s flavors that rival your classic marinara sauce. We also opt for a béchamel sauce over using ricotta cheese to make a ricotta mixture with Italian seasoning. I find the use of the béchamel in conjunction with our no boil lasagna noodles help the noodles cook evenly through the bake. As a result, the only cheese we use here is a blend of fior di latte and grated parmesan cheese. This is going to become one of those lasagna recipes you’ll keep in rotation.
Ingredients for This Lasagna with Seasonal Vegetables and Meat
To assemble this classic vegetable lasagna with your favorite ground meat, we’ll rely on the following ingredients:
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles: Because we’re opting to make two different sauces I like to use this shortcut in crafting our lasagna. See notes in the FAQ below if you’re opting to use regular lasagna noodles.
- 1 pound ground beef: You can also use ground turkey or leave out the meat entirely to make this a veggie-packed lasagna. I love the grass-fed ground beef from Five Mary’s Farm and we joined their Meat Club when we moved to Napa. It’s been such a great way to support our California ranchers and enjoy high-quality meat in the process.
- Seasonal greens and veggies: For the variation we’re making here noted in the recipe card, I opted for shallots, spinach, chard, and garlic. You can also use a mix of red onion, yellow squash, and diced red peppers. When it comes to using fresh veggies, opt for the ones that in season near you and ones you enjoy.
- Béchamel Sauce: crafted from unsalted butter, flour, and whole milk, we make enough for this one lasagna recipe.
- Melty Cheese: A mix of fresh mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan makes a great cheese mixture to top our lasagna prior to baking it in the oven.
- Fresh Herbs for Garnish: Our countertop fresh basil comes in hand here but you can also opt for fresh parsley or even chopped chives.
How to Assemble and Cook This Lasagna Recipe with Vegetables and Meat
- First, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a bechamel sauce by melting 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add in 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir to combine the flour and butter to make a roux. Next, slowly add in 4 cups of whole milk. Stir continuously to allow the sauce to thicken. Once the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, your bechamel sauce is ready for the best lasagna you’ll make. Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper, and a dash of ground nutmeg. Set the white sauce to the side, covered, and continue working on preparing the remaining parts of the lasagna.
- Next, we’ll prepare the filling. For this lasagna, I loved a quick filling made with ground beef, sauteed spinach, garlic, and caramelized onion. To prepare the filling heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over low heat. Add 1 cup of sliced or diced onions and cook until they just begin to caramelize. Add in the garlic. Stir until the garlic is just releasing its fragrance then add the ground beef. Cook ground beef until it browns. Add in the spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Seasonal with a few pinches of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Here, you can also opt to add in your favorite Italian seasoning or some chopped fresh basil leaves. I also like to add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for added warmth. The key here is that the filling is truly customizable to compliment the red sauce from fresh tomatoes.
Assembling the Lasagna
- For this classic lasagna recipe I opt for the shortcut of using no-boil lasagna noodles. You can totally opt to cook your lasagna sheets or make a fresh sheets of pasta. That said, in using the no-boil noodles we’ll first start with ladling a couple spoonfuls of tomato sauce on the bottom of our baking dish. Reserve a couple cups of sauce and bechamel for the top of the lasagna.
- Place enough lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of your baking dish. Pour over the few ladles of bechamel to coat the top of the noodles. Top with enough filling to lightly cover the bechamel. Add a couple cups of sauce to top the filling. Add another layer of noodles then repeat the layering process until the top layer reaches the top of the pan. Pour the remaining sauce and bechamel on top. Sprinkle a bit of fresh mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese over the top.
- Bake the lasagna for 30 to 40 minutes until edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before garnishing with chopped fresh basil.
Final Tips and FAQ
I hope this delicious Lasagna Recipe with Vegetables and Meat becomes one of your family’s favorites especially for the meat eaters in your life. A couple of final tips and FAQ:
If you do, opt for noodles that are not labeled no-boil. Adjust your cooking times to account for cooking the noodles, about 6 to 8 minutes for al dente. Allow the noodles to cool slightly before beginning assembly.
Absolutely! Leave out the meat and opt for a veggie lasagna with your favorite veggies. I also like to blend autumnal squash to make a vegetable sauce in lieu of tomato. Either way, this is a recipe the whole family will love.
For sure! For best results, prep the lasagna and refrain from baking. Store in an airtight container that is freezer friendly. This should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes! I would recommend 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes or a 24 ounce jar of tomato passata which are strained tomatoes. Simmer it down to reduce slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes, so it’s just thickened and concentrated with tomato flavor. You can also add in a tablespoon of tomato paste to amp up the tomato flavor. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper just as we do with the Roast Tomato Sauce recipe.
Easy Lasagna with Seasonal Vegetables and Meat Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 3 cups Roast Tomato Sauce or your Favorite Marinara
- 4 cups packed spinach leaves
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella or fior di latte
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- Fresh basil or other chopped herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Béchamel Sauce
- Prepare a bechamel sauce by melting 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add in 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and stir to combine the flour and butter to make a roux.
- Next, slowly add in 4 cups of whole milk. Stir continuously to allow the sauce to thicken. Once the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, your bechamel sauce is ready. Remove from heat and stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg.
- Set the white sauce to the side, covered, and continue working on preparing the remaining parts of the lasagna.
Lasagna Filling
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add 1 cup of sliced or diced onions and cook until they just begin to caramelize. Add in the garlic. Stir for one minute until just fragrant.
- Add the ground beef. Cook ground beef until it browns, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and cook until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Season with a few pinches of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Lasagna Assembly
- To begin the layering process for the lasagna, spoon a ladle full of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Next, add enough no-boil lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Add a ladle of béchamel to cover the noodles.
- Add the meat and veggie filling followed by a ladle of tomato sauce. Top with more no-boil noodles. Repeat the layering process until the top layer reaches the top of the pan.
- Pour the remaining sauce and bechamel on top. Sprinkle a bit of fresh mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese over the top.
- Bake the lasagna for 30 to 40 minutes until edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before garnishing with chopped fresh basil.
The combination of ground beef with fresh, seasonal vegetables like spinach and chard created a harmonious blend of flavors. The homemade béchamel sauce added a creamy richness that elevated the dish beyond traditional lasagna. I also appreciated the use of no-boil lasagna noodles, which made the assembly process more straightforward. The detailed instructions were easy to follow, and the end result was a hearty, comforting meal that my whole family enjoyed. This recipe is a wonderful way to incorporate seasonal produce into a classic dish, and I look forward to making it again.
This was a delight to read, Annie. Thank you so much for your wonderful note and I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this one. It’s a favorite recipe in rotation at our house, as well. Cheers.