Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: 3.89 stars
45 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 13
  • 4 star values: 23
  • 3 star values: 3
  • 2 star values: 3
  • 1 star values: 3

Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2011

Gallery

Recipe Summary

total:
2 hrs
Servings:
8
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Calorie
Vegetarian
High Calcium
Bone Health
Healthy Aging
Healthy Immunity
Healthy Pregnancy
Low Added Sugars
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Combine egg, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms and zucchini in a large bowl.

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  • Combine crushed and diced tomatoes and their juice, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) in a medium bowl.

  • Generously coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the tomato mixture in the slow cooker. Arrange 5 noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly and breaking into pieces to cover as much of the sauce as possible. Spread half of the ricotta-vegetable mixture over the noodles and firmly pat down, then spoon on 1 1/2 cups sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat the layering one more time, starting with noodles. Top with a third layer of noodles. Evenly spread the remaining tomato sauce over the noodles. Set aside the remaining 1 cup mozzarella in the refrigerator.

  • Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on High for 2 hours or on Low for 4 hours. Turn off the slow cooker, sprinkle the reserved mozzarella on the lasagna, cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Tips

Equipment: 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker

Tip: The dark gills found on the underside of a portobello mushroom cap are edible, but can turn a dish an unappealing gray color. If you like, gently scrape the gills off with a spoon.

For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner. These heat-resistant, disposable liners fit neatly inside the insert and help prevent food from sticking to the bottom and sides of your slow cooker.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
413 calories; protein 27g 54% DV; carbohydrates 49g 16% DV; exchange other carbs 3.5; dietary fiber 7.4g 30% DV; sugars 9.4g; fat 14.5g 22% DV; saturated fat 7.9g 40% DV; cholesterol 67.3mg 22% DV; vitamin a iu 2677.5IU 54% DV; vitamin c 25.8mg 43% DV; folate 77.6mcg 19% DV; calcium 558.3mg 56% DV; iron 4.2mg 23% DV; magnesium 102.7mg 37% DV; potassium 847mg 24% DV; sodium 665.5mg 27% DV; thiamin 0.8mg 84% DV.
Exchanges:

2 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 1/2 medium-fat meat

Reviews (44)

Read More Reviews
45 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 13
  • 4 star values: 23
  • 3 star values: 3
  • 2 star values: 3
  • 1 star values: 3
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
jacquleneb@aol.com
Rating: 1 stars
03/01/2019
This lasagna was terrible. It had no flavor even with the adjustments recommended by others who have made this. It was soupy and the cheese was nonexistent. I should have known it wasn't going to be good when I couldn't even mix the amount of ricotta recommended with the spinach - there was way more spinach than cheese. Do not recommend. Read More
Becks
Rating: 5 stars
12/05/2018
I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta and might have used a little more put my spinach in a blender and that was about it:) I loved it because my son who is VERY fussy liked it so much that this is what he wants for his B'day supper!! AND.... He swears there is meat in it!!! LoL:D Read More
waderuth29@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
05/03/2017
Subbed a jar of organic tomato basil pasta sauce for the crushed tomato and followed Brian V's suggestions with 1 tsp of italian seasoning basil and oregano (but did not add extra garlic). Subbed frozen porcini mushrooms for the portabellos and left out the zucchini. It was delicious and will definitely make this again. Read More
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Nancy
Rating: 4 stars
03/28/2017
Well Brian V. I tried this with the drained tomatoes extra garlic basil oregano and Italian spices and I found it very bland. i put a bit of Thai chili sweet sauce on top of my piece of lasagna and that gave it a bit of heat and spice it needed- a nice compliment to the tomato sauce. i like the consistency and balance of pasta to veggies to sauce. I'll make this again and doctor it up. Read More
newcrockcooker
Rating: 5 stars
12/19/2016
loved this!..tasty easy affordable and makes plenty!! I am also glad I read the reviews and took the advice of other members. I made sure tof add salt and other seasonings but not a lot just enough in the ricotta mix and extra extra garlic...i think i used 6 cloves. my husband still eats meat he loved this. Read More
SarahOwens
Rating: 5 stars
10/26/2016
Made this today and couldn't be happier with it. I am SO glad I read the other reviews before I cooked it. I don't think it would have turned out as good otherwise. I mostly followed Brian Varbel's review including adding the spices. The biggest thing I can recommend is draining the tomatoes so this doesn't become soupy. I didn't drain enough it was still really good but next time I'll drain them more. We will be making this again for sure! Read More
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Brian Varbel
Rating: 5 stars
09/06/2016
This is one of the best recipes I've ever made and we cook something new at least once or twice a week. I always read the reviews for handy tips. I drained all the juice out of the diced tomatoes and the lasagna came out perfect. Additionally I doubled the garlic added a teaspoon each of basil oregano and Italian seasoning to the sauce. I had bought 2 - 16 oz boxes of Lasagna Noodles but I suspect even 1 - 12 oz box would be enough for this recipe...I wasn't sure how many noodles came in a box. I was skeptical that the noodles would get cooked in such a short time in the slow cooker. I cooked it on 4 hours low and for good measure cooked it another hour on high...other similar recipes with uncooked lasagna noodle layers in a slow cooker asked for 6 hours on low. I cooked it a little longer per some of the reviews on this recipe as well. Needless to say it was a non-issue and it was perfectly cooked. I would highly recommend this recipe to everyone. It is delicious. You don't miss the meat at all though I bet it would be good with a pound of spicy sausage or ground beef in the sauce layers. Since we are vegetarian I might try adding chopped artichoke hearts to the vegetable ricotta mixture. Great recipe easy to put together highly recommend! Thanks! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
11/04/2015
Better than expected! I wasn't sure what to except as I had never made a lasagna in the slow cooker before. I drained the diced tomatoes as other reviewers stated. I mixed the diced tomatoes with 3/4 of a jar of tomato sauce. I used fresh spinach and mushrooms. I layered the spinach and mushrooms on top of the ricotta cheese. I seasoned the sauce with fresh basil and extra garlic. I set the slow cooker on High for 2 hours and viola! The perfect lasagna. The slow cooker kept the lasagna warm for approx another hour until we were ready to eat it. The noodles were cooked perfectly there was no excess liquid as some other people had problems with (my main concern). I am not sure I have an excuse to use the conventional oven to make a lasagna again. Thanks for this recipe. Read More
Lisa
Rating: 2 stars
10/10/2015
Typically I really like vegetarian dishes but I was disappointed with this recipe. I wish I had read other reviews before making it. Mine came out soupy and could have used a lot more seasoning. More garlic along with some basil oregano salt and pepper. The noodles were mushy and except for the mozzarella on the top the cheeses disappeared. If I try this recipe again before adding them to the slow-cooker I'll cook the mushrooms spinach and zucchini to remove some of the moisture. And I'll definitely jazz up the sauce. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
04/13/2015
Very good! I made this recipe in hopes to bring it to a company potluck so I made it at home the week before to test it. It's VERY good and I will definitely bring it to work! I read all the reviews first and chose to drain some of the juice from the diced tomatoes as most suggested. I also added extra seasoning as suggested (pepper oregano onion seasoning). I didn't have much time so I cooked it for 2 hours on high but it wasn't quite done (some of the pasta was still firm) so I put the cover back on and cooked it another hour. It was perfect! (If I hadn't taken the cover off I assume 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours would suffice). A definite keeper! Pros: Easy yummy Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
03/22/2015
Surprisingly very good! I decided to try this recipe since I was trying to use my slow cooker more often. I wasn't expecting much to be honest. But I was very surprised at the deep flavors of the finished product. The lasagna noodles were cooked very well as were all the veggies. I used the 4 hours on low heat option. The only change I made at all in the recipe was to add about 1/2 cup more of the mozzarella cheese on top at the end of cooking. Otherwise everything matched the recipe exactly. I was excited to find a very good new recipe that I will add to my keepers collection! Pros: Easy to make Cons: None Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
03/24/2014
Healthy and delicious I love the fact that you don't have to cook the noodles. It's a easy tasteful way to incorporate veggies. I'm not a veggie lover so I love recipes like this that make eating veggies painless! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/23/2014
This is tied for the BEST lasagna I have EVER had! This blew my expectations away! This is tied for the best lasagna that I have ever eaten....including restaurants and secret family recipes!! The veggies in this make even a meat lover like myself not miss the veggies! This recipe is bright and flavorful and yet traditional enough that you really get that lasagna comfort food feel!!! I will likely take this dish to my next potluck event and may make ahead of time and freeze it for easy baking also. Alterations: The sauce was a great base but I added salt pepper Italian seasoning onion flakes and garlic powder to my personal liking. Veggies: I used 1 package of baby bella mushroom caps because of cost. Also All of the veggies to go in the ricotta mixture I simply washed and put in the food processor together so that they were diced...and I was really happy with the TIME SAVED and the texture!! I believe it made the recipe more traditional feeling and yet it sacrificed nothing taste wise. Pros: This is flavorful healthy tasty and convenient Cons: I added spice to the sauce before adding it to the crockpot Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/17/2014
Great taste! I made this in my crockpot today and am pleasantly surprised at how good it is! I did drain the diced tomatoes used egg white added a chopped red pepper and added onion seasoning. I also added quite a bit more italian seasoning garlic. I found that I didn't use as many noodles either. Probably ended up using a little over half of just one box! The flavor is fantastic and I love that it is a healthier alternative to regular lasagna. To me it tastes just a great as a full carb fat version! Pros: great texture veggies Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/11/2013
Easy and delish - with a few modifications I added extra veggies including a yellow squash and more spinach. I am guessing that's what made it a bit soupy. I took a ladle and removed some but the next day it was fine...and the flavors melded more as is typical for an italian dish the next day. I didn't read reviews beforehand but would also increase the seasonings by adding salt and pepper fresh basil and oregano perhaps some italian seasoning and more garlic. Pros: Easy and quick for a slow cooker recipe Cons: Needed a some seasoning Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
09/09/2013
Incredibly good! I didn't put in the red pepper and it was still absolutely delicious and so flavorful - best I have ever made. I did put it under the broiler before serving to get the top nice and crunchy. Pros: Easy to make very inexpensive and so delicious. All natural ingredients nothing out of a can. Cons: None Read More
Heidi Mayer
Rating: 4 stars
05/02/2013
What a surprise! Had a very tight schedule so tried this vegetarian lasagna. It was a breeze to make yet it is very tasty. I do not think it was bland at all maybe because I always give a very generous pinch of red pepper flakes when called for. I would definitely make it again although if I have the time I will always choose the oven-baked version. Pros: easiest lasagna I've ever made Cons: it's not crispy or browned on the top the way oven-baked lasagna is. Read More
Burnsboysmom
Rating: 4 stars
04/23/2013
This was a hit with all 3 of my boys including my 10-year-old picky eater and I'm always happy to find something good to cook in the crock pot. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
04/09/2013
This dinner was bland. It definitely needs spicing up. It's too heavy on the noodles too. If I were making this again I would decrease the noodles by one layer. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/10/2012
Very good with additional spices I read the reviews before making and added 3 cloves of garlic 1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. It did not come out soupy. It set up well and my meat eating family really enjoyed it. Will make again! Pros: Is a great vegetarian meal for a group Cons: a little time consuming Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
11/19/2012
Easy Quick and Stress Free! I hate when people make their own dish and then criticize a recipe that they basically did not follow. However I ended up doing the same thing with great results. I drained all of the liquid off of the tomatoes and added tomato paste to help thicken my sauce and add flavor. I added onion extra galic and salt to the sauce. Overall I was very pleased with the result. It was thick with no soupy mess. The whole family loved it for a quick weeknight meal. I must admit that I like my oven baked recipe better but it is also much more work. I will definitely make again and I loved the fact that the whole family got their veggies without even noticing. Pros: Fast Cons: Not as good as oven baked lasagna Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
11/06/2012
My new lasagna recipe This was great lasagna and I added 1 lb of sliced porta Bella mushrooms along with 2 diced red peppers and the recommended spinach. I didn't want to use the tomatoes thinking it might get too watery so I used a spicy pasta sauce instead. I diced up 5-6 plum tomatoes and sprinkled them on the top noodle layer along with a bit of sauce & the cheese. Will definitely be making again with a turkey meatballs layer..... Pros: Easy to assemble Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
10/29/2012
Needs more time Very easy. Just needed more time. (3-4 hours on low is what I would recommend.) Also I think it depends on if your slow cooker has a stoneware base (vs metal.) The stoneware (which is what I used) seems to heat up slower therefore needs more time. Now that I know this I would definitely make this again! Pros: Easy healthy Cons: Wasn't done in time Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
10/26/2012
Watery but tasty... I would try again. I cooked my lasagna on High for two hours and it was pretty watery. It was flavorful but I added extra basil and garlic. Also some of the noodles on top were still a bit crunchy. I liked it enough to try it again however maybe cooking on low draining some liquid and using the noodles lower in the levels. Pros: Easy Flavorful Cons: Watery Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
09/10/2012
Delicious! This was a really tasty and versatile recipe. You can play around with this recipe and add or omit vegetables depending on your taste. I added eggplant squash and some seasonings (basil oregano parsley garlic salt pepper). I also serve spagetti sauce on the side. A definite keeper! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
08/30/2012
really liked this! i left out mushrooms used my tomatoes from garden instead of canned! i shredded zucchinni instead. the meat eaters loved it! a little watery though. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
07/28/2012
Delicious! I did drain some of the liquid from my canned diced tomatoes (which included garlic and onion) and added more seasoning as recommended. Also I didn't mix the spinach mushrooms and zucchini into the ricotta; I just layered them between the ricotta and sauce. Other than that I followed the recipe and it was delicious! No soupy bottom for me and the veggies were crisp-tender. I was very skeptical but it does cook beautifully. On a side note I prefer to use my slow cooker on weekdays so I come home from work to a hot meal. This recipe while effective has a relatively short cook time so I can't make it while at work. It did come in handy as a summer meal when I didn't want to use the oven. Pros: Set it and forget it Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
06/23/2012
Wow! Suprising... I began prepping & putting this lasagna together before reading reviews. I only had larger sized cloves of garlic so there was maybe twice the amount than the recipe calls. I also chose to use crushed tomatoes with basil for flavoring. I also added about a tablespoon of red pepper flakes for more heat. While putting the lasagna together I believe I may have put less pasta than called for because I was still left with 1/4th of my box. Those are the only accidental changes I did to it. I made this in my 5.5qt crock pot. After finishing I began reading the reviews and worried my lasagna would be soupy since I didn't do the adjustments suggested. At the beginning (I cooked it 4 hours on low) it was a little watery. With my spatula I pushed down on my layers and let the liquid come up the sides a bit. I only did this twice during the cooking time. In the end? It came out perfect! I was able to easily cut and pull out a slice. Each serving was all gone in 5 minutes. I love that I'll be able to adjust this around and add or take out ingredients whenever I want to switch it up a bit! Pros: quick to prep easy fast cook time versatile Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
05/23/2012
Easy/Healthy/ Tastes Great I just added some oregano and the flavor was great. It is a little soupy initially it but just let the liquid drain to the bottom. Leftovers seem to firm up nicely when heated in the microwave. The first time I made it was for a vegetarian friend. The second time Imade it I added meatballs on the side. Pros: Easy Cons: Slightly Bland Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
03/27/2012
Thanks to Reviews! I have a small crock pot so I halved the recipe. Thanks to the reviews below I was able to make some adjustments and the results were super tasty! Because folks said it was soupy I drained the tomatoes. I also made the first layer of sauce very minimal. To solve the blandness problem I put in more than twice the recommended amount of garlic and heaping tablespoon of italian seasoning and a heaping teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce. I added some turkey pepperoni to the veg mixture. And I was not shy with the cheese. Like I said the result was amazing. And so easy to make. Definitely doing this again! Pros: EASY Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
03/27/2012
Keep in mind when preparing this that theres alot of moisture in raw veggies (especially the mushrooms and zucchini) which is adding to the liquid content. If you want to use these veggies pre-cooking them would help and then you can add seasoning to them as well as in the sauce. And really - what lasagna doesn't have lots of garlic?! Pros: Quick to assemble and crock pot friendly Cons: watery and bland Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
03/27/2012
Thanks a million to everyone who left reviews! After reading them I decided to drain my tomatoes and add a significant amount of seasoning. I used over twice the garlic about 7 tblspoons of italian seasoning and one tablespoon of the crushed red pepper. I added some turkey pepperoni to the veg mix and didn't skimp on the cheese. It tasted magnificent! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
02/13/2012
Just okay... I was a little disappointed by this. I followed the receipe to a t but didn't think it tasted all that great. It was just okay...probably won't make this again. Pros: Relatively easy to make low calorie freezes well makes 8 BIG servings Cons: The taste is just okay Read More
slburton3@gmail.com
Rating: 4 stars
02/07/2012
Easy way for lasagna I always make lasagna in the oven using uncooked noodles- this just takes the oven out of the equation. Nice to know it really does work making lasagna in the slow cooker. I agree with others mine came out a bit soupy in the bottom. Also it was a bit bland (and I even thought ahead and added Italian seasoning herbs to the tomatoes). So I definitely think as others have said this is a great Base recipe- add the veggies you love and if it's even easier to use canned/jarred pasta sauce go for it. Just make sure all the noodles are covered with the sauce. Pros: No oven needed easy to pull together Cons: A bit soupy Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/30/2012
Make-Ahead/Equipment Clarification Hello I'm writing to clarify the make-ahead/equipment instructions on this recipe. There is not a make-ahead and it should be made a 6-quart slow cooker. We're sorry that the equipment is listed on the same line as the make-ahead it's a technical problem that we are working to fix quickly. The lasagna cannot be assembled ahead in the slow cooker insert (and held overnight before turning the slow cooker on) because it's a food safety and timing concern. If you put a cold insert into the slow cooker the timing of the recipe may not be accurate and it is a food safety risk because the food may stay lukewarm for too long. A cold insert takes too long to heat up and keeps the food from getting hot enough quickly enough. Thank you for trying our recipe and we're sorry for the confusion. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
01/26/2012
My 2yo's like it but not us Soupy. Followed recipe to a T. Needs more flavor from oregano and/or basil. Canned tomatoes made it watery & metallic. A good pasta sauce would be better & maybe some fresh basil. Good to know this can be cooked in crockpot but this recipe lacked....a lot Pros: Easy good to know lasagna can cook in crockpot Cons: Watery bland metallic taste Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
12/27/2011
Lasagna SOUP is more like it I did everything exactly as the recipe said and my lasagna turned out like soup. A few of the top noodles did not cook all the way through and the filling was runny. I expect lasagna to be in nice layers and there was no way to scoop this out of the slow-cooker without it falling apart. Pros: easy quick Cons: runny bland Read More
erplun1996@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
12/11/2011
Be Creative This recipe was so easy. I did make a few changes. First I sliced yellow squash zucchini white mushrooms red and yellow peppers and layered those between the noodles. I combined the fresh spinach fresh garlic fresh oregano and basil with the low fat ricotta cheese. I did not add the egg to the ricotta. This recipe allows for you to be creative and add any veggies you can think off. Next time I will remember the eggplant and add that as well. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/05/2011
Finally an Easy Lasagna I made this and followed the directions as written except that I used one can of Hunt's traditional Garlic and Herb spaghetti sauce instead of plain crushed tomatoes and also added some salt to the sauce as well. I think sauce makes or breaks a lasagna and I agree with the other reviewers that this was otherwise a pretty bland sauce recipe. Still the lasagna came out GREAT. The kids loved it (2 1/2 and 5) and I had plenty of leftovers for lunch this week. One possible change for next time: I may use two cans of the Hunt's spaghetti sauce (and also add some onion and more flavor like others) and take out the diced tomatoes. I think because of the diced tomatoes it was really watery at the bottom of the pot. It didn't make the lasagna soggy and I removed all the leftovers and put them in tupperwares (and they held up fine) but I didn't like all the water at the bottom. Pros: Takes the labor out of lasagna. Cons: You need a 6 qt slow-cooker. Read More
sylvia.and.wilbert@gmail.com
Rating: 4 stars
11/22/2011
Very nice The first time I made this I was trying to make this a 4 serving dish and I used too much cheese ending up with high cholesterol test results. I wonder how this recipe would fare with creamy tofu? Also the make ahead tip is not really clear could I fill the slow cooker the night before? Pros: No oven needed! Cons: 8 servings is a lot for a household of two Read More
Marcella Steele
Rating: 4 stars
11/18/2011
easy I made as directed I did add and Italian herb blend to the sauce...and it was wonderful...next time I think I will add the carrots and the onion others mentioned Pros: Simple and not made with a canned sauce Cons: could use a little more spice Read More
Kat Y
Rating: 4 stars
11/17/2011
Good base fix it and forget it I like with how tedious lasagna can become especially when you make your own sauce that this lasagna does not have that daunting time consuming nature. I think this recipe does need some jazzing up with spices. I added a whole onion to the tomato mixture along with basically a homemade italian spices blend. I added some spice to the veggie mixture as well. I suppose if it needs anything I would do some more spice tweaking. I could see this being quite bland as is. It is a good recipe and did not take much hands on time at all. Read More
jadedtempest@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
11/16/2011
Incredible I used this recipe as a base instead of following it to the letter. I added fresh basil oregano salt and pepper to the sauce as well as added shredded carrots and Italian sausage. I think the recipe would have been bland without my spice additions but with the fresh herbs it was absolutely hands-down the best lasagna I have ever eaten. Pros: just layer it and forget it Cons: takes some time to chop up everything Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
I'll make it again... Not a "wow!" meal but definitely one I'll make again. I added carrots and next time perhaps broccoli as well. The plus? Great meal to get added veggies into your children if you have them. Both my 2 and 12 year old ate it even after knowing there is zucchini spinach and mushrooms in it! Good flavor and couldn't be easier...everything goes in raw. Enjoy! Pros: Easy Read More
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