Name: Vegetarian Potato Lasagne Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 brown onion (finely chopped); 2 courgette (zucchini) (small diced); 3 peppers (small diced); 2 tsp dried sage; 1.2 kg canned chopped tomatoes; 15 g fresh basil (thinly sliced); 1 bay leaf; salt and black pepper; 1.2 kg Desireé potatoes (peeled); 2 tbsp olive oil; 45 g slightly salted butter; 45 g plain white flour (all purpose flour) (gluten free flour, if required); 640 ml milk; 75 g mature cheese (grated (vegetarian, if required)); 1 tsp parsley; salt and black pepper; 100 g mature cheese (grated (vegetarian if required)); 1 tsp parsley

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This vegetarian potato lasagne recipe swaps pasta for sliced potatoes to produce a delicious lasagne that's naturally gluten free and tastes amazing.

Side on shot of a plate of vegetarian potato lasagne with an additional plate in the background.

I love that this recipe rescues potatoes from the sidelines and lets them take centre stage as the star of a fabulous family dish.

Potatoes are low fat, boast high nutritional content (such as potassium and fibre), are locally grown in the UK, Ireland and 30 US states, reducing food miles, and they offer a healthy and versatile source for everyday cooking.

This vegetarian potato lasagne recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes, so if you can bear to wait an hour for a truly delicious dinner, I implore you to give this one a try.

Now, before I tell you more about how fabulously easy this dish is to make, let's first acknowledge a fact that probably already has my Italian readers shouting at the screen: lasagne refers to a type of pasta.

Therefore, if you remove the sheets of pasta from a lasagne, it isn't, in the proper Italian sense, a lasagne anymore. Italian readers, I'm sorry, but this vegetarian potato lasagne recipe is yummy and it is constructed like a lasagne, so I hope you'll forgive me.

Moving on!

Side on shot of a plate of vegetarian potato lasagne.

To make the tomato sauce layer, you'll simply sweat onions, garlic, courgettes and peppers in a little olive oil before adding chopped tomatoes, basil and a bay leaf and simmering down into a gorgeous, rich tomato and vegetable sauce.

For the white sauce, you'll use my all in one method where flour (gluten free, if required), butter and milk all go into the pan and are whisked over a medium heat until smooth and thick. You'll then enrich the sauce with cheese and parsley. So good!

The potato layers are really simple too, you'll simply parboil potatoes and cut them into slices, then use to create layers of sauce and potatoes in a dish, just as you would with classic lasagne.

Overhead shot of the vegetarian potato lasagne having just been taken out of the oven.

You'll finish by pouring the white sauce on top and scattering with extra cheese and a little parsley, then bake for 20 minutes until bubbling irresistibly.

Hungry? Here's my full vegetarian potato lasagne recipe, complete with lots of step-by-step photos to help you along the way.

Ingredients

For the tomato vegetable sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 brown onion finely chopped
2 courgette (zucchini) small diced
3 peppers small diced
2 tsp dried sage
1.2 kg (2.6 lb) canned chopped tomatoes
15 g (0.5 oz) fresh basil thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper

For the potatoes

1.2 kg (2.6 lb) Desireé potatoes peeled
2 tbsp olive oil

For the white sauce

45 g (1.6 oz) slightly salted butter
45 g (1.6 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour) gluten free flour, if required
640 ml (1.4 pt) milk
75 g (2.6 oz) mature cheese grated (vegetarian, if required)
1 tsp parsley
salt and black pepper

For the topping

100 g (3.5 oz) mature cheese grated (vegetarian if required)
1 tsp parsley

Equipment

Instructions

Make the tomato vegetable sauce

Warm the oil in a large non-stick pan.

Add the onion and garlic.

Overhead shot of some diced onions in a pan on a cooker.

Sweat over a medium heat until translucent. This can take 8-10 minutes.

Overhead shot of some diced simmered onions in a red pan.

Add the courgettes, peppers, sage and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Overhead shot of finely sliced courgettes, peppers, sage, onion, salt and pepper simmering on the hob in a red pan.

Fry for a further 5 minutes.

Overhead shot of finely sliced courgettes, peppers, sage, onion, salt and pepper having been fried for five minutes.

Add the tomatoes, basil and bay leaf.

Overhead shot of finely sliced courgettes, peppers, sage, onion, salt and pepper, chopped tomatoe and basil simmering on the hob in a red pan.

Stir.

Overhead shot of the ingredients having been on the hob for five minutes.

Bring up to a simmer, then leave bubbling away for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it has reduced.

Overhead shot of the pan of ingredients having been left to simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat, season to taste and set aside.

Prepare the potatoes

While the tomato sauce is simmering, you can get on with the other elements. Peel the potatoes, cutting very large ones in half so that they’re all of a similar size.

Overhead shot of a pan with potatoes which have been washed and cut.

Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until just becoming tender.

Overhead shot of a red pan with potatoes and boiling water.

Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.

Overhead shot of the potatoes having been drained of water.

Cut into thin 2-3mm slices and place on a plate, drizzling sparingly with a little olive oil as you go so that they don't all stick together.

Overhead shot of the sliced potatoes in a white bowl.

Make the white sauce

Put the milk, flour and butter in a non-stick pan.

Overhead shot of milk, flour and butter in a non-stick pan.

Whisk over a gentle until it begins to thicken. Taste to make sure the flour has 'cooked out' , meaning you can't taste it.

Overhead shot of the milk, flour and butter in a non-stick pan having been on the hob for five minutes.

Add the grated cheese, parsley and pinch of salt and pepper.

Overhead shot of the white sauce ingredients in a red pan.

Stir through until melted, then take off the heat and season further, if necessary.

Overhead shot of the melted white sauce ingredients in a red pan.

Assemble the lasagne

Grease a large lasagne tray or casserole dish.

Spread a half of the tomato sauce.

Overhead shot of the uncooked assembled lasagne.

Cover with a single, slightly overlapping layer of potato. Repeat with the other half of the sauce and another layer of potato.

Overhead shot of the potatoes ontop of the assembled lasange.

Pour the cheese sauce on top, spreading to the edges.

Overhead shot of the white / cheese sauce layered ontop of the potatoes in a tray.

Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the lasagne, followed by the parsley and a good pinch of pepper.

Overhead shot of the cheese being sprinkled on the assembled lasange.

Place in the oven at 200C (180C fan/400F) and bake for 20 minutes. Check half way and if the top is looking like it's browning too soon, just cover the dish with a hat of silver foil and return to the oven to finish baking.

Overhead shot of the lasagne having been in the oven.

Push a sharp knife into the centre of your lasagne to make sure the potatoes are cooked through - there should be no resistance.

Your lasagne will firm up as it cools, so if you want to serve neat slices allow it to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and plating up.

Side on shot of the lasagne served on a plate with an additional plate of lasagne in the background.

Hopefully you're inspired to try this recipe, but also think about how else you could use potatoes to bring variety and convenience back to your family mealtimes. Has it helped you save time at mealtimes?

For another delicious potato-based main, try these mini stuffed baked potatoes.

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4.8 from 12 votes

Vegetarian Potato Lasagne Recipe

This vegetarian potato lasagne recipe swaps pasta for sliced potatoes to produce a delicious lasagne that's naturally gluten free and tastes amazing.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Potato-based mains

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Emily Leary