Italian-American · main

Three-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

Three-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna reads umami 6.6, richness 5.1 and sweetness 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 1 hr 52 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 4.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.6 · Richness 5.1 · Sweetness 4.5 · Salinity 4.3 · Allium 4.3 · Earthy 3.9 · Fruity 2.5 · Nutty 2.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Sourness 2.0 · Bitterness 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Citrus 0.8 · Heat 0.7 · Floral 0.7

What's in it (16)

• zucchini — 200 g
• cremini mushrooms — 227 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• olive oil — 41 g
• salt — 6 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• tomatoes — 1588 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• fresh ricotta — 425 g
• egg — 100 g
• baby spinach — 142 g
• shredded mozzarella — 710 g
• parmesan cheese — 114 g
• lasagna noodles — 900 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 52 min (1 hr 37 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 154.4 kcal, 7.9 g protein, 5.4 g fat, 18.6 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Heat oven to 425 F. Toss the zucchini, mushrooms, and bell pepper with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then spread in a single layer over two rimmed baking sheets. Roast until browned at the edges and most of their liquid has cooked off, 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, warm the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and the remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. While the sauce simmers, stir together the ricotta, egg, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 noodles over the sauce, then spread a third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by a third of the roasted vegetables and 1 cup of sauce.
7. Repeat the layering twice more (noodles, ricotta mixture, vegetables, sauce), ending with the final noodles topped with the last of the sauce.
8. Scatter the remaining 2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan evenly over the top. Cover the dish tightly with foil, tenting it slightly so it doesn't touch the cheese.
9. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until the top is bubbling and deeply golden and a knife inserted in the center meets no resistance from the noodles, 20-25 minutes more.
10. Let the lasagna rest at least 15 minutes before slicing — this lets the layers set so slices hold together. Cut into squares and serve.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables — Italian-American
• Vegetarian Moussaka with Lentils — Greek
• Beef Moussaka with Eggplant — Greek
• Ribollita (Tuscan Bread and Vegetable Stew) — Italian
• Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Lentils — British

Keep reading: what umami, richness, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.