Red Lentil Lasagne is what you make when you want to please the whole family. Packed with vegetables, lentils and a creamy cheese topping, this comforting and filling meal is so more-ish!
Why You’ll Love This Lentil Lasagne
- KID-FRIENDLY: Lasagne is often found on kids’ menus (along with the other crowd-pleasers such as chicken nuggets, fish fingers, pizza etc). Although this is not a traditional meat lasagne I’m sure it will be just as loved.
- BABY / TODDLER FRIENDLY: Babies and young children love the soft texture of this lasagne and find it easy to eat. Use homemade stock if making for under 1s, to reduce sodium levels.
- MAKE AHEAD: Assemble and then store for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, freeze and bake when needed. Perfect for busy weekday dinners.
Ingredient Information and Alternative Suggestions.
- FLAVOUR BASE: Onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bell pepper and bay leaf.
- RED SPLIT LENTILS: I haven’t tested this recipe with a different lentil variety. Other varieties should work but the cooking time may be longer.
- TOMATO PASTE: Or tomato puree as it is known in the UK.
- PASSATA: I think passata is great to use when cooking for kids. It is beautifully smooth producing less “bits” that kids often complain about. I receive a lot of messages asking me what passata is and where people can find it. Passata is pureed strained tomatoes. I have never had a problem finding it in Australia or the UK, where you can find it in all the major supermarkets. I can’t recall seeing it when I lived in the USA and Canada so it perhaps it isn’t as popular in some countries. If you can’t find it you can just replace it with canned chopped or crushed tomatoes.
- STOCK: Chicken or vegetable stock works great. If making for under 1s then you are best to use homemade or very low sodium stock to keep the sodium levels down
- LASAGNE SHEETS: I used lasagne sheets that require no pre-cooking.
- COTTAGE CHEESE: If you prefer you can replace with ricotta or bechamel sauce.
- GRATED CHEDDAR: Any good melting cheese will work. I like to use a mature cheddar as I feel you need less.
Making the Lentil Filling
- SAUTE onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil. Cook until golden brown to releases all the flavours from the vegetables, resulting in a rich flavour base.
- ADD BELL PEPPER and continue to saute, the bell pepper adds further flavour and sweetness.
- ADD LENTILS, PASSATA, TOMATO PASTE, BAY LEAF and STOCK and stir to combine.
- SIMMER until soft and reduced. Keep an eye on the mixture and frequently stir, adding more stock as needed.
FUSSY EATING TIP: If your kids are funny about bits in their food then you could try blending the lentil mixture before assembling the lasagne. Alternately, you could blend the vegetables before adding the lentils, passata and stock.
MEAL PREP TIP: Double the lentil part of the recipe, freeze the extra and use it to top pasta or in a lentil pie .
Making the Cheese Topping
Simply blend cottage cheese until smooth. I used a food processor to do this but you could alternatively use a blender or stick (immersion) blender.
Assembling the Lasagne
- Spread half the lentil mixture to the bottom of a baking dish (approx. 9″ x 7″)
- Cover with a single layer of lasagne, snapping the sheets to fit.
- Spread the remaining lentil mixture on top and add another single layer of lasagne
- Spread the pureed cottage cheese on top.
- Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.
Watch How To Make Lentil Lasagne
Serving Suggeestions
This vegetarian lasagna is delicious on its own, but it also pairs well with all sorts of healthy side dishes. Try serving it with a side salad or some roasted or sauteed vegetables, like this sautéed broccolini.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
This keeps well in both the refrigerator and freezer. Assemble but do not bake, allow to cool before covering, then refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Either defrost in the refrigerator overnight or cook from frozen (increase cooking time to around 1 hour, cover with foil and remove in the last 15 mins)
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Red Lentil Lasagne
Equipment
- Food Processor / Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Celery Stalk (finely chopped)
- 1 Onion (brown, white or red) (finely chopped)
- 2 Carrots (finely chopped)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (Capsicum) (finely chopped)
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 180g (1 cup) Red Split Lentils
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste (Puree)
- 500ml (2 cups) Passata *SEE NOTE 1
- 375ml (1½ cups) Vegetable or Chicken Stock (broth) *SEE NOTE 2
- 6 Lasagne Sheets (approx)
- 300g (1 ⅓ Cups) Cottage Cheese (pureed)
- 60g (1 cup) Cheddar, grated
Instructions
- Heat oil in large saucepan and sauté onions, celery, carrots and garlic on a low heat for 5 mins.
- Add the capsicum (bell) pepper and continue to sauté for a further 5 mins.
- Stir in lentils, tomato puree, passata, bay leaf and one cup of stock.
- Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 30 mins (adding more stock when and if needed)
- Pre heat oven to 180c / 350F / Gas 4
- Spread half the lentil mixture to the bottom of a baking dish (approx. 9″ x 7″)
- Cover with a single layer of lasagne, snapping the sheets to fit.
- Spread the remaining lentil mixture on top and add another single layer of lasagne
- Spread the pureed cottage cheese on top and then sprinkle the cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 mins (until fully heated and crispy on top)
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t have passata then you can substitute it with canned chopped/crushed tomatoes.
- Use homemade/low sodium stock if serving to baby / young children to reduce sodium levels.
- This keeps well in both the refrigerator and freezer. Assemble but do not bake, allow to cool before covering, then refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
*First published 2015. Updated with process shots, ingredient information and a video.
Christina Bird says
We make this recipe regularly and love it! I love how forgiving it is – I even forgot the pasta once, and it was still delicious!
My toddler won’t touch soups or purées so we just chop the veg chunky and he’s delighted
Amy says
Thanks Christina! So happy you enjoy it 🙂
Steve M says
Excellent recipe they taste was beautiful,
I suspect anyone who made it would love it and you could easily feed it to non-vegetarians fairly confidently thinking they will love it as well. I should add I used green lentils instead of red and it was very tasty that way.
Thanks, Steve
Amy says
Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed it. I’ll give green lentils a try next time 🙂
Chris Challinor says
Simply amazing! So tasty We ate half & froze half and enjoyed on Valentine’s Day!
Amy says
Fantastic! So happy you enjoyed it, Chris 🙂
Sarah says
Hi Amy, I love the idea of this recipe but how do you serve to a toddler please? (I have 20month (18month adjusted) triplets!). They can use a spoon but I feel we’ve regressed a little back to chunkier mush, mash, curry’s etc that stick to a spoon, I can’t imagine how they would eat this & struggling how I can move on their eating…maybe I just need a little more patience? (& sleep )
Thank you, Sarah
Amy says
Hi Sarah, the lentil filling is perfect for spoon-feeding. You can chop the pasta sheet up into smaller bites too. I can’t imagine how difficult having triplets must be, you are doing a great job! Hopefully, you get more sleep soon 🙂
Leanne says
I loved the idea of this recipe and was really excited to try it however my lentils didnt cook! They are still crunchy. I only used about 1 1/4 cups of stock. Are they meant to fully cook in the fry pan or do they finish off in the oven?
Amy says
Hi Leanne, sorry you didn’t have success with the recipe. Did you use red split lentils? Other varieties take longer to cook. Did you cook for 30 mins? If they were still hard then I’d add more stock and cook for longer. You want them to be cooked through before assembling the lasagne.
Leanne says
Hi! Thanks for your reply I only just saw it now. Yes I used red split lentils. I cooked it today for the second time and I used 2 cups of stock and extra water and cooked it for over an hour and even tried with the lid on but the lentils still had a bite to them, definitely not mushy. The veges were just cooked even though I cut them really tiny. I’m so disappointed as I love this recipe and cant figure out why it wont work for me. Any ideas?
Amy says
Hi Leanne, I don’t understand why after an hour of cooking why your lentils and veggies wouldn’t be soft. You could try blending the lentil sauce, after cooking, to achieve a smoother consistency.
Monica says
I’ve been making this recipe for almost a year now and it’s such an easy way to get veggies into my toddler. I like to sneak in some shredded zucchini just for more veggies! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Amy says
Thanks, Monica! I’m so happy you like it. Extra veg is always good 🙂
Sue says
I’m interested in whether anyone has tried this with green lentils. I’m sure I would have to increase the simmer time to fully cook the lentils and the texture wouldn’t be as soft. Any tips other than that?
Amy says
Hi Sue, yes I’d just increase the simmering time to fully cook the lentils. I’m sure it will be delicious 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi, made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. Can I store the leftovers in the refrigerator even though it has already been baked?
Thanks
Amy says
Hi jennifer, yes you can 🙂
Jennifer says
Thank you x
Laurie Forsman says
I have not made this recipe — yet. I will be making a Christmas lasagne today, adapted of course, since I’m on a special diet. In the U.S we do have what you call “passata”, but we call it tomato purée. What you call purée seems to be our tomato paste, which has had most of the water removed. Interesting. I had to look up passata.
Amy says
Hi Laurie, I hope you enjoyed the Lasagne. All the different names for ingredients can get confusing!
Stephanie says
This looks great! I have a batch of your veggie pasta sauce in the freezer. To save time, could I cook the lentils in that with some extra stock?
Amy says
Great idea Stepanie, I think that would work well 🙂
Aimee says
Hi, I made this lentil Lasagne tonight with added mushrooms! And it was so yummy, my question is I’ve cooked to much and don’t want it to go to waste, can I freeze this and then re heat it? Or will it not be as nice?
Many thanks
Aimee
Amy says
Hi Aimee, yes you can freeze it 🙂 So happy you enjoyed it, mushrooms sound like a great addition.
Hannah Cassidy says
I’ve lost count how many times I’ve made this now.
So delicious!
Amy says
This makes me so happy, thanks Hannah 🙂
Jacinta says
Forgot to rate the recipe before!
Just want to say it’s YUM. YUM. YUM! Never thought a lentil lasagne could be so tasty! I had a bigger baking dish so I added an extra layer of lasagne sheets too. Had to stop hubby from eating more so we could get two meals out of it! Highly recommend!
Amy says
Thank you so much, Jacinta! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sam Rutherford says
Hi, how would I freeze and then reheat this please for it to still be good enough to eat
Deb says
I don’t have any little ones but I am trying to eat more veg. My Dad who’s 81 liked it too!
Amy says
Fabulous! Thanks for the 5 stars 🙂
Rachel says
Loved this recipe thank you x
Amy says
Thank you Rachel 🙂
Lukas Humbel says
I made this for my italian wife, now she wants a divorce.
Amy says
Haha! Maybe it should come with a disclosure “Do not make for Italians” 😉
Jenn says
So delicious! Really loved this recipe
Amy says
Thanks Jenn, so happy you liked it 🙂
Vicki says
Thanks for this recipe! Going to make it this weekend for some vegetarian friends. I often use cottage cheese when I make lasagna, but I have never pureed it. I am wondering if this is suggested since the recipe is meant to be little kid friendly or if the smoother texture is creamier/works better. Thanks for any thoughts!
Amy says
Hi Vicki, sorry your message got filtered into my spam. I have only ever tried blending it but if you are used to doing it without blending then I’m sure it will work great in this recipe too. Hope you enjoy/enjoyed it 🙂
Elaine says
Could you replace lentils with quinoa??
Amy says
Hi Elaine, without trying I can’t say, sorry. I’m not convinced that quinoa would work well though.
Liga says
I have made this lots of times we love it so much. Thank you
Amy says
I’m so glad you love this, thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Gemma Paddock says
Great recipe 1st time I have made lentil lasagna my boys loved it. I cooked the lentils longer as they still seemed a little firm. Are the meant to stay in shape with a bite or more mushy?
Many Thanks
Amy says
Hi Gemma, glad the boys enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to rate and leave feedback. Did you use red split lentils? If so they should be mushy. Other lentils would need a longer cooking time and will stay firmer.
Haley says
This is another of my toddler’s favourite meals – one that he’s been eating since we started baby led weaning. He always eats it, thanks Amy 🙂
I love that it has lots of veg, plus protein, carbs and dairy all in one dish. I sometimes add mince and any veggies that need using up. Leftovers freeze/defrost really well so a great standby meal too. Husband and I usually finish it so rarely have leftovers!
Amy says
Great to hear, Haley. One of our favs too 🙂
Hananja says
A favourite recipe when feeding a crowd. Easy, tasty and affordable!
Amy says
Thanks, Hananja 🙂
Dawn Coombe says
This was an easy recipe to follow and absolutely delicious. I loved the cottage cheese topping idea. It makes making lasagne much simpler. My family prefer this lentil version to the meat version.
Amy says
Thanks Dawn, love that you love this! Thanks for taking the time to write such a lovely comment 🙂
Amanda Lavelle says
Hi! Might be a silly question but do you have to cook the lasagna noodles first?
Amy says
Hi Amanda, No need to cook before hand 🙂
Sharon says
I made my own cheese sauce as I didn’t have any cottage cheese in the fridge, but I have to say that it was so good. Trying to introduce my children to a more varied diet, with less red meat, and this went down well! Thank you!
Amy says
Thanks, Sharon, glad the kids approved! This is one of my kids’ favourites. Mainly because anything with pasta is a favourite!
Kelly says
This might be a dumb question. But do you rinse and boil the lentils first?
Amy says
Hi Kelly, yes rinse the lentil before use but no need to boil. You cook the lentils with the vegetable, passata and stock (recipe instruction 2,3 & 4) . Hope that is clearer?
Kylie says
Delicious! After many attempts at getting my children to eat lentils, this is the recipe that finally convinced my 4 year old. Thanks!
Amy says
Thanks, Kylie! So glad it was a success for you! Comments like this make my day!
Del says
Now a firm favourite with all the family. Love this recipe the lasagna is tasty and healthy. Five*****
Amy says
Thanks so much Del! Delighted you love it, thanks for taking the time to tell me 🙂
Brooke says
Made this tonight, so yummy! ! Husband AND 10 month old daughter approved! Only extra thing I added was Italian seasoning (with no salt) 🙂
Amy says
Thanks Brooke, love when recipes are husband and baby approved!
Kylie says
I switch the cottage cheese for a homemade cheese sauce but OMG this is the yummiest lasagna I’ve ever had. I make it regularly now.
Amy says
Thanks so much, Kylie! This has made my morning!
Jeanne says
Do cook the noodles before the oven?
Amy says
Hi Jeanne, no I don’t pre-cook them.
Kb says
I’ve just made a vegan version of this using a vegan friendly white sauce (olive oil or vegan butter, flour and soy milk), and vegan cheese (I used Violife).
I also oven roasted my pepper with an aubergine first, then blitzed them up together so they were less lumpy (but not smooth).
It was delicious and a success with everyone – 1 vegan, 1 vegetarian, 1 pescatarian and 1 omnivore. #awkwardfamily
Amy says
Hi Katy, I’m so glad this was a success with your whole family and thanks for your vegan-friendly recipe suggestions. Other readers find this really useful. Thanks again for rating and leaving feedback, it helps a lot.
jenny Wilson says
The filling looks fab but the cottage cheese is a disaster ! I have been making lasagnes for years and can easily make a cheesy white sauce which would have been much better – but if using cottage cheeses I would say you’d need to see if it would mix through with milk or something – away to eat it now though !
Amy says
Hi Jenny, thanks for the feedback. Sorry you didn’t like the cottage cheese. Did you blend it to make it lovely and smooth? I love how simple it is but of course you can use a regular white sauce if you prefer.
Cristin says
My 14 month old absolutely loved this dish. I added crumbled tofu to the cottage cheese mixture and spinach to the tomato sauce for more protein and iron since she’s vegetarian. My carnivorous husband was so curious at her reaction that he snuck a piece after dinner. This is definitely a repeat recipe for us-thank you!
Amy says
Hi Cristin, Brilliant! Loving the sound of your additions too. I have never worked with tofu before and I love that you can crumble it into this dish 🙂
Rujuta says
Hi Amy,
I baked it for 30 to 40 mins.. but my lasagne sheets were a little hard and under cooked.
Can you share some tips so that the sheets get cooked well ?
Thanks,
Rujuta
Amy says
Hi Rujuta, I’ve never had this happen. Did you use lasagne sheets that you don’t have to pre boil? Some brands you need to pre cook before assembling.
Was your lentil mixture too dry? Maybe there wasn’t enough moisture to soften the sheets?
Perhaps next time you could pre boil your sheets or you could use fresh lasagne sheets.
Hope this helps.
Amy
Rujuta says
Thanks for the advice Amy. I will this next time.
Aoife Lyons says
This recipe didn’t disappoint, my 14 month old loved it! I didn’t realise though that you needed to blend the cottage cheese so I ended up using 600g instead of 300g and twas a bit textured. The next time I’ll be sure to blend!
Amy says
Hi Aoife, so glad this was a hit with your 14 month old. It is something we have often as the boys just love it. I had a look at the recipe and realised that I hadn’t make it clear that the cottage cheese should be blended smooth. I’ve added it now to the ingredient list too and so hopefully it is clearer now. Thanks so much for your feedback, it really helps me.
Georgie says
Hi Amy! Is it diced parsley on top in last photo? Cheers x
Amy says
Hi Georgie, yes – freshly chopped parsley, more to add colour to the photo than anything else 😉
fh says
what does puree mean?
Amy says
Hi, sorry that was meant to say tomato puree (or tomato paste depending on where you are from.) Thanks for pointing it out, I’ve updated the recipe.
Damion says
Hi Amy, looking at the comments above, you appear to be in the UK and ask the ingredients are in metric, with the exception of the lentils which is in cups. How much is a cup of lentils in grams, please? My cups are ask different sizes!
Amy says
Hi Damion, yes I am British. I apologise for not putting the g amount of the lentils. I use standard measuring cups. 1 cup is 250ml. I would weigh it out for you now but I have just moved to Australia and we haven’t received our shipment yet so I don’t have any scales. Sorry. I hope now you know the size of the cup that this helps.
Damion says
No problems. I made an educated guess and it turned out great!
Thanks for the recipe.
Shana says
I hope this isn’t a dumb comment/question but can you use the green lentils instead? I couldnt find red lentils in our grocery store this morning.
Amy says
Hi Shana, not a dumb question at all. I haven’t actually tried it with green lentils. I’m sure it would work but the texture will probably be different. Green lentils tend to keep their shape when cooked whereas red split lentils form more of a thick puree. You may also need to cook the green lentils longer. Let me know if you try it and if it works. ?
Lucy says
Just made this. Very yummy thanks! Big hit for the 71/2 month old. Like the cottage cheese idea. Will have to use that for mousakka too. Tip to anyone making this: Make sure you remember to rinse the lentils as forgot and had to make it all over again! Loving your website!
Amy says
Hi Lucy, thanks for your feedback and so glad it was a big hit. Love your moussaka idea, I might just have to make it a future recipe! ?
Mandy says
Hi thinking of making this but I would be the only one to eat it, could it be frozen. Thank you
Amy says
Hi Mandy, I’ve never actually tried the whole recipe frozen but I’m sure that it would freeze well. I have frozen the lentil mixture a lot and it freezes well. Hope you have success and enjoy the recipe 🙂
Shay says
My first lasanga and surprisingly easy!! I added slices of pumpkin and fell in love. My non vegetarian partner also thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks.
Amy says
I’m so glad it was a success! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Lili says
This may be obvious, but what do you mean by “puree”? Pureed what? Also, is it a red bell pepper? I just want to be sure to do this correctly ( :
Amy says
Hi Lili, yes it is a bell pepper. It is tomato puree, I will change that – thanks for highlighting 🙂
Pamela Fisher says
I’m still kind of confused:
1 tbsp puree
500g passata
I thought passata is the same thing as tomato puree? Please clarify what I’m doing here hahaha.
Amy says
Hi Pamela, where are you from? I’m from the UK but think I remember tomato puree being called tomato paste when I lived in the USA. Here Passata is sieved tomatoes, tomato puree is thicker and more concentrated (like a paste). Hope this helps 🙂
Pamela Fisher says
Oh ok. I’m in Canada. I think that all makes sense. Ok so tomato paste would be the smaller amount. I think I’ve got this 🙂 Thanks! Looking forward to trying it tomorrow!
Saga says
Wow, this looks a m a z i n g. Since I have no concept of size/volume etc, around how many servings is this? Would love to make it for when my family comes over, we are usually around 5 adults and 2 kids. Thanks for the recipe (and hi from Sweden!)
Amy says
Thank you! I’d say this would serve 5/6 (along side some veggie and depending on how much you like to eat). It usually serves the four of us with a little extra for the next day. Both my boys eat a lot though and my husband even more! If you are serving with a big salad / veggies I’d say to make 1.5. Hope it is a success!
Megan says
Thank you for this recipe! Easy to follow and smells so delicious I can’t wait for it to come out the oven. 🙂
Amy says
Thanks Megan! Hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Megan says
Thank you for this recipe! Easy to follw and smells so delicious I can’t wait for it to come out the oven. 🙂
Debra from Bowl Me Over says
That handsome young man of yours eats pretty good! 😀 Just a quick note of thanks for stopping by #TryaBiteTuesday – hope to see you back this week, pinning & sharing!
Amy says
Thanks Debra!
becky says
Wow that looks soooooo good! Do you have any top tips for cooking with lentils as I am rather rubbih and the 2 previous times i have tried, i have failed (IE: ended up throwing the burnt pan away and phoning a takeaway!).
Thanks for sharing on #ToddlerApprovedTuesday
Amy says
Thanks Becky! I just continue to check the lentils and add more water as required. Hope you have more success next time:)
Jacqueline Meldrum says
That looks glorious and nice to see Finn tucking in. He’s obviously enjoying it. I’ll have to try making it for Cooper. Thanks for entering it into Meat Free Mondays, it’s my first featured recipe for the week and it’s up now.
Amy says
Thanks Jacqueline 🙂 and thanks so much for featuring me!
Laura says
This sounds delicious and different from most veggie lasagnes. I’m pinning it for when I cook for my vegetarian friend.
Amy says
Thanks Laura, I hope you and your friend enjoy 🙂
Trista, Domesticated Momster says
This sounds yummy and easy. Have you ever tried making it in the crockpot? I love making lasagna in the crockpot. So yummy! Thank you for sharing this with #foodpornthursdays.
Amy says
Never tried it, I’m not great with a crockpot – everything seems to come out too runny when I try. Will need to experiment more!
Kat says
I’m always looking for highest vegetarian lasagne recipes and this one looks fab. I think my baby girl will love this one, I’ll definitely try it x #foodpornthursdays
Julia says
Just made this – instant hit! Thanks Amy ?
Amy says
Great to hear! X
Emily says
What could I use instead of cottage cheese? My little one is lactose intolerant…
Amy says
Hi Emily, Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure what you could replace this with, sorry. Could you make a white sauce with soy milk?
BM says
Try puréed cauliflower
Georgie says
Cashew cream! I use it in place of white sauce all the time ?
Bek says
What is the Purée?
Amy says
Hi Bek, sorry that should say tomato puree (or tomato paste depending on where you are from )
Megan Sprinkle says
I know that vegans will use tofu for the cottage cheese layer in lasagna such as the following: https://tasty.co/recipe/vegan-lasagna.
Nicky Brine says
I have made this twice, and it is absolutely beautiful.
Amy says
Fab! So glad you like it Nicky and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Fanny says
Can you replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese ?