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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, freezer-friendly meal is one you'll want to make again and again.
If you're after a hearty, veggie-packed family dinner, this Red Lentil Lasagne delivers every time. Love cooking with lentils? You might also enjoy our Red Lentil Curry, Lentil Cottage Pie, Curried Lentil Bake, Lentil Burgers, or even Lentil Pancakes.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Family-Friendly: A comforting, veggie-packed lasagne that appeals to all ages.
- Baby & Toddler Suitable: Soft texture makes it easy to chew; just use low-sodium or homemade stock for little ones.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Assemble in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days for a fuss-free dinner later.
- Freezer-Friendly: Great for batch cooking-store portions for quick lunches or busy nights.
- Nourishing Ingredients: Packed with lentils and vegetables, offering plant-based protein and fibre.
Ingredient Information and Alternative Suggestions.
- Flavour Base: Onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bell pepper, and bay leaf.
- Red Split Lentils: I haven't tested other lentil varieties-most should work, but will require longer cooking.
- Tomato Paste: Known as tomato purée in the UK.
- Passata: Smooth, strained tomatoes-ideal for kids who dislike "bits." If unavailable, substitute with canned crushed or chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce (USA)
- Stock: Use vegetable or chicken stock. For babies under 1, opt for homemade or low-sodium stock.
- Lasagne Sheets: I use no-boil lasagne sheets (no pre-cooking required).
- Cottage Cheese: Can be swapped with ricotta or a simple béchamel.
- Grated (shredded) Cheddar: Any good melting cheese works, like mozzarella, or even a combination of cheeses. A little parmesan is also a great way to add extra flavour.
Step by Step Instructions (with Images)
Prepare Fillings
- Sauté Veggies: Cook onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in olive oil until golden. Add bell pepper and cook until softened.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Stir in lentils, passata, tomato paste, bay leaf, and stock
- Simmer: Cook until lentils are soft and sauce has reduced. Stir often and add more stock as needed.
- Blend Cheese: Blend cottage cheese until smooth using a food processor, blender, or stick (immersion) blender.
Assembly
- Spread half the lentil mixture in a 9" x 7" baking dish.
- Top with a single layer of lasagne sheets, snapping to fit.
- Spread remaining lentil mixture and top with another lasagne layer.
- Top with blended cottage cheese and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Top Tips
- Fussy Eating: If your kids are picky about "bits," try blending the lentil mixture before assembling. Alternatively, blend the vegetables before adding the lentils, passata, and stock for a smoother texture.
- Meal Prep: Double the lentil mixture, freeze the extra, and use it to top pasta or in a lentil pie.
- Customise: Swap or add other veggies like zucchini, spinach, or mushrooms to the lentil mixture for more variety and nutrients.
- Flavour Boost: For extra flavour add a pinch of dried oregano, basil, or smoked paprika to the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This vegetarian lasagna is delicious on its own, but also pairs perfectly with a variety of side dishes. Try serving it with:
- Fresh side salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and a light vinaigrette for a refreshing contrast.
- Roasted or sautéed vegetables, like sautéed broccolini, oven-roasted broccoli for added flavour and nutrition.
- Garlic bread or crusty baguette to soak up the delicious sauce.
- A side of steamed green beans or peas for extra green goodness.
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)
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this red lentil lasagne is suitable for babies from around 6 months+, provided they are developmentally ready for solid foods and have either moved beyond purées or are following a baby-led weaning approach.
Here are a few things to consider:
Allergens: This recipe contains egg, dairy, and wheat-all common allergens. Introduce these individually on separate occasions before offering this dish, and monitor for any reactions.
Sodium: Use a homemade or no-added-salt stock/broth, and skip any added salt. You may also want to reduce the amount of grated cheese to keep sodium levels baby-appropriate.
Serving Tips: Let the lasagne properly cool before serving to avoid hot spots. For younger babies, cut into strips they can grasp. For older babies, serve in small bite-sized pieces.
For informational purposes only-each baby develops at their own pace. Make informed decisions for your child and consult a professional for personalised advice.
You can definitely make lentil lasagne with green lentils, but this recipe is developed specifically for red lentils, which cook faster and break down more easily.
If using green lentils, you'll need to adjust the cooking time and may need to add more liquid. The final texture will also be heartier and less soft, which some people may prefer.
More Pasta Recipes To Try
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Red Lentil Lasagne
Equipment
- Food Processor / Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon 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 tablespoon Tomato Paste (Puree)
- 500ml (2 cups) Passata *SEE NOTE 1
- 375ml (1½ cups) Vegetable or Chicken Stock (broth) *SEE NOTE 2
- ½ teaspoon Salt *Adjust to suit taste and do not add if making for a baby
- 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 bell pepper (capsicum) and continue to sauté for a further 5 mins.
- Stir in lentils, tomato puree, passata, bay leaf and one cup of stock.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the mixture periodically, as it may stick to the bottom of some pans-add more stock as needed to prevent it from drying out.
- Pre heat oven to 180℃ / 350℉
- 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)
Video
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.
Lamyku
Delicious! I made it without lasagna but added spaghetti squash and additional herbs. It turned out well!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Amy
Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate. Your version sounds delicious 🙂
Marion
Not made this yet but I am going to. Sounds fabulous
Katrina
Easy and delicious recipe. Made this yesterday, the only change I made was using ricotta instead of cottage cheese. Will definitely make it again.
Amy
Thanks Katrina 🙂
Mrs April Mccabe
I've been making this recipe for years, since my grown kids were little. it's a family favorite with young and old.
Amy Whiteford
Thanks April 🙂
Daisy
This is a staple in our household, thank you. I’m amazed at how tasty this is with so few ingredients, but if you have adventurous little ones, obviously there’s room to add herbs if you wish. Even my meat eating partner enjoys this. I personally make it with a traditional cheese sauce, but it really is simply fantastic as it is. I have mine mine with a smoked soy sauce which elevates it to god-like status
Just ensure the veggies are on their way to being soft before adding passata. A great recipe!
Ann
I made this today for my daughter in law as she is vegetarian. It is absolutely delicious. I love it and I am not vegetarian. Didn't blitz the veg as not for any babies. Everything cooked well and everything was soft including the lentils.
Amy
Thanks Ann, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Gina Dalby
Fabulous meal and easy to do. I didn’t bother smoothing out/blending the cottage cheese but it was still delicious. This will become a regular as we try to reduce our meat intake! Thank you.
Amy
Fantastic, thanks Gina. 🙂
Rachel
Hi can I check the cup and ml/g for the lentils and stock? I’ve got cups but also measured and 1 1/2 cups of stock is not 375ml and 1 cup of lentils is about 150g. So I’m not sure whether to follow cup measurements or g/ml.
Thanks!
Amy
Hi Rachel, I always recommend using gram measurements as this is always going to be the most accurate. Cup sizes differ in different countries and the way they are filled can cause differences. However, if you choose to use cup measurements the recipe will still work, just stick to measuring everything with the cup measurements.:)
Donna
This was delicious. My favourite new dinner recipe. My 19month old said the usual "no" before trying it, but once he tried it he liked it and started tucking into it. I made a regular bechamel lasagne sauce with lactose free milk as I couldn't find a plant based or lactose free ricotta in the supermarket
Amy
Excellent, thanks Donna 🙂
Crys
Just making this now, I'd like to use more then one layer of pasta - maybe 2 or 3 layers of pasta would the baking time increase in this case
Kathryn Morgans
What a fantastic recipe! I veganised it with a vegan white sauce and I can honestly say it’s the nicest vegan lasagne I’ve made. Thank you for the recipe ❤️ My ten year old loved it too.
Amy
Thanks Kathryn, I'm glad you found a way to enjoy this vegan friendly. So happy you liked it 🙂
Sarah B
I've made this a few times now and it's become a staple in our house. Its such an easy meal. Thank you!
Amy
Great! Ao glad you enjoy it, Sarah 🙂
Christina Bird
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
Thanks Christina! So happy you enjoy it 🙂
Steve M
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
Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed it. I'll give green lentils a try next time 🙂
Chris Challinor
Simply amazing! So tasty We ate half & froze half and enjoyed on Valentine's Day!
Amy
Fantastic! So happy you enjoyed it, Chris 🙂
Sarah
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Thanks, Monica! I'm so happy you like it. Extra veg is always good 🙂