A comforting, easy lasagne made with a mushroom and lentil ragu, fresh pasta and a fontina bechamel. This flavour-packed lasagne satisfies both vegetarians and meat lovers.
If you want a hearty, meat-free meal that’s simple and delicious, this lentil ragu lasagne is ideal. The ragu doesn’t need hours of simmering and can be prepared ahead of time, making weeknight dinners much easier and tastier.
This has become one of my favourite lasagne recipes — it’s quick compared with traditional meat lasagne but still full of flavour. Honestly, it’s just as good as my meat-based version.
Lasagna or Lasagne?
In Italian, lasagne is the plural of a single lasagna sheet, so two sheets would be lasagne. In many English-speaking countries the term lasagna now refers to the whole dish, but traditional Italian recipes usually use lasagne.
Lentil ragu vs meat ragu — how are they different?
My classic meat ragu uses soffritto (carrot, onion and celery), pork and beef mince, tomatoes, red wine and herbs and needs at least two hours to develop flavour. The lentil ragu swaps the meat for puy lentils and adds mushrooms for texture and depth, plus tomatoes, red wine, oregano and garlic. Both ragu styles share similar base flavours, but the lentil version comes together in under half an hour, so you can make it from scratch even on a weekday.
How to make lentil ragu lasagne – step by step
Finely chop carrot, celery and onion. Heat olive oil in a large pan and sauté the vegetables gently until soft but not browned (about 7–8 minutes). Slice the mushrooms thinly and add them to the pan.
Fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes, then add the passata or pureed tomatoes, crushed garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and pour in the red wine. Let the ragu simmer gently for 10 minutes, then stir in the pre-cooked puy lentils and simmer for another 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
Tip: If the sauce reduces too much before adding the lentils, add a little water and allow it to cook down slightly.
To make the bechamel, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the flour and cook into a paste for about 30 seconds. Add half the milk and whisk to remove lumps; when it begins to thicken, add the remaining milk and whisk until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in grated fontina, parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper until the cheese melts. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas mark 6. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of lentil ragu into the base of a baking dish and spread it. Lay down fresh lasagne sheets, trimming to fit if needed. Add 2–3 tablespoons of ragu followed by 2–3 tablespoons of bechamel (reserve roughly a quarter of the bechamel for the top). Repeat to build around six layers, finishing with the remaining bechamel.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter torn mozzarella over the top and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling. Let the lasagne rest for 5–10 minutes before serving; it pairs well with a simple salad.
More recipes you might like
Mains
Italian Sausages and Lentils
Pasta
Pizzoccheri Pasta with Potatoes and Cabbage
Pasta
Farfalle Pasta with Pancetta, Chilli and Garlic
Fresh Pasta
Lasagna di Carnevale (Neopolitan lasagna)
If you try this lentil ragu lasagne or any other recipe on the blog, please rate it and leave a comment — I love hearing from you!
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Lentil Ragu Lasagne
By Emily
Ingredients
For the lentil ragu
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 white onion
- 2 2/3 cups (200g) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups (410g) puy lentils, pre-cooked
- 6.7 fl oz (200ml) red wine
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 1/4 cups (500g) passata / pureed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the bechamel sauce
- 3 tbsp (50g) butter
- 1/3 cup (50g) flour
- 1 2/3 cup (400ml) milk
- 3.1 oz (90g) fontina cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp parmesan
- 4.4 oz (125g) mozzarella, torn
- 6-10 large fresh lasagna sheets
Instructions
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Chop carrot, celery and onion finely. Heat olive oil in a large pan and gently sauté until soft but not coloured (7–8 minutes). Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
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Add passata, crushed garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the red wine and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
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If the sauce reduces too much, add a little water before adding the lentils. Stir in the pre-cooked lentils, simmer for 2 more minutes, then remove from heat.
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Make the bechamel: melt butter over low heat, stir in flour to form a paste and cook for ~30 seconds. Gradually whisk in half the milk to remove lumps; when it thickens, add the remaining milk and whisk until thickened.
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Remove from heat and stir in grated fontina, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Spread 1–2 tbsp ragu in the base of a baking dish. Layer fresh lasagne sheets, then 2–3 tbsp ragu and 2–3 tbsp bechamel, reserving about a quarter of the bechamel for the top. Repeat to make around six layers and finish with the remaining bechamel.
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Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, add torn mozzarella and bake uncovered for 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Fontina can be substituted with gruyère, white cheddar or another strong melting cheese.
- Serves 4–6. Great with a green salad.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
- When using canned or jarred tomatoes I recommend quality brands for the best flavour.
- All vegetables referenced are medium unless stated.
- Recipes were developed using a fan (convection) oven.
- Nutrition is automatically calculated and should be treated as an estimate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and approximate.