Root Vegetable Lasagna with Carrots

This Root Vegetable Lasagna recipe is healthy, hearty and most importantly, incredibly delicious! Turnips, carrots and parsnips star in this recipe, which is made and baked in the same skillet. 

Have you ever had carrots in lasagna? What about turnips or parsnips?

Far from a traditional lasagna, this is full of bite-sized chunks of root vegetables that are caramelized to perfection before being mixed with red wine and tomatoes.

This delicious vegetarian lasagna recipe is made from start to finish in one skillet, and it's hearty enough to stand on its own as a meal.

With a touch of heat from cayenne pepper and warming cinnamon, this Root Vegetable Lasagna is an ideal, scrumptious comfort food that bursts with flavor.

It's almost like a hearty vegetarian stew in lasagna form, and it's amazing.

Carrots in Lasagna

Carrots are already a classic part of many Italian sauces, like Bolognese, where they're cooked with onion and celery to build flavor. In this lasagna, they're one of the stars. When they're browned in the skillet, carrots get sweet and caramelized, and they pair beautifully with the earthy parsnips, peppery turnips, and spiced tomato sauce.

Ingredient Notes

• carrots, parsnips, and turnips - The stars of the show!
• onion and garlic - The foundation of the sauce.
• dried thyme - Earthy and lovely with root vegetables. Rosemary, oregano, or a combination is great, too.
• cinnamon and cayenne - A little warmth and a little heat add richness and depth to the sauce.
• roasted red bell peppers - They add a smoky sweetness. Use jarred roasted peppers to save time if you'd like.
• crushed tomatoes and red wine - These simmer with the vegetables to make a rich, hearty sauce. Ciao, Mutti, Carmelina, Fontanella, La Doria, and certified San Marzano DOP are all great choices for the tomatoes.
• ricotta, egg, and scallions - The scallions give the ricotta layer a fresh, mild onion flavor. (Skim ricotta is okay.)
• Mozzarella and Parmesan - The cheeses are layered into the lasagna and create a delicious, melty, golden top.
• lasagna noodles - Regular, oven-ready, or gluten-free all work. See the tips below.

How to Make it

- Coat the bottom of an oven-safe skillet with olive oil. (Cast iron is best.) Place it over medium-high heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Then add the thyme and cook until it's very aromatic, and season it with salt and pepper.

- Add the carrots, parsnips and turnips. If necessary, add a little more olive oil and sauté, stirring every couple of minutes, until the vegetables are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Now, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with foil (or a fitted lid), and let the vegetables steam until they're tender, about 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times during this steaming process so it doesn't get too dark.

- Preheat the oven to 375°F.

- Remove the foil or lid, turn the heat to high, add the cinnamon, cayenne, roasted peppers, crushed tomatoes and wine. Mix to combine, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken a bit, and then turn off the heat.

- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg and scallions and season generously with salt and pepper.

- Remove all but a thin layer of the sauce in the pan, spooning it into a bowl as you go. Add about 5 lasagna noodles on top of the thin sauce layer. Then add about half of the removed sauce back into the pan and spread it evenly on top of the noodles. Top this with about one third of the ricotta mixture and one third of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat this process once and top with a third layer of 5 lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta, mozzarella and all of the Parmesan.

Recipe Tip: Cut some of the noodles if necessary to fill in any crevices and empty spaces.

- Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. The lasagna should be bubbling along the edges and the top should be beginning to brown. If you'd like the top a bit more brown, place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds. Let the lasagna sit for at least 25 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tips and Substitutions

• Gluten-free? Easy, there is a selection of gluten-free lasagna noodles available. This one is great.
• Don't have a 12-inch oven-safe skillet? No biggie. After the sauce is made, layer everything as directed above into a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish.
• Feel free to use more or less of the root vegetables, depending on your taste.
• The thyme is lovely in this recipe, but rosemary or oregano would also be great.
• If you'd like to use fresh herbs instead of dry, use about three times the amount.
• To save time, you can use "oven-ready" lasagna noodles. You can find them in both regular and gluten-free.
• You can also purchase pre-roasted red peppers, if you'd like another time saver.
• I love the kick of heat from the cayenne pepper -- use as much or as little as you like, depending on the amount of heat you want.

Variations

• Other root vegetables. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, rutabaga, or celery root are all delicious swapped in for some of the carrots, parsnips, or turnips.
• Add greens. Stir a few handfuls of spinach or chopped kale into the sauce at the end, just until wilted.
• Other cheeses. Fontina or Gruyère are lovely in place of some of the Mozzarella.

Can you make it ahead?

Yes, Root Vegetable Lasagna is an excellent make-ahead dish. However, if you are making it ahead, you should bake it in a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish instead of a skillet. Unless somehow you have room for a 12-inch (cast iron) skillet in the refrigerator.

• Refrigerator. Once the lasagna has cooled completely, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to about four days, but ideally you'll serve it the day after you've made it. Before serving, heat it in a 375°F oven just until it's hot.
• Freezer. Wrapped tightly, you can store it for about a month in the freezer. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator the day before you want to serve it.

Serving Suggestions

This lasagna is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, so a crisp salad or simple green vegetable on the side is all you need:

• Grilled Little Gem Salad
• Fried Lemon Caesar Salad
• Charred Broccoli

It's also a wonderful vegetarian main course for Thanksgiving or any cozy fall or winter dinner.

More Must-Try Root Vegetable and Lasagna Recipes

• Swiss Chard Lasagna Recipe
• Coconut Spiced Carrot Soup
• Cumin Roasted Vegetables
• Creamy Parsnip Soup Recipe
• Roasted Parsnips

I hope you love this Root Vegetable Lasagna recipe as much as I do!

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