Vegetarian Lasagna and Pasta Recipes

Pasta, in its many shapes and sizes, makes a wonderfully versatile platform for vegetarian meals. Find recipes for traditional favorites like cheese lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti with tomato sauce, as well as seasonal delights like pumpkin ravioli, fresh pesto, and mushroom linguine. From quick family meals to dinner parties, you'll find vegetarian pasta recipes for every occasion.

Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses are layered with fresh lasagna noodles in this vegetarian main dish. You can use dry lasagna noodles and purchased marinara sauce as a time-saver if you prefer.

Chickpeas and olives add texture and flavor to this one-pan wonder.

Garlic and red-pepper flakes provide an excellent complement to steamed broccoli in this quick vegetarian meal. If orecchiette isn't available, use any other short pasta shape, such as penne or rotelle.

Purchased ravioli is at the base of this easy baked pasta dinner that kids will love. Vary the kind of ravioli you use (cheese, spinach, pumpkin ...) to introduce endless variety to the dish.

Sun-dried tomatoes, toasted almonds, goat cheese, fresh parsley, and red-pepper flakes provide a mouthwatering combination of flavors and textures in this quick pasta dish. In place of the parsley, you could also use basil, arugula, or spinach.

Thanks to no-boil noodles, this vegetarian lasagna takes just 15 minutes to assemble. A creamy, slightly tangy mixture of reduced-fat cream cheese and ricotta cheese is spread between layers of oregano-seasoned zucchini.

Yellow squash, frozen green peas, and fresh basil make a bright, summery combination. Top each serving with grated Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese.

Using less peanut butter and oil and adding broccoli and red bell pepper lightens up this recipe and adds bright color to the mix. Toasted sesame oil and minced garlic add depth to the flavor of the peanut sauce coating whole-wheat spaghetti noodles.

A fiery dose of crushed red-pepper flakes give this pasta dish its name, which means "angry" in Italian. A simple and flavorful tomato, garlic, and white-wine sauce provide a base for the spicy seasoning.

There's no cream in this creamy white sauce -- just generous amounts of butter and Parmesan cheese. Serve this simple, rich pasta dish with a green salad.

Steamed eggplant, snow peas, red bell peppers, and wide ribbons of pasta are tossed with a creamy ginger-garlic peanut sauce. If you like, add cubes of broiled tofu to this dish.

A poached egg and grated Parmesan on top of tender steamed asparagus make a light, pretty vegetarian meal. The egg yolks serves as a rich sauce for the pasta.

Summer squash, red onions, garlic cloves, and cherry tomatoes become sweet and tender when roasted at 450 degrees. Add some warmed chickpeas to this pasta dish to give it a boost of protein.

A soul-satisfying dinner of three-cheese baked ziti, garlic bread, and green salad with red-wine vinaigrette only takes 40 minutes, start to finish. Feel free to add soy sausage or thawed frozen spinach to the ziti mixture.

Lemon zest adds brightness to hearty sauteed kale in this satisfying vegetarian dish. Follow the accompanying recipe for simple homemade gnocchi, or purchase frozen gnocchi if you're in a hurry.

Homemade fresh noodles make this lasagna worthy of a special occasion. Tucked between the pasta layers are roasted eggplant, zucchini, and red onions.

Caramelized onions and arugula provide a lively contrast of sweet and peppery flavors in this pasta dish. Fresh diced tomatoes add color.

A barely-cooked tomato sauce seasoned with shallot and tarragon makes a fresh and flavorful topping for spaghetti. If you don't care for tarragon, use basil or Italian parsley instead.

Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheeses blend with half-and-half to make an easy, rich sauce for fettuccine or any other pasta shape you choose. Serve as a side dish or add vegetables to make this a complete meal.

Combine blanched asparagus and snap peas, avocado, and fresh mint, parsley, or basil to create a symphony of flavors and textures in the key of green. Garlic and Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese boost the flavor quotient.

Canned pumpkin puree and jarred sun-dried tomato pesto create an easy sauce for gemelli pasta and sauteed kale. This vegan main dish is topped with sliced almonds and baked until golden.

A combination of cheddar, fontina, Gruyere, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses makes this vegetarian macaroni and cheese fit for a special occasion. This recipe can be baked in individual ramekins or in one large casserole dish.

Sun-dried tomatoes, nonfat ricotta, parsley, and basil make a healthy and flavorful filling for stuffed pasta. To make the manicotti shells more pliable without overcooking, pour boiling water over them and let soak for 15 minutes.

Corn tortillas replace the lasagna noodles in this crowd-pleasing bean and cheese casserole. Make the delicious green sauce by pureeing cilantro, scallions, and baby spinach in a food processor.

Japanese buckwheat soba noodles take a trip to the Mediterranean when you add parsley, cucumber, lemon juice, and crumbled feta. This chilled pasta salad makes a great addition to the picnic basket.

Saute zucchini or yellow squash with halved grape tomatoes to make a fresh, quick sauce for frozen gnocchi. Stir in basil, grated Pecorino Romano, and lemon juice just before serving.

It takes only 20 minutes to whip up this easy vegetarian main dish of whole-wheat spaghetti, snow peas, carrots, and tofu coated with a sweet and tangy Asian-style peanut sauce.

This Italian-American classic combines small pasta shapes, such as ditalini, with canned tomatoes and diced celery, carrots, and onion to make a thick stew. Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer to add flavor to broths like the one here.

Lemon zest and Parmesan give a flavor boost to the ricotta-spinach filling of this stuffed pasta. A splash of cream enriches the marinara sauce.

Dried porcinis or chanterelles, along with fresh sauteed button and shiitake mushrooms, add layers of flavor to the rich cream sauce in this baked pasta. This recipe serves 10 to 12 people, making it perfect for holiday dinners and potlucks.

Use frozen spinach in place of the traditional fresh basil to make this easy, mild-tasting pesto. Lemon zest gives the sauce a refreshing edge.

Make this light, fresh interpretation of lasagna without ever turning on the oven. Layer halved, boiled lasagna noodles with garlicky sauteed tomatoes, zucchini, basil, and a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.

The secret to this pasta is cooking the onions slowly until they're a deep golden brown. Make the Parmesan curls for the top by shaving the wedge of cheese with a vegetable peeler.

Beets lend their brilliant scarlet hue to fresh pasta dough in these light cheese ravioli. Brown butter is the only sauce this dish needs.

Why choose just one kind of cheese for your pasta when you can have mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Fontina, Gorgonzola, and ricotta? This recipe is courtesy of George Germon and Johanne Killeen, chef-owners of Al Forno restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island.

A light bechamel, instead of the usual tomato sauce, enriches the layers of this carrot, pea, and spinach lasagna. This dish freezes beautifully so you always have dinner for a crowd at your fingertips.

Saute zucchini, red onion, and garlic in a generous amount of olive oil before tossing with dried oregano, crushed red-pepper flakes, Gaeta or Nicoise olives, and cooked linguine. This out-of-the-ordinary vegetarian pasta recipe is courtesy of Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman, authors of "Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen."

Roasting intensifies the essence of the mushrooms in this vegetarian lasagna. Saute canned artichokes with lemon zest, chives, and thyme to dial up the flavor but not the calories.

A tangy sun-dried tomato vinaigrette coats al dente gemelli in this summery pasta dish. Add a kick with olives and capers, and top each serving with a spoonful of creamy ricotta cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar -- you probably have all the ingredients for this savory sauce in your pantry right now! This recipe is from the cookbook "Mad Hungry" by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

Roasting is an easy a way to give rich, intense flavor to any kind of vegetable. Toss roasted zucchini, tomatoes and garlic with fusili or linguine, then simply garnish with a handful each of chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

Verde, which means "green" in Italian, is a fitting name for the lush jumble of zucchini, snap peas, spinach, scallions, and basil in this dish. Toss with a light dressing of grainy mustard and white-wine vinegar, and enjoy it warm for dinner, or cold as a pasta salad.

Creamy fresh mozzarella, sweet grape tomatoes, and earthy thyme make a harmonious blend of flavors in this 20-minute pasta dinner. Chickpeas boost the protein content.

Zucchini and mushrooms add heartiness to oregano-kissed tomato sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with grated Parmesan or stir in cubes of fresh mozzarella if you like.

Fresh sugar snap peas and frozen peas give sweetness and crunch to this pasta dish. Part-skim ricotta cheese makes an easy, creamy sauce.

Lemon zest and mint leaves give fettuccine a light, fresh flavor. If you like, substitute the mint for other fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley.

Inspired by macaroni and cheese, frozen winter-squash puree stands in for the cheese sauce. Caramelized onions and rosemary add complexity to the casserole.

Soaking dried porcini mushrooms in hot water softens them and creates a flavorful broth used for the pasta's sauce. Use a combination of fresh mushrooms, such as button, cremini, shiitake, or portobello, for sauteing with shallots and thyme.

Roasted Roma (plum) tomatoes, bechamel sauce, and lots of pecorino cheese and fresh basil give this lasagna a rich flavor. This recipe is courtesy of Zahra Tangorra, chef of the restaurant Brucie.

This spicy Sicilian pasta dish combines onion, garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta cheese. Penne rigate (rigate means "ridged") is the perfect pasta shape to hold this chunky vegetarian sauce.

Perfume olive oil with garlic by frying whole cloves in it. Toss sliced canned tomatoes, parsley, toasted walnuts, breadcrumbs, and cooked pasta in the flavored oil and serve with Pecorino Romano cheese.

Spaghetti and creamy ricotta cheese are mixed with shredded radicchio and garlicky, parsley-flecked toasted breadcrumbs. Serve with extra breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan if you like.