Mary Berry Vegetable Lasagne Recipe

A vegetable lasagne should not taste like a compromise. It should be a genuinely satisfying, deeply flavoured dish that stands completely on its own merits — not a version of meat lasagne with the meat removed, but something built specifically around the flavours and textures of the vegetables it contains.

Mary Berry’s vegetable lasagne recipe achieves this by roasting the vegetables first rather than simply cooking them in the sauce.

Roasting concentrates their flavour, removes excess moisture, and develops a caramelised sweetness that makes the finished lasagne rich and deeply flavoured in exactly the right way.

The combination of roasted aubergine, courgette, red peppers, and mushrooms in a rich tomato sauce, layered with a proper béchamel and plenty of Parmesan, is genuinely wonderful — and produced this for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike and watched them all go back for seconds.

Why Roasting the Vegetables First Matters

Vegetables added raw to a tomato sauce release enormous amounts of water during cooking. This dilutes the sauce, makes the lasagne watery, and produces vegetables that are steamed rather than roasted in flavour.

Roasting the vegetables first drives off the excess moisture and develops the caramelised sweetness and concentrated flavour that makes the finished lasagne genuinely satisfying. The vegetables in a roasted vegetable lasagne taste dramatically better than the same vegetables simply simmered in sauce.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Vegetable Lasagne

For the Roasted Vegetables

• 2 medium aubergines, cut into 2cm chunks
• 3 medium courgettes, cut into 2cm chunks
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks
• 300g chestnut mushrooms, halved
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Tomato Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

For the Béchamel

• 75g unsalted butter
• 75g plain flour
• 900ml whole milk
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and white pepper

For the Layers

• 12 dried lasagne sheets (no pre-cook variety)
• 100g Parmesan, finely grated
• 150g mozzarella, torn (optional — gives a beautiful melted top)

How to Make Mary Berry Vegetable Lasagne — Step by Step

Step 1 — Roast the Vegetables

Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6.

Spread the aubergine, courgette, peppers, and mushrooms across two large roasting trays in a single layer — do not crowd them or they will steam rather than roast. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter over the dried oregano, and season generously. Toss to coat.

Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until the vegetables are tender, slightly charred at the edges, and have reduced significantly in volume. Leave to cool slightly.

Step 2 — Make the Tomato Sauce

While the vegetables roast, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for eight minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, basil, and oregano. Season generously. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir in the roasted vegetables.

Step 3 — Make the Béchamel

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir for two minutes to cook through. Remove from the heat. Add the milk gradually, whisking continuously, until smooth. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and white pepper.

Step 4 — Assemble

Reduce the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the base of a large, deep ovenproof dish — approximately 30x22cm. This prevents the lasagne sheets from sticking.

Layer in this order: lasagne sheets, half the vegetable tomato sauce, a third of the béchamel, a sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat: lasagne sheets, remaining vegetable sauce, a third of the béchamel, Parmesan. Final layer: lasagne sheets, remaining béchamel spread to cover all the pasta completely. Scatter the remaining Parmesan generously over the top. Add torn mozzarella if using.

Step 5 — Bake

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden, the edges are bubbling, and a knife inserted into the centre meets no resistance from the pasta sheets.

Leave to rest for ten minutes before serving — this allows the layers to settle and the lasagne to slice much more cleanly.

My Top Tips For Mary Berry Vegetable Lasagne

Roast the vegetables in a single layer. Crowded vegetables on a roasting tray steam rather than roast. Use two large trays and spread them out. The extra tray is worth it.

Make the tomato sauce well seasoned and slightly aggressive. The sauce is diluted by the béchamel during baking. Season it more boldly than you would a pasta sauce — the final dish will be perfectly balanced.

Start and finish with béchamel. A thin layer of béchamel at the very base of the dish prevents the pasta from sticking. Ending with a generous layer of béchamel gives the golden, set top that makes the finished lasagne look impressive.

Rest before serving. Ten minutes minimum. A lasagne served immediately from the oven collapses when you try to serve it. Resting allows the layers to set and the lasagne to slice cleanly into neat portions.

Use no-pre-cook lasagne sheets. This saves significant preparation time and produces an identical result to the pre-cooked variety.

Serving Suggestions

With a simple green salad — the richness of the lasagne and the freshness of the salad is a perfect combination. With crusty garlic bread. As the centrepiece of a vegetarian dinner party — it looks impressive and scales easily for large groups.

How to Store Mary Berry Vegetable Lasagne

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil in a 180°C oven for 25 minutes or individual portions in the microwave.

In the freezer: Freeze before or after baking for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake or reheat as directed.

Mary Berry Vegetable Lasagne Recipe

Mary Berry's vegetable lasagne is packed with roasted vegetables in a rich tomato sauce, layered with silky béchamel.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Resting Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 23 minutes mins

Servings: 6 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 450

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Roasted Vegetables:
• 2 aubergines 3 courgettes, 2 red peppers, 1 yellow pepper — all in 2cm chunks
• 300 g chestnut mushrooms halved
• 4 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper
• Tomato Sauce:
• 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, 4 garlic cloves
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp each caster sugar dried basil, dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• Béchamel:
• 75 g unsalted butter 75g plain flour, 900ml whole milk
• ½ tsp nutmeg salt and white pepper
• Layers:
• 12 dried lasagne sheets no pre-cook
• 100 g Parmesan finely grated
• 150 g mozzarella torn (optional)

CHECK THIS RECIPE  Mary Berry Lasagne al Forno Recipe

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Spread vegetables in single layer across 2 roasting trays. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle oregano, season. Roast 30–35 minutes until tender and slightly charred. Cool slightly.
2. Cook onion in oil 8 minutes. Add garlic — 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, purée, sugar, and herbs. Season. Simmer 20 minutes. Stir in roasted vegetables.
3. Melt butter. Add flour — stir 2 minutes. Add milk gradually, whisking. Cook until thickened. Add nutmeg and seasoning.
4. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Spread thin béchamel on dish base. Layer: pasta, half vegetable sauce, third béchamel, Parmesan. Repeat. Final layer: pasta, remaining béchamel, Parmesan, mozzarella if using.
5. Bake 35–40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Roast vegetables in a single layer on two trays — never crowd them.

Season the tomato sauce boldly — it is diluted by the béchamel during baking.

Start and finish with béchamel for the best structure and top.

Rest 10 minutes before serving for clean, neat portions.

Can be assembled 24 hours ahead and refrigerated before baking.

Freezes well before or after baking for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add lentils or beans?

Yes — a tin of drained green lentils or cannellini beans stirred into the tomato sauce with the vegetables adds protein and makes the lasagne more substantial. It is a particularly good addition for anyone who finds a vegetable-only version slightly too light.

Can I use different vegetables?

Yes — butternut squash, sweet potato, or spinach all work well. Keep the total weight of vegetables at approximately 1.2 to 1.5kg. Butternut squash adds a wonderful sweetness and a beautiful orange colour.

Can I make this vegan?

Yes — use olive oil instead of butter for the béchamel, plant-based milk, and nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan. Leave out the mozzarella or use a vegan mozzarella.

Why is my lasagne watery?

Either the vegetables were not roasted long enough to drive off their moisture, or the tomato sauce was not reduced sufficiently. Both must be properly dried and concentrated before going into the lasagne.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes — assemble completely, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. Add ten minutes to the baking time if cooking from cold.