If you know me you know I love me some homemade lasagna. Or basically just any version of comfort food and recreate to make it a little bit more nutritious for you.
One of my favorite meals growing up was my mom’s spinach and butternut squash lasagna layered up with mozzarella cheese and cozy fall flavors. I used to beg her to make it for me and then refuse to share the recipe with anyone because I was SO freaking obsessed. This beautiful vegetarian pumpkin lasagna is basically a version of that but with my own little twist using TWO whole cans of delicious pumpkin puree.
It’s a little sweet, a little savory, plenty of cozy and basically heaven in every single bite.
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Ingredients in vegetarian pumpkin lasagna
This healthy pumpkin lasagna recipe is packed with sneaky veggies and cozy spices that make it literally the best comfort food for fall & winter. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- For the pumpkin layer: this layer has two full cans of pumpkin puree plus cozy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & allspice that add a delicious hint of sweetness. They pair SO well with the savory & salty ricotta and cheese layers.
- For the veggies: we’re packing in a whole bag of spinach here for a boost of delicious veggies. You’ll actually mix it in with the ricotta layer so it’s the perfect way to sneak in some green for the kiddos!
- For the noodles: you’ll, of course, need some lasagna noodles to make this recipe! I don’t prefer using no-cook lasagna noodles, but they will work if you’re in a time crunch.
- For the cheese layer: Between the layers of noodles is fresh mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and a creamy ricotta. You’ll also add an egg, a bit of garlic powder, salt & pepper. This also contributes to the lasagna flavor, so do not skip the cheese (an excellent source of protein!).
Can I make it gluten-free?
Sure! Simply use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Try homemade pumpkin puree
You can, of course, use store-bought pumpkin puree for ease, but if you have extra cooking pumpkins, feel free to make your own pumpkin puree using this tutorial! It will make this lasagna even more delicious and homemade.
Want to add more protein?
If you’re not vegetarian, feel free to mix in 1 pound of cooked Italian ground sausage or cooked, shredded chicken into the pumpkin sauce. Then assemble the lasagna as written!
Add an extra boost of vegetables
Feel free to sauté or roast up any vegetables you have on hand like mushrooms, bell peppers, and red onion, then add them on top of the spinach-ricotta mixture when you’re layering the lasagna!
How to make the best pumpkin lasagna
- Cook your noodles. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of water, drain, and immediately lay the noodles flat on an oiled baking sheet or cutting board.
- Cook the spinach. While the lasagna noodles are boiling, cook the spinach in a medium pan with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. Once wilted, add to a medium bowl to cool.
- Make the ricotta layer. Add the ingredients for the ricotta layer to the bowl with your spinach and mix to combine.
- Make the pumpkin layer. Mix the pumpkin layer ingredients in a separate large bowl.
- Assemble the lasagna. Spread some of the pumpkin mixture over the bottom of a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, then layer the following: lasagna noodles, spinach-ricotta cheese mixture, shredded mozzarella, pumpkin mixture, parmesan cheese. Repeat!
- Bake, garnish & serve. Cover your baking dish with foil, bake, then remove the foil and bake again to brown the cheese a bit. Garnish with extra parmesan and either chopped sage or parsley, cool & serve!
Our best lasagna-making tips
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Make sure to boil the noodles just until al dente, not fully cooked because they’ll cook more when you bake the entire lasagna. No one likes mushy noodles!
- Use room temperature ingredients. The ricotta mixture is easiest to mix with room temp ingredients, so I suggest letting the container of ricotta and the egg sit out a bit to come to room temp. Be sure to also cool the spinach after sautéing it so that it doesn’t seize up this layer.
Prep this pumpkin lasagna ahead of time
This is the perfect make-ahead meal that makes the BEST leftovers. To make it ahead of time:
- Assemble the lasagna completely as directed.
- Cover and place it in the refrigerator one day before serving.
- When you’re ready to serve, bake it up for 10 extra minutes, and enjoy!
How to freeze pumpkin lasagna: two different ways
One thing I absolutely love about this pumpkin lasagna is that it’s freezer friendly! There are two methods to freezing lasagna:
- Bake first, then freeze. You can either bake it first, then cool to room temperature, slice into servings, place in freezer safe containers and then freeze. Or you can bake it, cool it to room temp, and then freeze the entire pan. Just make sure you double wrap it so the lasagna does not dry out. This is assuming you are freezing the entire pan. Once ready to reheat, thaw it out. Then bake, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
- Freeze before baking: To freeze before baking, simply assemble the lasagna as written in the instructions, then double wrap with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to bake, thaw out then bake according to instructions.
Personally I like to cook mine first, then freeze in individual portions, so I can take it out for meals or for lunch as needed. I just reheat my serving in the microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. YUM.
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More pumpkin recipes you’ll love
- Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce
- High Protein Pumpkin Bagels
- Spinach Bacon Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Best Ever Healthy Pumpkin Pie
- The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat
Get all of my pumpkin recipes here, and my dinner recipes here!
I hope you love this vegetarian spinach pumpkin lasagna recipe as much as we do. It’s great for parties and holidays as well as a main vegetarian Thanksgiving day meal. If you make it, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram and/or leave a comment and rate the recipe below!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegetarian Spinach Pumpkin Lasagna
Ingredients
- For the noodles:
- 10 lasagna noodles
- For the ricotta mixture:
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 6 ounces spinach (from 1 bag spinach)
- 1 (15 ounce) container part skim ricotta
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the pumpkin layer:
- 2 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin puree
- ½ cup milk (I like unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will work)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the layers:
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (approximately 12 ounces)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- To garnish:
- Fresh chopped parsley or small sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles for 5-6 minutes, then drain. Immediately lay the noodles flat on an oiled baking sheet or cutting board so you can easily assemble the lasagna when ready. Another option is to soak the lasagna noodles in very warm (hot) water for 20-30 minutes if you do not want to boil them. (You can also use no cook lasagna noodles, but they aren't my favorite!)
- Cook the spinach: While the lasagna noodles are boiling, add ½ tablespoon olive oil to a medium pan or skillet and place over medium heat. Add spinach, season with a little salt and pepper and cook until spinach wilts down. Add to a medium bowl and allow to cool for a minute or two.
- Mix the ricotta layer: In the same bowl as the cooled spinach, add ricotta, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Make the pumpkin mixture: Add pumpkin, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Assemble the lasagna: Spread 1 heaping cup of pumpkin mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Place 5 of the cooked lasagna noodles on top laying 4 vertically and 1 horizontally. Spread half of the spinach-ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles, then top with ¾ cup shredded mozzarella.
- Next, add 1 heaping cup of the pumpkin mixture on top of the mozzarella and then sprinkle with ½ cup of parmesan cheese.
- Repeat layers once more: adding remaining noodles, remaining spinach-ricotta mixture, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella, then top with any remaining pumpkin and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Finally, top with remaining 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until cheese starts to brown just a bit. Garnish with extra parmesan and either chopped sage or parsley. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 12.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eat
This post was originally published on October 14th, 2019, and republished on October 8th, 2025.
Overall, very very good recipe that packs a lot of nutritional value! I would highly recommend adding sauteed onions & peppers and a little italian seasoning to increase the flavor profile. A very nice comfort meal that leaves you feeling satisfied!
Great idea! Glad you enjoyed!
Hmmm. I have made dozens of ambitious kitchen recipes and this one wasn’t the favorite. My boys and husband said they like lasagna and they like pumpkin pie but not pumpkin lasagna. It did get eaten but I was told i don’t need to make it again.
Sorry to hear that! Was it the flavor in here? Maybe the sweet-savory combo that they didn’t love?
Yum, yum, yum! This was so good. I used 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice since I ran out of cinnamon. Sooooo delicious, and I’ll be making this every autumn now!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
Have you ever tried adding a protein to it? If so, what did you add and where?
I typically eat it as is, but you could add cooked, crumbled sausage or cooked, shredded chicken on top of the spinach-ricotta layer before baking!
Wonderful! My family loved it!
I’m so glad!
This recipe was remarkably easy to make and fantastically delicious! I made it for a large crowd at it was loved by everyone. It is definitely going to be a go-to fall and winter recipe for me moving forward!
Also a couple side notes I hope some find helpful:
1. I used 1 teaspoon of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice mix instead of all the individual spices and it worked out perfectly. Its essentially the same thing, just premade.
2. I used no boil lasagna noodles to make life even easier.
Thank you Ambitious Kitchen for this stellar recipe!
Amazing! So glad you loved it!
Usually love AK recipes, but wouldn’t make this one again. Even with all of the cheese, this just tasted like pureed pumpkin. I think 2 cans of pumpkin is just too much. Maybe it would be better with half pumpkin, half butternut squash or some tomato sauce. It just lacked flavor and depth. Most reviewers seemed to love this – maybe this much pumpkin just wasn’t for us.
Sorry to hear this didn’t turn out the way you had hoped.
I love to support food bloggers and cook nightly but this really missed the mark. Prepared to the letter, so modifications. I question the reviews as this was less than mediocre.
Sorry you weren’t a fan of this dish. What exactly didn’t you enjoy about this dish? It typically gets very good reviews so I am wondering what might have gone wrong for you.
I made this tonight, halving the recipe, & added red pepper flakes into the ricotta mixture. I think next time I’ll use fresh garlic. This recipe is a savory pumpkin recipe win!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this one!
I’m not sure if I did something wrong, or if it was the pumpkin I used but my family and I did not like this at all! It seemed very bland and needed something, like maybe a little sweetness or more spices or Alfredo sauce or something besides the ricotta and pumpkin layers.
Hmm did you change anything about the recipe?
I knew I didn’t want pumpkin pie spices in my lasagna. So I made this using lots of sage and just a touch of nutmeg in the pumpkin part. I also fried some fresh sage in butter and sprinkled it over the top of the lasagna before baking. We loved it!
YUM! Sounds delicious, glad you gave this recipe a try and it turned out amazing for you!
This is my new favourite lasagna recipe! Seriously, SO GOOD! It turned out beyond perfect. The only modification I made was adding (cooked) ground turkey to the pumpkin mixture, as my husband wanted this to have meat. But I think it would have been just as good without! Yum, yum, yum! Thank you for such a delicious, satisfying, and healthy recipe!
Delicious… from a no vegetable person! To use pre cooked lasagne noodles run them under hot water and add a extra last cup of liquid (I used milk and ricotta) over the top. These noodles need the extra liquid.
Added 1 cup of dried tomatoes on the top because it needed color. Tasted great. Thanks.
Can I substitute eggplant for lasagna noodles
This recipe is fabulous. I used gluten free lasagna noodles and it turned out great. Even had a few skeptic pumpkin eaters at the table and they had seconds! The flavors are fantastic. Thanks!
Perfect! So glad this was a hit!
This is the best recipe, I added caramelized onion to the spinach mixture and this was such a fantastic recipe. It was a bit hit at Friendsgiving and I will def be taking to potlucks in the future. I used sage dried and as garnish, I think this def improved the flavor. Overall fantastic recipie!!
Ahhh this is amazing! So glad everyone enjoyed this recipe ❤️🙂
This turned out so well! My whole family loved it!! That’s always a win for me! 😁
Ahh this is amazing! SO glad you and the family loved this recipe ❤️
This recipe is AMAZING! It’s SOOOOOO GOOD! Thank you for posting it, this is a keeper for sure 😁
Ahh this is amazing! Glad you are enjoying this recipe ❤️
This lasagna was just as incredible as everything else AK makes!! 😍 It was a huge hit for everyone in the family!
The BEST! Glad everyone enjoyed this recipe ❤️