Creamy, savory, and delicious, this vegan butternut squash lasagna is made with a buttery béchamel pasta sauce that is layered between soft noodles, wilted kale, and sautéed red onions. This vegan pasta recipe is family-friendly, perfectly autumnal, and a guaranteed hit!
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Cooler temperatures call for recipes with warm nutmeg, roasted butternut squash, kale, and tender pasta that are baked with a homemade béchamel pasta sauce for a smooth, savory, and creamy seasonal lasagna recipe.
This is the BEST vegan lasagna out there because it is rich with indulgent ingredients that are perfect together – nutmeg, allspice, and garlic – for a classic autumnal meal. If you’re wanting comfort food that is bursting with flavors of fall, then you will love this recipe!
Make this recipe for the holidays when you are wanting to try new seasonal squash recipes. Completely dairy-free but full of rich flavors from the white sauce, this baked squash recipe is what you will want to make when you are craving easy and comfort!
Recommened Ingredients & Equipment
This recipe is made with simple ingredients that, when combined, make for an incredible taste! You can find all these ingredients at most well-stocked grocery stores.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut Squash: Use a medium-sized butternut squash for this recipe. You will need to roast it before assembling the lasagna. Learn how to pick the best butternut squash for your recipes.
- Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic because it is full of flavor and offers a lot of savoriness to this lasagna, but ground garlic can work, too. Use 1/8 teaspoon for every clove of garlic.
- Milk: Use an unsweetened neutral flavored milk such as soy or cashew.
- Onion: I recommend red onion for its pungent and sweet flavors that pair perfectly with the flavors of butternut squash. However, any onions you have on hand will do.
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Kale – Feel free to susbstitue with another hearty leafy green such as swish chard or collard greens.
- Lasagna Noodles: I like to use oven-bake lasagna noodles because they are quick and easy. Feel free to use your favorite lasagna noodles and cook according to the package’s instructions.
Recommended Equipment
You will need kitchen utensils with measuring cups and spoons, kitchen knife, cutting board, baking sheet, medium saucepans, skillet, potato masher, 9×13-inch baking dish, and aluminum foil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Prepare the Butternut Squash
First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully, with a knife, slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle the squash with a tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with garlic, sage, allspice, and salt.
Flip the squash over so that the inside is face-down on the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes until it is very tender. When it’s done it’s should be easily pierced with a fork.
Once the butternut squash is finished roasting, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes before scooping out the squash flesh from the skin and placing it in a large bowl.
Mash the butternut squash with a wooden spoon or potato masher until it is smooth. It is okay if there are some lumps. Set aside.
Step Two – Make the Béchamel Sauce
Heat vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir over heat for three to four minutes until the mixture is smooth and golden brown.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to burn the butter and flour or it will ruin the flavor of your sauce. Keep a close eye on it as it cooks.
In another pot, bring the milk, garlic, nutmeg, and salt to a boil. Add the hot butter mixture in three different batches. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking often, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook the sauce for ten minutes while whisking constantly. Once the sauce is thick and creamy, remove it from the heat and set aside. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Step Three – Sauté the Veggies
Next, in a skillet, heat an additional one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté slowly, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Once the onions are soft, stir in the chopped kale. Sauté for another five minutes.
Step Four – Assemble and Bake
In a 9×13-inch baking dish, pour some of the Béchamel sauce into the bottom and evenly spread. Lay down a layer of noodles followed by more sauce, mashed butternut squash, and sautéed onions and kale. Top with more Béchamel sauce and repeat the process one more time.
Top the lasagna with the third layer of noodles and the final layer of Béchamel sauce. Finally, cover the lasagna in foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the lasagna from heat and allow it to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Top with vegan parmesan cheese or parsley to serve. Serve with garlic bread and your favorite side salads, soups, or other appetizers.
Storing – Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freeze the lasagna in a freezer-safe container for three months. Top with vegan parmesan cheese or parsley to serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Want to save on time? Use oven bake lasagna noodles and choose a canned squash puree rather than making your own.
- Need gluten-free? For gluten-free lasagna, use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour and lasagna noodles. I like Heartland, Jovial, or Barilla pasta brands.
- Keep a close eye on the Bechamel sauce and stir it constantly as it cooks to avoid it burning and sticking to the bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the two are the same! Whenever you hear white sauce mentioned, just keep in mind it is also probably Béchamel sauce. However, most Bechemel sauces are not vegan so make sure to always read the ingredients or make your own.
Sure! If you are looking to save on time, feel free to use canned squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato puree for this recipe. The flavors won’t be as bold and fresh but the lasagna will still be delicious!
Yes! You can make this recipe and then, rather than baking the lasagna, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. For best results, chill the lasagna first in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so that when you are ready to place it in the freezer, it will freeze quicker. This reduces the chance of freezer burn.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Hummus Pasta
- Zucchini Noodle Lasagna
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo
Be sure to check out all of my yummy pasta recipes for more weeknight inspiration!
Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna
Ingredients
Lasagna
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons sage
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- pinch of salt
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups fresh kale, packed
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles
Bechamel Sauce
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt, to taste
Toppings (Optional)
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Shredded vegan mozzarella
- Italian parsley, minced
Instructions
Prepping the Lasagna
- To prepare the butternut squash: Preheat the oven to 425. Slice the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with garlic, sage, allspice, and salt. Flip the squash over so that the inside is face-down on the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until very tender.
- To make the bechamel sauce, heat vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted, add flour and stir over heat for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and golden-brown. In another pot, bring milk, minced garlic, nutmeg, and salt to a boil. Add hot milk to butter/flour mixture in 3 batches. Bring to a boil, whisking often, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, whisking constantly. Once thick and creamy, remove from heat and set aside. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- In a skillet, heat the additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and sauté slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Once onions are soft and lightly browned, stir in chopped kale. Sauté for another 5 minutes until kale is cooked.
- When the butternut squash is done, remove from heat and reduce oven to 375 degrees. With a spoon scoop out squash from the skin and place in a large bow. Mash it the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher until it's smooth and creamy. A few lumps are okay.
- Once everything is ready, it's time to assemble. In a 9×13 baking dish, pour a small amount of Bechamel Sauce on the bottom and spread evenly. Lay down a layer of noodles followed by Bechamel Sauce, mashed butternut squash, and then sautéd kale. Top this with more Bechamel Sauce and repeat the process. Top with the 3rd layer of noodles and the final layer of Bechamel.
- Cover in foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes before slicing. Top with vegan parmesan cheese and/or parsley and serve.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Courtney says
Can this be frozen and reheated?
Sarah McMinn says
Yep! Just reheat it at 350F until it’s warm all the way through.
Darlene says
This was delicious, will definitely be making this again!
Joyce says
A lot of work , a lot of time with disappointing results. Bland and certainly not worth all the effort.
Vinnie says
Thank you for this recipe, Sarah! Made this for a holiday gathering and it was delish‼️
My variants:
• Used 2 medium butternut squashes and only brushed oil on exposed flesh, baking for 55 mins. I beat the mash with a hand mixer for creaminess. For one minute I sautéed the garlic in a wee bit of oil in the mini skillet I use for roasting Indian spices. I added the sage, allspice and salt for an additional 30 seconds and then added this to the mash.
• Used the full 5 oz. container of baby spinach instead of kale. May seem like a lot when initially adding to the pan, but will wilt and incorporate into those yummy onions.
• Sarah’s boiling of the aromatics with the milk prior to adding to the roux is a revelation to me that I will always apply in further recipes! Be aware that a roux gets pretty hot, so don’t be alarmed by the roux’s very vocal accepting of the boiled milk.
• I made the bechamel, the butternut mash and sliced the onions the day before.
• For the layering amounts: 3/4 C. bechamel; 4 noodles (slight overlap); 3/4 C. bechamel; 1/2 of the mash; 1/2 of the onions/greens; 3/4 C. bechemal; 3 noodles; 3/4 C. bechamel; remainder of mash; remainder of onions/greens; 3 noodles; remainder of bechamel.
• Be prepared for the condensation that lines your cover after baking; have a hand towel at the ready. When first seeing the lasagna after baking, it visually may look like the bechamel curdled…no worries, it’s just spotting from dripping condensation.
Naomi says
WOW! Thank you so much for such an incredible recipe. I made a few substitutions, and still managed to create something absolutely delicious. I used oat milk for the sauce-and definitely would not have had the right thickness had I not used arrowroot. For those unfamiliar, it is used as a thickener, and found where the spices are at the grocery store.
I read the other comments, and decided to add half a package of baby Bella mushrooms, since I had them on hand, and thought it sounded delicious. I topped mine with vegan mozzarella and a vegan Parmesan made with Brazil and almond nuts and some seasonings-perfect!
We have been plant based for quite some time, but recently decided to go vegan-this was a beautiful transition piece, I can’t wait to make it for my non vegan friends and family!
Sarah says
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Ellen says
Can you assemble 2 days ahead then bake?
Sarah says
Yeah, that should be fine. Just make sure to wrap it tightly while storing it in the refrigerator.
Kate S. says
The lasagna’s in the oven, smelling so delicious! I’m a little confused though, I see nutmeg in the ingredients list (under Béchamel sauce) but I don’t see it mentioned in the actual recipe… am I just missing it??
Sarah says
Thanks for pointing that out. I added that back into the recipe card. It should be added with the
Lauri Bruce says
First of all this was delicious. I adapted a bit and used nut cheese and butter by Miyoko’s. The smoked mozz on it was amazing. I added shiitakes, used brown rice flour to thicken the sauce. I also used the gluten free no boil lasagna noodles. I added an extra 1/2 cup (ish) of water to the pan and covered with foil before baking. Baked 40 mins covered then 20 uncovered. It set perfectly and was so good. Thanks for the spring board. Unfortunately when I went to save it to Pinterest it said the title/description was too long. Hope I don’t loose it in my files!
Sarah says
Glad you liked it. Not sure why Pinterest didn’t let you save it. You should be able to just repin this pin: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124552745930084131/
Ashley says
This is inspiring – i love butternut squash and kale. I might try it with a cashew cheese sauce though since I’m not a big fan of processed vegan butter or cheese replacements. Otherwise though it sounds great!
Burma says
This recipe sounds great and I want to try it, To-day. I have unsweetened almond milk, but it’s flavored with Vanilla. Would the vanilla flavoring be too much of a clash in your recipe, or overpowering? Or would it be better to use canned milk (not vegan)? Thanks for the recipe and for your help!
Sarah says
I wouldn’t use the vanilla almond milk as the taste would definitely clash with the recipe. I would suggest buying a plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (nut, rice, or soy will work)
Afton says
I made this with rice lasagna noodles, unsweetened original almond milk instead of soy, king arthur all purpose gluten free flour, and ghee instead of vegan butter. I also added mushrooms to the kale/onion mix and added a layer of country sausage I had on hand, since I’m not vegan, just gluten/dairy free. The bechemel sauce didn’t thicken as much as I think it was supposed to, maybe because of the almond milk/gf flour substitution. Visually, it was kind of messy because it didn’t set like it was supposed to and wouldn’t cut like normal lasagna – it was more spoonfulls in a bowl type thing. But. It tasted. DELICIOUS. My very skeptical husband raved about it and he doesn’t even usually like lasagna that much. The spice combination on the squash was soooo good. I was ready to just sit there eating the squash by itself and forget the rest of the recipe, but I’m glad I didn’t because it ended up being such a great combination of flavors!! Thanks for an awesome recipe that we will definitely come back to again!
Sarah says
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Conge says
What is lasagne noodles, I’ve used lasagne sheets and it’s yummy ?
Sarah says
Same thing! Might just be called different things regionally.
Ashleigh says
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it before baking? Then just bake when ready?
Sarah says
That should be no problem!
Rachael says
This recipe is a game changer! So good and my non-vegan boyfriend was licking his plate. I used zucchini sliced on the mandolin to keep calories down and GF, and added mushrooms to the kale. This recipe will be in the regular rotation!
Jen says
How big is the butternut squash supposed to be? Or how many cups of mashed squash are we going for? I want to try this but not sure if my squash is big enough!
Makena says
Would it work to use marinara instead of the bechamel sauce?
Sarah says
The taste would be very different and I’m not sure how compatible the spices I used in the lasagna are with with marinara sauce. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
terry cohoe says
is it just me? I can’t get the recipe link to work.
Sarah says
Thanks for your patience. The recipe is back up!