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Mushroom Lasagna Recipe

by Nick Makrides

This hearty Mushroom Lasagna recipe is the perfect veggie boost at dinner time! Egg noodles, a rich mushroom ragu and all the cheese! I love my Beef Lasagna recipe, but I have to say, the rich flavor you get from mushrooms takes this to a whole other level!

Mushroom Lasagna - lasagna on a spatula with tray of lasagna underneath

You might be tempted to think this lasagna isn’t as good as my Beef Lasagna but not only does this provide a unique flavor, it still gives you a great texture too! Everything about this lasagna is just as good, in my opinion, better than a standard lasagna. Crispy edges, cheesy bechamel, layers upon layers of delicious pasta, mushroom ragu and all the cheese!

Mushroom Lasagna - side by side

If you love pasta as much as I do, check out my Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake), Beef Lasagna Recipe or my Easy One-Pot Pasta Bolognese!

Why you should make this Mushroom Lasagna!

Ask me if I want beef lasagna or mushroom lasagna and I’ll choose this. Here’s why!

  • Crispy – you get those yummy crispy edges and crispy cheese top!
  • Perfectly cooked – I love an al dente pasta and you get that with this recipe by using fresh lasagna sheets!
  • Delicious flavor – the mushrooms boost so much flavor into the sauce and make it irresistible!
  • Great make ahead freezer meal! – You can easily freeze this making it a go to easy dinner option and simply reheat in the oven.
  • Cheaper to make – than a beef lasagna. Have you seen the prices of everything these days? Mushrooms are half the price of meat.

Mushroom Lasagna - a cut lasagna front shot

Let’s Talk Mushrooms!

Mushroom Lasagna - mushrooms image

I’m here to tell you this lasagna is just as good as a classic beef lasagna. It has a delicious flavor, and the mushrooms provide a great texture too. Hidden bonus: toddlers can’t tell they’re eating vegetables!

What type of mushrooms to use

You can use any standard variety of mushroom for this recipe. What I mean by that is eating mushrooms, not dried mushrooms, not anything too strong in flavor or chewy in texture. Most mushrooms sold at fruit shops or supermarkets will suit. Mushrooms like:

  • Button mushrooms
  • Cup mushrooms
  • Portobello mushrooms
  • Swiss brown mushrooms

How to prepare your mushrooms

Make sure you clean your mushrooms. Some mushrooms come cleaned, packaged, and sometimes even sliced. Those usually don’t need washing. But loose mushrooms sold in boxes that you pick yourself can often have traces of manure on them or dirt. You’ll need to wash your mushrooms by hand under some warm running water. For this recipe, there’s no need to dry them.

Ingredients You Need To Make Mushroom Lasagna

Below is a list of some of the key ingredients you need to know about. You can find a full list in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Mushroom Lasagna - ingredients image

  • All-purpose flour – helps thicken the sauce.
  • Stock – if you can get it, use mushroom stock, otherwise vegetable stock will work if you’re trying to keep this vegetarian.
  • Cheese – I used cheddar cheese for the bechamel, but I used a blend of cheddar and mozzarella that I grated myself for the layers and top. I would recommend grating the cheese yourself. It makes a huge difference in flavor, it’s cheaper and it doesn’t have any additives you find in pre-grated cheese.
  • Mushrooms – the star of the show! I used button mushrooms, they were the cheapest at the fruit shop. Pretty much standard mushroom variety will work. Cup mushrooms, portobello mushrooms or Swiss Brown mushrooms. To clean your mushrooms run them under some water and use your hands to wipe any soil off them.
  • Tomato paste – use a good quality tomato paste. It adds a little sweetness to the sauce once it’s caramelized a little.
  • Worcestershire sauce – has a very subtle spiciness to it and adds flavor to the sauce.
  • Lasagna sheets – My recommendation when making lasagna is to use fresh lasagna sheets and not dried. There are two reasons, 1st, the pasta doesn’t need to be pre-cooked so you save time, 2nd the texture is so much nicer! It cooks more al dente and has some bite compared to pre-cooked which cooks more when baking. In my opinion, that leads to overcooked pasta sheets.

How do I make this vegan?

This recipe is vegetarian and has dairy in it. It uses cheese, milk and butter.

  • Milk – In place of milk you can use plant-based milk for the bechamel.
  • Butter – in place of butter with dairy in it, you can use plant-based butter or margarine.
  • Cheese – this is a trickier one. For the bechamel you can use pretty much any cheese that will melt. For the mozzarella though, it adds a little bit of stretch, if you can find it, use a plant-based cheese that stretches.

How to make Mushroom Lasagna!

Mushroom Lasagna - steps 01

Mushroom Sauce

  1. Add the mushrooms to a food processor in 3 batches. Pulse until chopped. Some large pieces are ok. Smaller pieces are ideal if you’re serving this to toddlers.
  2. Mix the flour and some of the stock together in a small bowl until you reach a thin slurry. This mixture will help thicken your sauce.
  3. Add your onions and garlic to a large pot with some oil and cook for 60 seconds on medium high heat.
  4. Next, add the mushrooms all at once and cook until it begins to breakdown a little. Then add the herbs and tomato paste. Stir to coat.
  5. Add the remaining ingredients including the passata and crushed tomatoes and stir. Bring to a gentle simmer. Lower to low heat and cook for 30 minutes with the lid on top. Once cooked, allow to cool at room temperature, or if making the day before, cool at room temp completely, then place in the fridge until ready to use. Up to 2 days in advance.

Mushroom Lasagna - steps 02

Bechamel

  1. Add the butter and flour to a large saucepan and stir on medium low heat for about 1 minute. Don’t let it color otherwise your sauce won’t be white.
  2. Next, add the hot milk in about 3 batches stirring each time. It will bubble and steam so be careful.
  3. Once all the milk is in there, add the cheese and nutmeg and stir until melted and well combined. Place the lid on top and allow to cool until ready to use.

Let’s Layer The Lasagna.

Just a note: in the recipe I made a 6-layer lasagna, but the recipe gives you instructions to make a 4 layer lasagna. If you want to make a taller 6-layer lasagna, I’ve left instructions in the notes of the recipe card at the bottom of this page. With that said, let’s layer this lasagna!

Mushroom Lasagna - steps 03

  1. Add 1/4 of the sauce at the bottom of the 9×13-inch baking tin and spread evenly.
  2. Add a layer of lasagna sheets.
  3. More sauce.
  4. Then grated cheese. Repeat this another 3 times, finishing with a layer of pasta sheets.

Mushroom Lasagna - steps 04

  1. Add the bechamel and spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes.
  2. Take out of the oven and add some cheese.
  3. Bake until golden.

Mushroom Lasagna - close up of the 6 layered lasagna

Why Do The Photos Show 6 Layers But The Recipe Gives Instructions For 4 Layers?

I like a tall lasagna. I like the flatter ones too but I love seeing all those tall layers so I made mine a 7 layer lasagna. The recipe card at the bottom of the post gives ingredients measurements and instructions on how to make a 4 layer lasagna, but if you go to the notes section of the recipe card you can find how to make it a 7 layer lasagna.

I’m Sicilian And Bechamel Is A Dirty Word.

I’m married to a Sicilian so I can sympathize. Sicilian or not though, bechamel is not for everyone so this lasagna can be made without the bechamel on top by simply leaving it out. Finish the lasagna with a layer of sauce and a generous layer of cheese (put the cheese on for the final 15 minutes of baking). The wonderful thing about leaving the bechamel off is that you get ultra-crispy lasagna edges. If you’re not normal and don’t like crispy lasagna edges, loosely cover your lasagna with aluminum foil before baking. Take it off for the final 15 minutes of baking when you add the cheese.

Mushroom Lasagna - close up of the crispy cheese layer on top

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

  • Use high quality ingredients for best flavor results!
  • Don’t skip rest time! It helps the lasagna set a little and cool down. This thing is piping hot when it comes out of the oven. If you slice into it right away, you’ll burn your tongue and it’ll just slide and fall apart.
  • Make sure mushroom ragu is cooled before using. I would recommend making it the day before and storing in the fridge.
  • Halving the recipe is easy! Simply halve the ingredient measurements and use a 9×9-inch baking tin.
  • Pulse your mushrooms in a food processor to make the process quicker. You can also chop these by hand if you don’t have a food processor. If using a food processor, chop them in batches. They won’t all fit or chop properly if they’re added at once. Some larger pieces are ok, but you probably want to make sure the pieces are on the smaller side if you have fussy toddlers. They won’t be able to tell they’re eating vegetables.

Mushroom Lasagna - lasagna on a spatula against a white background

Frequently Asked Questions about Mushroom Lasagna

How do I store this?

Place in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Can I freeze this lasagna?

Yes! This is an amazing freezer meal! Slice up your lasagna once baked and allow to cool until slightly warm. Wrap in plastic and then freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Can I add other veggies to this recipe?

Yes! You can add some spinach, thinly sliced zucchini or bell peppers in your layers.

Can I use dried pasta sheets?

Yes! Cook the pasta sheets according to package instructions and use just like I do in the recipe.

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Mushroom Lasagna - thumbnail image

Mushroom Lasagna Recipe

This hearty Mushroom Lasagna recipe is the perfect veggie boost at dinner time! Egg noodles, a rich mushroom ragu and all the cheese!

Serves 8

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Makrides
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Cool: 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 22675kcal
Author: Nick Makrides

Ingredients

Mushroom Ragu

  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups (750 ml) mushroom or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups (240 g) gruyere, cheddar or tasty cheese, shredded (shred it at home)
  • 2 cups (240 g) mozzarella, shredded (shred it at home)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp Italian herb mix
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 800 kg (800 g) mushrooms cleaned (see notes)
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 700 g (700 g) tomato passata tomato puree
  • 1 can (300 g) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Bechamel

  • 100 g (100 g) unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups (1 litre) milk, hot
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (120 g) gruyere, cheddar or tasty cheese, shredded (shred it at home)

Lasagna

  • 250 g (250 g) fresh lasagna sheets to make a 4 layered lasagna (see notes)
  • Freshly chopped parsley to garnish.


Instructions

Mushroom Ragu

  • Begin by mixing some of the stock with the flour in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until a slurry forms. Something pourable. Set aside.
  • To prepare the cheese, mix together the cheddar and mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. 2/3 of it will be for layering the lasagna, the remaining will be for the top of the lasagna.
  • Add 1/3 of the mushrooms to a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Place into a large bowl and repeat until all the mushrooms are chopped.
  • Add the olive oil, garlic and onion to a large pot and stir on medium high heat for about 60 seconds. Add the Italian herbs and salt and stir until tomato paste begins to bubble.
  • Add the mushrooms and stir to combine, then stir occasionally for 5 minutes. The mushrooms will expel a lot of water and reduce in size.
  • Add the vegetable stock, flour slurry, passata, crushed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until everything is well combined. Bring to a boil on high heat, then place the lid on top and lower heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Once cooked, take the lid off and allow to cool for 1 hour before using.

Bechamel

  • Add the butter into a large saucepan and melt on medium heat. Add the flour and mix for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Make sure the mixture doesn’t color or burn.
  • Pour 1 cup of the hot milk into the butter and flour mixture. It will bubble and cause the sauce to instantly thicken. Once it’s lump free, add another cup and stir, repeating this until all the milk has been added. Stir until smooth and thickened, about 8 minutes. The sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Take off the heat and add the grated cheese, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until melted and well combined. Place the lid on top so it doesn’t form a skin.

To Assemble

  • Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180C / 350F. For this recipe you’ll need a 33cm x 22cm / 13 x 9-inch baking dish which is 7cm / 2.5-inches in height.
  • Add a little mushroom ragu at the bottom and spread around, Cover with lasagna sheets. You can cut some sheets if you need to make it all fit.
  • Add about 1/4 of beef sauce on top and spread around. Top with 5 slices of gruyere cheese or mozzarella. Then add a second layer of lasagna sheets followed by 1/3 of the sauce, 4 slices of cheese, the remaining sauce, another layer of lasagna sheets and the bechamel sauce (evenly spread). You can also stretch the sauce out to be 6 layers the way I did in the video. I’ll leave notes on the exact way to layer it in the notes and a diagram in the post.
  • Transfer to a baking tray, place in the middle rack of your oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and spread remaining cheese on top and bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly golden and crisp. Once baked, take out of the oven, allow to sit for 30 minutes before sprinkling with parsley, slicing up and serving.

Notes

Mushrooms - for this recipe I used button mushrooms, those little ones but you can use pretty much any type of standard mushroom you like. Button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms or Swiss Brown mushrooms. To clean your mushrooms run them under some water and use your hands to wipe any soil off them.
My 6 Layer Lasagna!
Sauce - you’ll be dividing the sauce amongst 6 layers. Keep that in mind as you layer the lasagna.
Lasagna Sheets - You’ll have 6 layers of Lasagna sheets. That equates to about 350 - 400g of fresh lasagna sheets.
Cheese - use the same amount of cheese as listed in the ingredients list, just make it stretch for 6 layers. Use it sparingly in between the layers and leave a good amount for the top to get that nice crispy layer. It should eb covering the bechamel completely but not be too thick.
Layers -
1. Sauce,
2. Lasagna Sheets,
3. Sauce,
4. Cheese,
5. Pasta,
6. Sauce,
7. Cheese,
8. Pasta,
9. Sauce,
10. Cheese,
11. Pasta,
12. Sauce,
13. Cheese,
14. Pasta,
15. Sauce,
16. Cheese,
17. Pasta,
18. Bechamel,
19. Cheese (to put on for the final 15 minutes of baking)
Storage - Mushroom lasagna can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition - is based on per piece. This makes 8 large pieces.
A note on measurements - all ingredients in this recipe are offered in Australian cup measurements and weight measurements. Australian cups are different to other cup measurements in different places in the world which means that no cup measurements anywhere are a reliable way to measure! Weight measurements are created by me, in my kitchen here in Melbourne Australia. The best way to get recipe success is to measure ingredients by weight, using kitchen scales.

Nutrition

Calories : 22675kcal
Carbonhydrates: 3318g
Protein: 3119g
Fat: 378g
Saturated Fat: 71g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 162g
Monounsaturated Fat : 10g
Trans Fat : 0.4g
Cholesterol: 106mg
Sodium: 6613mg
Potassium : 318992mg
Fiber: 1005g
Sugar : 1996g
Vitamin A: 2013IU
Vitamin C: 2117mg
Calcium: 3665mg
Iron: 504mg
Nutrition Disclosure
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