A healthy, quick & easy way to serve up one of the most iconic comfort foods to babies and kids! This vegetarian sweet potato lasagna with quinoa requires no boiling of noodles and assembly couldn't be easier!
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Ingredients
Quinoa - an incredible plant-based source of protein and iron, a very critical nutrient for babies and toddlers
Cauliflower and sweet potatoes - Cut into bite-sized pieces. Refer to the "tips for success" section.
Ricotta cheese - a great source of calcium, protein, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids. And it's low in sodium so perfect for babies!
Pasta sauce- You can use store-bought or homemade. If you want to amp up the iron level even more, try this homemade veggie-loaded sauce or this hidden veggie sauce!
How to Assemble Quinoa Lasagna
- Combine cooked quinoa with tomato sauce. Spread half of the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan.
- Add all of the roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes.
- Add all of the ricotta mixture.
- Add the rest of the quinoa mixture. Top with cheese and bake!
Tips for Success
- I highly recommend roasting the vegetables and cooking the quinoa in advance so you can quickly whip up this lasagna on the day of.
- Feel free to use whatever cooked veggies you have on hand, although these two are especially tasty in this casserole. The measurements don’t have to be exact. This is a great way to repurpose leftover veggies in a new and exciting way.
- If you'd rather skip the extra step of roasting the vegetables, then you can finely chop them and add to the casserole. However, as a huge texture person, getting larger chunks of veggie with each spoonful makes ALL the difference in my opinion. I think you will agree!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Traditional lasagna is loaded with sodium but this one is as low as you can get. Fresh ricotta cheese is a great first food for babies as it is naturally low in sodium.
Fresh mozzarella also contains low amounts but if you want to cut back on the sodium as much as possible, leave it out for your baby's portion as you see in the step-by-step image above.
You can use your favorite store-bought jar sauce (just be sure to pay attention to the sodium content) or go homemade. I personally love using my iron-rich baby pasta sauce.
The recipe makes a lot so I normally set aside some to enjoy that week and freeze the rest so I can easily add to other dishes like this one.
Egg is usually added to lasagna to help "bind" the cheese. The yolk also adds richness to the dish.
However, you can leave it out completely in this recipe.
You can use any non-dairy ricotta alternative, like almond or soy-based.
You can certainly add any cooked, diced or shredded beef, chicken, or pork. You can also add tofu or beans. Simply combine with the quinoa sauce mixture.
Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions for baby
For 6-8 month old babies, you may want to smoosh the sweet potatoes with the back of a spoon to make the mixture easier to scoop up with their hands or a spoon.
Also, chop the cauliflower florets into tiny pieces (I like to use kitchen shears for ease). This is because you want to go either really big in food size or really small at this age to minimize choking.
If you're just starting out, this spoon and the bowl (with the most powerful suction ever!) are a MUST!
And if you are looking for another easy quinoa recipe to share with your baby, try this no stir quinoa risotto.
For 9+ month olds, no modifications needed!
More baby and kid-friendly Lasagna
- Spaghetti squash chicken lasagna
- One pot cabbage lasagna
- Pumpkin and kale lasagna roll ups
- Eggplant lasagna roll ups
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
This recipe was originally published in 2015, when this blog was a fun hobby of mine, and my focus wasn’t on infant and toddler nutrition. I modified this to make it baby and kid-friendly! Hope you enjoy!
Vegetarian Sweet Potato Lasagna with Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced sweet potatoes (about 1 medium sweet potato)
- 2 cups cauliflower (about 240g), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
- 15 ounce whole milk fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. On a large baking sheet, spread sweet potatoes and cauliflower tossed with oil. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until soft.
- In the meantime, combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Coat a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine quinoa with tomato sauce.
- In another bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, basil, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
- Assemble: Spread half of the sauce mixture evenly into the baking dish. Add the vegetables, then all the ricotta mixture. Finish with the remaining sauce and spread mozzarella on top.
- Bake the lasagna, covered, for about 30-35 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Dairy-free? You can use any non-dairy ricotta alternative, like almond or soy-based.
- Egg is usually added to lasagna to help "bind" the cheese. The yolk also adds richness to the dish. However, you can leave it out completely in this recipe.
- If you want more protein, you can add any cooked, diced or shredded beef, chicken, or pork. You can also add tofu or beans. Simply combine with the quinoa sauce mixture.
- Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Devon says
So amazing! So grateful for this recipe. It still works deliciously with half the ricotta (we only had that much!)
Min says
This one's on our menu this week too!!
Nicole says
My whole family - husband & toddler included - love this! My husband is a Celiac so it’s great that quinoa is gluten free. It’s quick & easy to make & very nutritious!
Min says
Oh I love hearing this! Thank you for sharing!!
Samantha says
This recipe is so, SO good! I’ve made it twice so far, and my toddler and I both love it. We have an egg allergy in the family so we leave it out, as you suggest, and it’s still delicious. Thank you for this recipe! Can’t wait to try more of yours.
Min says
WOOHOO!! I'm so glad your family love this recipe as much as we do!! Thanks for sharing!
Tina says
Hello! Is it normal that the cauliflower and sweet potatoes are charred after roasting at the suggested temp and time?
Thank you 🙂
Min says
will get caramelized but shouldn't be burnt. You can also cover the pan and bake if you desire a softer consistency. Keep in mind they will cook a bit more along with the rest of the ingredients.
Jules says
Oh my goodness this was so delicious! My entire family loved it. Such an easy recipe that gave me confidence to cook more! Thank you so much.
Min says
Woohooooo!!! Thanks for sharing! You brought a smile to my face.
Andrea says
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Min says
Absolutely!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
I live in constant fear that my computer is going to crash and I'm going to lose my dissertation! I keep e-mailing it to myself JUST IN CASE my computer crashes and my external back-up dies too. I'm so glad you found the recipe and could remake this! It sounds incredible - sweet potatoes and quinoa in lasagna?? Brilliant! Also - I can help you make that link work if you want - I have an idea! Send me an e-mail!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
So glad you found this gem- it looks amazing! So many of my fave ingredients in one awesome dish. Unfortunately It looks like this post is destined to give you trouble- you have a little typo in your twitter link and your pin doesn't seem to link up 🙁
Min says
Thank you soo much, Sonali!! Just fixed it!! You are the best 😉
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I love this twist on lasagna! Sweet potato and quinoa are amongst my favourite foods, so getting them into any and all dishes sounds good to me 🙂
Min says
Agreed! I could eat them everyday and be perfectly content..the Hungryman, however, doesn't feel as enthusiastic about it as I..
Marisa @ Uproot from Oregon says
The world wide web is a strange place where things do sometimes get lost! Glad this recipe was revived since I hadn't seen it before - it looks delicious!
Min says
I know, right? Argh...wish I was more tech-savvy!! Thanks, Marisa 😉 hope you give it a try!