13 Festive Dishes for a Vegetarian Christmas Dinner

It takes a little time to cook the rich béchamel (white sauce), concentrate the flavors in the mushrooms, and assemble the lasagna, but the results are worth it.

Recipe: Mushroom and Fresh Herb Lasagna

Typically macaroni and cheese is made with milk but here we’re using wine instead. You’ll love the creamy fondue-like sauce that results. Buttery breadcrumbs add just the right amount of crunch.

Recipe: Ultimate Mac ‘n’ Cheese

There’s a hefty amount of spinach in these gnocchi—which for us justifies the indulgent brown-butter sauce. Shape and freeze the gnocchi ahead, so at dinnertime you can just boil them and make the sauce.

Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi

Bags of pre-cubed and -peeled butternut squash are a great short-cut for this hearty dish.

Recipe: Whole-Wheat Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Kale

Use sheets of fresh pasta to make these meltingly delicious yet healthy ravioli from cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman.

Recipe: Giant Butternut Sqaush Ravioli

This spectacular main dish will impress discerning vegetarians and omnivores alike.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Spinach

This hearty vegetarian stew is so satisfying that even the most devout of carnivores won’t miss the meat.

Recipe: Lentil Stew with Winter Vegetables

It takes just a few minutes to prep the ingredients for this flavorful pot of beans, then they simmer to tenderness in a slow-cooker.

Recipe: Flageolet Beans with Rosemary and Thyme

This vegetarian dish is fragrant with garam masala, an Indian spice blend that typically includes black pepper and a mix of sweet and savory spices.

Recipe: Roasted Fall Vegetables with Lentils and Spices

This brilliant side dish (or vegetarian main, if made with vegetable broth) is a colorful version of scalloped potatoes. For richest flavor and color, look for deep-orange-fleshed sweet potatoes with skin that’s burnt orange to dark red. A food processor’s shredding disc and 2-mm. slicing blade make quick work of the cheese, sweet potatoes, and shallot.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Gouda Gratin

Reminiscent of Greek spanakopita pastries, but with no individual shaping, this big filo pie is a snap to prepare. Cook down a big batch of mustard greens, layer them with robust cheese in between sheets of filo dough, and bake until golden and crisp.

Recipe: Mustard Green and Fontina Filo Pie

Chanterelles accent the vibrant, knee-high chard in this recipe.

Recipe: Rainbow Chard with Chanterelles and Walnuts

Pommes Anna, a classic French dish of thinly sliced potatoes, takes on an appealing sharpness in this turnip version. Although you can use any pie pans, metal ones brown the turnips most evenly; you’ll also need a handheld slicer.

Recipes: Turnips Anna