[Photographs: J. Kenji López-Alt, Lauren Rothman]

The holidays can be be an isolating time for folks who don't eat meat—prime rib and glazed ham are wonderful festival centerpieces for meat-eaters, but anyone else is going to get stuck cobbling together a meal from side dishes. We don't think that leaving guests out of the most exciting part of the meal is in keeping with the holiday spirit, so if you've got vegetarians or vegans coming over this month, consider making an entrée that they can eat, too. That could be in addition to a meaty main, but our vegetarian options are so good that they will satisfy everyone at the table. From roasted eggplant and lentils and homemade butternut squash ravioli to an epic vegan take on beef Wellington, we have 16 festive vegan mains to make everyone feel included at your holiday dinner.

Vegan

Green Risotto With Mushrooms

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Risotto’s reputation as a fussy dish makes it feel like a treat, but with the right rice and a wide skillet it’s much easier to make than you might think. In this recipe the risotto gets its vibrant color and flavor from a spinach purée, while sautéed mushrooms make it feel more like a full meal.

Get the recipe for Green Risotto With Mushrooms »

Easy Vegan Pressure-Cooker Miso Risotto

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making risotto in a pan is easy, but making it in a pressure cooker is downright foolproof and only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. Here we take miso paste—a supporting player in many of our risotto recipes—and make it a star. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of miso, so use a more subtle variety like light yellow or white.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Pressure-Cooker Miso Risotto »

Vegetables Wellington

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Beef Wellington is a relic of another era and—thanks to the combination of beef tenderloin, prosciutto, and foie gras—far from vegetarian-friendly. This updated Wellington skips all of the meat for a 100% vegan filling of roasted carrots, mushroom duxelles, smoked mushroom "bacon," boiled cashews, cannellini beans, toasted sunflower seeds and pepitas, and sautéed aromatics.

Get the recipe for Vegetables Wellington »

Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

This dish is all about a fantastically light and creamy tahini sauce adapted from Michael Solomonov’s excellent Zahav. We use the sauce to top roasted eggplant and stewed lentils, then finish with a sprinkling of crunchy pine nuts.

Get the recipe for Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils »

Vegan Carbonara Pasta

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Carbonara is a simple-but-satisfying pasta preparation that seems basically impossible to vegan-ify—the dish is made with pork, eggs, cream, and cheese. This version uses mushrooms instead of pork; tofu, miso, and nutritional yeast to make a rich, eggy-tasting "cream" sauce; and sauerkraut brine to mimic the lactic tang of Pecorino Romano.

Get the recipe for Vegan Carbonara Pasta »

Stuffed Roasted Poblano Peppers With Cashew-Chipotle Sauce

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

The picture shows these rice, raisin, and caper-stuffed poblano peppers covered in a layer of grated cheese, but you can make the dish vegan by leaving it off. You won’t be missing out, because the cashew sauce is plenty creamy and browns nicely.

Get the recipe for Stuffed Roasted Poblano Peppers With Cashew-Chipotle Sauce »

Vegetarian

Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto With Frizzled Sage and Brown Butter

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

While you don’t need dairy to make a good risotto, we love the nutty note that browned butter brings to this recipe made with seasonal ingredients like roasted squash, apple, sage, and maple syrup. Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out our umami-rich mushroom risotto or striking radicchio variation.

Get the recipe for Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto With Frizzled Sage and Brown Butter »

The Best Spinach Lasagna

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

A hearty lasagna is incredibly comforting on a winter day. As much as I love a meaty lasagna bolognese, creamy spinach lasagna is classic for good reason. The sautéed spinach works perfectly with white sauce, high-quality ricotta, and a pinch of nutmeg. To make a spinach lasagna that might be even better, try adding mushroom duxelles into the mix.

Get the recipe for The Best Spinach Lasagna »

Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Mushroom Lasagna

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Spinach isn’t your only option when it comes to vegetarian lasagna—this recipe pairs mushroom duxelles, béchamel, and cheese with nutty creamed Brussels sprouts. Or for something even more festive, use the same flavors from our butternut squash risotto to make a warming, sweet-but-not-too-sweet squash lasagna.

Get the recipe for Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Mushroom Lasagna »

Homemade Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter Sauce

[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

Homemade pasta is sure to impress at the holidays, and ravioli is an approachable option if you don’t have a ton of experience. This recipe fills the ravioli with a sweet and funky mixture of butternut squash and blue cheese and serves them in a sage and browned butter sauce. Already a pasta pro? Our elegant mushroom tortellini will amaze your guests.

Get the recipe for Homemade Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter Sauce »

Baked Ziti With Two Mozzarellas and Parmesan Cream Sauce

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

As comforting as lasagna but simpler to make, our baked ziti requires just half an hour of hands-on work. A lot of ziti is ruined by bad ricotta, so we leave it out in favor of Parmesan cream sauce. We make the dish extra cheesy with two different kinds of mozzarella—we mix low-moisture mozzarella in with the pasta and use the fresh stuff on top.

Get the recipe for Baked Ziti With Two Mozzarellas and Parmesan Cream Sauce »

Vegetarian Maqluba (Rice Layered With Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Cauliflower)

[Photograph: Lauren Rothman]

Growing up in a Palestinian-American house the holidays weren’t complete without a huge pot of maqluba. My family usually makes the dish with lamb, but to be honest the best part is the assortment of tender vegetables. Here that means tomato, cauliflower, and eggplant seasoned with allspice, cumin, turmeric, and coriander.

Get the recipe for Vegetarian Maqluba (Rice Layered With Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Cauliflower) »

Stovetop Eggplant With Harissa, Chickpeas, and Cumin Yogurt

[Photograph: Yasmin Fahr]

Mains don’t have to be time-consuming to be festive—this one comes together in half an hour with just a single skillet. We start by cooking small eggplants whole on the stove to fry the outside and steam the inside, then add canned chickpeas and cherry tomatoes. Once the tomatoes have cooked down into a sauce serve everything with cumin-spiked yogurt.

Get the recipe for Stovetop Eggplant With Harissa, Chickpeas, and Cumin Yogurt »

Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

The key to the best spinach manicotti is getting rid of the manicotti—dried manicotti shells are a pain to fill and don’t have as good of a texture as fresh pasta. The spinach also turns out to be less necessary than the name of the dish might suggest—we cut it with arugula to give the dish a stronger leafy-green flavor. Looking for another filled pasta? Check out our classic stuffed shells.

Get the recipe for Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti »

Baked Acorn Squash With Wild Rice, Pecan, and Cranberry Stuffing

[Photograph: Lauren Rothman]

Whole stuffed acorn squash is sure to fill you up and makes for a striking centerpiece. We fill the squash with a mixture of white and wild rice, nutty toasted pecans, and tart dried cranberries, plus salty ricotta salata cheese for contrast.

Get the recipe for Baked Acorn Squash With Wild Rice, Pecan, and Cranberry Stuffing »

Modern Baked Mac and Cheese With Cheddar and Gruyère

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Baked mac and cheese is often a side at a big holiday meal, but I think it's filling enough to be the main event. You could go with a classic béchamel-based version, but for something extra gooey try our more modern take, which uses sodium citrate to give any cheese the superb melting abilities of American. Whichever technique you use, don't forget the crunchy panko topping.

Get the recipe for Modern Baked Mac and Cheese With Cheddar and Gruyère »