This lasagna recipe encompasses all the best parts of a traditional lasagna- CHEESY and SAUCY! Made with a chickpea and tofu ricotta, and any of your favorite vegetables you already have in your kitchen, you will not be disappointed with this classic favorite dish.
So, not going to lie about this one. Making this lasagna is kind of a labor of love.... But it's so worth it! The finished product was roommate-approved and once you take you first bite, you're in lasagna heaven. You can hardly tell a difference between this vegan ricotta cheese and the real thing. It holds up well in the oven and reheating for leftovers.
I personally like to go all out with this one by making the sauce from scratch. BUT there are options for shortcuts, like using hummus instead of blending your own chickpeas and using store-bought sauce instead of making your own sauce. I trust my from-scratch methods make it that much better, but it's totally up to you!
The finished product fresh out of the oven is worth every minute of prepping. So prepare to be amazed with this vegan lasagna and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
CHEESEY GARDEN VEGGIE LASAGNA
Prep Time 45 hour. Cook Time 35 mins. Serves 6-8
Layers:
Ricotta “Cheese”
· 1 14-oz. pkg extra firm tofu (no pressing needed!)
· 1 14-oz. cans chickpeas, drained (or use store bought hummus)
· ½ cup plant based milk
· 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
· 1-2 Tbspn red wine vinegaer (or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, to taste)
· 1 tspn garlic powder
· 1 Tbspn Italian seasoning
· ½ tspn salt
· ¼ tspn pepper
· Extra S+P to taste
Veggies
· Whatever you have in your kitchen! I used:
· 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
· 6 to 8-oz. fresh spinach, chopped
· 8-oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
· 1 zucchini, diced
· 1 yellow squash, diced
· ½ dried oregano
· S+P to taste
Sauce
· 2 24-oz jars of your favorite marinara sauce, OR:
· Make your favorite homemade sauce!
Noodles:
· 1 box vegan lasagna noodles, I used only half the box, approx. 9 noodles.
Optionals
· Fresh basil for topping
THE RECIPE:
1. Boil noodles by package instructions. When noodles are finished, drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
2. Make your ricotta mixture in a food processor. Roughly break pressed tofu blocks into chucks and add to food processor along with chickpeas, plant based milk, red wine vinegar, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and S+P. Blend for about 45 seconds until you reach the consistency of ricotta. Add more milk if more moisture is needed. Add seasoning, red wine vinegar, or S+P to desired taste. Set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables before they go into the lasagna to prevent the lasagna from being too watery. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Cook onions for about 3-4 minutes, add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and cook for about 5-6 minutes, adding the spinach into the mix in the last 1-2 minutes. Mix in oregano and S+P and then set aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F (about 177° C) and grab a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Start layering your lasagna with about 1 cup marinera sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Line lasagna noodles, followed by ½ of the ricotta mixture, followed by ½ of your cooked veggies (scoop out from pan to avoid juices), followed by 1 ½ cup marina sauce. Repeat this order for one more layer, and add your last noodles to the top layer. Pour the remaining sauce on top until the noodles are well coated to prevent the noodles from drying out in the oven
5. Baked for 30-35 minutes, or until you see the sauce bubbling. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Top with fresh basil and enjoy!
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