If you have been looking for the perfect, cheesy, gooey, saucy, vegan lasagna, look no further! Layers of noodles, tofu ricotta, homemade marinara, and the perfect vegan mozzarella sauce make this lasagna the best vegan lasagna I have had, hands down!
It’s my go to dish to bake up for all of our non vegan friends and family, because no one ever even knows its vegan! We are house divided where lasagna is concerned, some preferring veggie lasagna, and others a classic “meaty” lasagna. So I have given instruction on making this lasagna 2 ways! Because two kinds of lasagna are always better than one!! Right?!?!?
If you are looking for a mini version that is perfect for meal prep, check out the links below for our Muffin cup lasagna, and ourLasagna stuffed peppers!! The lasagna cups are perfect for easy meal prep. Just bake them in a muffin tin and freeze. Pop out what you need later and reheat!! Easy Peasy!
I am telling you, you will never want to use store bought shredded mozzarella again after using this perfect cheese sauce. It’s super easy to whip up, and gets ooey gooey, bubbly, and browns. Its magic and it is staple in our house for so many recipes! Sometimes, like right now with this vegan lasagna, the secret is in the sauce!
So bake up a pan for yourself, and one for a neighbor or friend. They will be so thankful for a night off from cooking and so impressed that this lasagna is actually vegan! I always say the way to convince someone that vegan food is just a delicious, if not more, than the non vegan version is by sharing it!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 box lasagna noodles (regular or gluten free) DO NOT BOIL THE NOODLES. We will be using them dry in the recipe. This works fine, and there is no need to boil them first. Do not use “no boil” noodles. They typically contain eggs. Just use regular lasagna noodles.
Tofu Ricotta:
1 package extra firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons miso paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1. Add the onion to a high speed blender or food processor and blend for a minute to mince up. Add remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth.
White Cheese Sauce:
1 cup of cashews (soaked in hot water a few hours, or coved in water and microwaved 3 minutes)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup corn, or tapioca starch
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1.Drain cashews. Add cashews and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth and liquified. Make sure there are no little bits of cashews left.
2. Add the mixture to a medium sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat, whisking continuously. The mixture will go from liquid to thick very quickly so do not stop stirring! You want the cheese sauce to be the constancy of a thick pudding. If it gets clumpy or too thick, you can add a little more water to the pan and it will thin back out.
The Sauce:
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)
4 cups raw spinach (optional)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
splash or 2 of red wine (optional)
“Meaty” option:
If you would rather have a ‘meaty” sauce, you could omit the carrot, pepper, and mushroom, spinach, and add a bag of meatless crumbles, or even use 2-3 Beyond Beef brand burgers. Simply thaw them ,and cook as you would ground meat before adding to the sauce.
In a large sauce pan, sauté all of the veggies and garlic in a few teaspoons of oil until tender. if using spinach, add it last and let it cook down for a few minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.
Add Wine and let cook for a minute
Add both cans of tomatoes, and spices, and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start by adding a little sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
Add a layer of noodles. Next, spread a nice sized scoop of tofu ricotta over the noodles, followed by marinara, then a layer of cheese sauce.
Repeat layers until you have used up all of the ingredients.
Make sure the top layer is the white cheese sauce. You can add some Italian seasoning to the cheese sauce if you like before you bake.
Cover with foil a and bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes. Remove the foil after about 20 minutes so the top can begin to brown . If you have filled the pan to the top you might want to put it on a baking sheet, incase it decides to bubble over.
Let lasagna cool a bit before before cutting, and serving.
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