Gratifying and luscious layers are on full display with my vegan lasagna recipe. I load this classic and comforting dinner up with vegetables and French lentils in the sauce, similar to my slightly speedier vegan skillet lasagna recipe. Heavily seasoned firm tofu and cashews come together for a creamy substitute for traditional ricotta.
I absolutely filled this recipe with so many vegetables. The sauce is amped up with finely diced veg and I have you cook down a big tub of baby spinach with garlic. Each slice is so hearty! I had this idea in mind that if someone wanted to skip the noodles, this vegan lasagna would still hold up. It does thanks to layers of thinly shaved zucchini and butternut squash! But let me make it clear: I do prefer making it with noodles as they soak up the sauce perfectly.
I tested a version of this with lots of basil in the tofu cashew ricotta filling, thinking we would get a pesto-kinda vibe. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I didn’t love it! The herb kind of zapped the naturally creamy quality to me. Scattering chopped fresh basil on top gets the job done and also helps to glam up the finished look.
I keep the overall flavor and structure pretty faithful here. This bake is all the way comforting, really similar to my lentil bolognese!
The thing that I always get stuck on with lasagna personally is the structure/order of the layers. It just mixes me up and I second guess myself every time! I’ve typed out each layer as a recipe step within its own section. Hopefully that’s easier to understand and work with!
Hope you love my take on this cozy main. The smell as it’s baking is truly so tantalizing!
The layers:
Vegan Lasagna with Tofu Cashew Ricotta & Extra Veggies
Ingredients
Tofu Cashew Ricotta
- 1 lb (454 grams) firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup water, plus extra
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons light miso
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- salt and pepper, to taste
Lasagna
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups (312 grams/11 oz tub) baby spinach
- ¼ cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 medium shallot, small dice
- 1 medium carrot, small dice
- small bulb fennel, core removed and diced small
- 2 cups cooked French lentils (see note)
- 4 cups tomato sauce (see note)
- 1 medium zucchini (about 250 grams), ends trimmed
- 1 small butternut squash (about 750 grams), ends trimmed and peeled (see note)
- oven-ready lasagna noodles (see note)
- chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- vegan parmesan, optional, for garnish
Equipment
- Mandoline Slicer
Notes
- I know that I show a blender in my photos for the ricotta, but a food processor is the better option here. The mixture is simply too thick to universally recommend using any type of blender!
- ¾ cup dry French lentils will give you 2 cups cooked.
- I call for jarred tomato sauce because you’re already making the ricotta portion from scratch and there’s just a lot of chopping. It’s okay to take shortcuts when you can! Just make sure you’re using a tomato sauce that you love the flavor of on its own. I like Rao’s and here in Canada, the PC Black Label line of tomato sauce is excellent.
- I recommend choosing a butternut squash that’s all neck and minimal bulb because that’s the part we’re using here.
- When I say paper thin slices on the zucchini and squash slices, I do mean paper thin. Using a sharp mandoline slicer is essential. You do not want a crunchy middle vegetable layer!
- I like the oven-ready lasagna noodles by Garofalo. I use about 12 of the squat rectangles in a 9×13 lasagna. You have to break a few of them up to fit.
- Just be mindful of the salt and pepper used in between the layers. I like a little bit on the veg layers, but it can be easy to overdo it!
Instructions
- Please read through all ingredients, steps, and notes before starting on the recipe!
Make the ricotta
- In a food processor, combine the tofu, drained cashews, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, water, olive oil, miso, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Run the motor on high until you have a smooth and pasty mix. Add more water if necessary by the tablespoon. Once done, check the ricotta for seasoning and set aside.
Cook the spinach
- Place a large pot on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the minced garlic. Turn the heat to medium. Stir the garlic. Once it’s sizzling a bit, add all of the spinach at once and the water. Close the lid on top. Let the spinach steam until it’s wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using tongs, remove the cooked spinach to a plate. Set aside.
Make the lentil and veg sauce
- Wipe out the large pot and place it back on the stove on medium heat. Pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the shallot, carrot, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are very soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the lentils and stir. Add the jarred tomato sauce and stir once more. Turn the heat off and set aside.
Assemble the lasagna
- Using a mandoline, shave the zucchini and butternut squash into nice, paper thin slices. Place them on a plate.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- On the counter, set out a 9×13 baking dish, the shaved zucchini and squash, salt and pepper, lentil and veg sauce, the cooked spinach, tofu cashew ricotta, and lasagna noodles.
The order of the layers from the bottom up. Spread out/arrange everything as evenly as possible
- ⅓ of the lentil and veg sauce
- ½ of the shaved zucchini
- salt and pepper
- ½ of the shaved butternut squash
- salt and pepper
- Scant ½ of the tofu cashew ricotta
- ½ of the cooked spinach
- Lasagna noodles to cover
- ⅓ of the lentil and veg sauce
- ½ of the shaved zucchini
- salt and pepper
- ½ of the shaved butternut squash
- salt and pepper
- Scant ½ of the tofu cashew ricotta
- ½ of the cooked spinach
- Lasagna noodles to cover
- ⅓ of the lentil and veg sauce
- Remaining tofu cashew ricotta (I like to do little dollops on top)
Bake the lasagna
- Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake the lasagna for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Then, remove the foil and bake another 10-12 minutes to dry up the top a bit.
- Garnish with chopped basil and vegan parmesan if you like. I like to let the lasagna cool 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Just came out of the oven & hard to wait cutting into for a slice. I used 2-24 ounces Trader Joe’s basil pasta sauce for the tomato sauce. Also placed a row of noodles on the bottom of the pan along with some sauce to make an extra row of noodles & provide a firm base to build the other two layers. Prepped the cashew tofu ricotta & lentil veggie sauce the night before to provide a quick finishing prep day 2. This is delicious and hands down the best vegan lasagna I’ve had. Thank you, Laura.
This was a total hit at my yoga studio holiday party! Everyoneeee absolutely loved it. And I even had enough leftovers for everyone in my family to try it after it made its rounds at the party. Highly recommend.
Looks amazing! Can i prepare the lasagna and refrigerate for 24 hours before baking?
Yes you can!
-L
I made this today and it was amazing! I usually don’t enjoy vegan lasagna – typically I find it disappointing. But I trust Laura’s recipes, and all of the ingredients sounded so good, I gave it a try. I made it exactly as the recipe is written, other than going light on the nutritional yeast because I don’t love it, and light on the salt to avoid overdoing it with the multiple layers being salted. I will definitely be making this again!
Well I don’t know what happened but I ended up with enough ingredients prepared for two pans!
More for me!
The sauce is yummy as is the ricotta… can’t wait for it to come out of the oven.
Brilliant as always, Laura! This was a huge hit for us. It’s a well rounded meal on its own with all the spinach, veggies, and two plant proteins from the lentils and tofu. There’s a lot of salting throughout the process which I appreciate, but we over did it a bit so be mindful because it adds up.
Could I sub eggplant for the butternut squash? Would the cooking be similar?
I think thinly sliced eggplant would work here! Cooking time would be the same.
-L
Can you freeze once baked?
You can! Thawed and reheated cooked lasagna tends to be a bit more dry as the noodles absorb a lot more liquid, but it still holds up great.
-L
This looks absolutely delicious and I cannot wait to try it. Do you think GF lasagna noodles will work here? Thanks for all your great recipes!
Yes, GF noodles will work fine here! As long as they are the oven-ready type. If not, you’ll need to cook them first before layering in.
-L