If mushrooms aren’t really your thing just replace them with artichoke hearts. So you’ll have a spinach and artichoke version instead. Wonderful! You’ll still be getting your greens from comfort food, can’t beat that now, can ya ?! 😉
The lasagna itself is actually WFPB, so yes oil-free you guys! However, I did add a last layer of the smoked gouda cheese from Follow your Heart which does contain oil. That being said, if you are on a strict WFPB diet just omit this cheese layer and keep it super healthy.
Regardless, this Vegan Spinach Lasagna is the Best:
I wish I could say this was also a quick meal, but in all honesty it needs some prep work.
The good news is that you can make your sauce, the ricotta and all the fillings in advance, even assemble your lasagna the day before and pop it in the oven when you want to enjoy it. So you can prep it on Sunday then have fabulous lunches for the week ahead and make all your coworkers super jelly when you heat this baby up in the lunch room. Ha!
How to Make It:
Vegan Ricotta Spinach Lasagna
Packed with comforting textures from a creamy cashew ricotta cheese filling and lots of flavor from mushrooms, spinach and a homemade San Marzano tomato sauce, this vegan lasagna is the absolute best!
Ingredients
- 4.25 cups San Marzano Tomato Sauce
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 1 lb mushrooms -sliced ( or canned artichoke hearts)
- 1/2 onion -diced
- 12 oz no boil lentil lasagna noodles
- 6 oz vegan smoked Gouda cheese slices ( Follow Your Heart) - OPTIONAL
- 1 large heirloom tomato -sliced
- 1/3 cup basil leaves (for garnish)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Cashew Ricotta Cheese
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 3/4 cups water
- 1 lemon -juiced
- 2 cloves garlic -grated
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the tomato sauce in advance.
Make the Cashew Ricotta:
Rinse and soak the cashew for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse again then add them to a powerful blender (or food processor) together with all the ingredients. Process until creamy and smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat oven to 400”F.
Heat up a large skillet over medium flame. Add a splash of water and sautée the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms and cook together another 10 minutes or so until wilted and the water has evaporated. Taste and season with sea salt. Set aside until needed.
In the same skillet add another teaspoon of water and add the spinach. Sautee until wilted then season with a tiny pinch of sea salt. Transfer to a colander to drain. Once cool enough to handle use your hands to squeeze as much of the liquid as possible. Set aside.
Brig out your lasagna pan ( 8X12 works fine) and spread 1.5 cups of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Layer enough of the lasagna noodles to slightly overlap each other and cover the bottom. You might need to break a couple of them to fill in any gaps on the sides depending on the shape of your pan.
Add the cashew ricotta over the top and spread it across in an even layer. (Sprinkle with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg at this point if desired).
Top with the sautéed spinach and mushrooms then add 1.25 cups of the tomato sauce.
Add another layer of the lasagna noodles slightly overlapping each other and finish with a layer of the remaining sauce.
Finish with a layer of the vegan smoked gouda on top and the sliced heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and red pepper flakes.
Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil ( or a lid) and transfer it to the preheated oven for 45 - 50 minutes until the noodles have cooked through.
Allow to cool and set for a good 15 minutes before serving with the fresh basil on top.
Recipe Notes
- If you are using cooked lasagna noodles instead of the no bake lentil or whole wheat noodles, you can cut back on the baking time to about 25 minutes, just enough for the flavors to marry and the cheese to melt.
- If you are on a WFPB oil-free diet simply omit the final smoked gouda cheese layer and your lasagna will be oil-free.
Healthy Pasta:
Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta
Creamy Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce
Vegan Puttanesca Sauce
This is an amazing lasagna recipe, made it twice already and i plan to make it once a week from now on. Definitely making my own sauce too with the San Marzano Tomatoes, just a perfect recipe, thank you!