The No Boil Noodles:
Made with protein packed no boil lentil noodles, this lasagna is also gluten free, dairy-free, tofu-free and plant based. You could go for the whole wheat noodles if you prefer, whatever you choose just go for the “no boil” variety. I mean, why make extra work for yourself and precook the noodles right ?!
The Veggies:
I loaded up on both sauteed mushrooms and baby spinach to pack as much nutrition in every layer as possible. If mushrooms aren’t really your thing just replace them with artichoke hearts, so you’ll have a spinach and artichoke version instead.
If you want something different, zucchini, butternut squash or eggplant make a great filling too. Alternatively you can use this vegan bolognese sauce instead of all the veggies, keep everything else the same. Report back if you give that one a try.
The Cashew Ricotta Cheese
The magical ingredient in this lasagna is without a doubt my homemade vegan ricotta cheese. It can be prepared in advance together with all the fillings. You can even assemble your lasagna the day before, refrigerate then pop it in the oven when you want to serve it. 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.
How To Layer the Lasagna
- Start with a layer of the best tomato sauce and spread it on the bottom of the pan like a blanket.
- Cover with a layer of no boil noodles slightly overlapping each other until the entire bottom is covered.
- Spread the cashew ricotta over the top of the noodles.
- Add your veggies, in our case the mushrooms and spinach.
- Spread another layer of tomato sauce and cover with another layer of the no boil noodles.
- Cover with the remaining sauce spread evenly over the top.
- Optional: finish with a few slices of plant based Gouda cheese from Follow Your Heart and a few large slices of heirloom tomatoes.
I wish I could say this was also a super quick recipe, but as you can see it needs some prep work.
The Best Vegan Lasagna Ever:
Can You Freeze this Lasagna ?
Absolutely, you can wrap the dish in plastic wrap and freeze before or after baking it up to 6 months. Remember to thaw out in the refrigerator before reheating or baking.
note: this recipe is actually WFPB (whole food plant based), 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 or Plantricious diet just omit this cheese layer and keep it super healthy.
More Pasta Recipes to Try:
How to Make the Best Vegan Spinach Lasagna:
Best Vegan Lasagna with Spinach and Ricotta
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 with hot water for 20 minutes. 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.
- This recipe is actually WFPB (whole food plant based) + Plantricious. However you must omit the top vegan cheese layer to stay compliant.
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.
Nutrition
Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta
Vegan Zuppa Toscana
Vegan Puttanesca Sauce
