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 Vegan Spinach Lasagna:
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 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.
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
Heather
September 7, 2018 at 3:39 amThis 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!
Jackie
October 1, 2018 at 12:32 amAbsolutely delicious recipe! 5 stars for taste! It took a bit longer than 50 mins, popped it in for a further 15 mins. Can’t wait to take some to work for lunch and make all my colleagues jealous!
florentina
October 3, 2018 at 1:05 amI just made it again myself at my husband’s request. It took mine 50 minutes in the oven but I make sure to preheat the oven for a good 30 minutes so maybe that’s a temperature difference why yours took longer. I noticed ovens vary so much from brand to brand and even location. So happy you loved it 🙂
Joyce
October 12, 2018 at 1:25 amThank you for this delicious recipe, it is amazing! I made it for dinner and my non vegan husband loved it! FYI…the cashew ricotta recipe is soooooo yummy! I made garlic bread and served it with a small dish of the ricotta and marinara for dipping! Thanks again for sharing!
florentina
October 13, 2018 at 4:47 amSoooo happy, doing the happy dance over here fr you! Enjoy!
Erica Cheek
October 15, 2018 at 6:42 amVery good. I made my ricotta from blanched almonds and topped with Dayia moxx.
florentina
October 18, 2018 at 11:09 pmSounds delicious, i have to try the almond ricotta version!
Patty Ball
November 2, 2018 at 3:50 amI made this recipe exactly as is, and my husband and I absolutely LOVED it! Such wonderful flavors! Love the easy sauce recipe and love the ricotta recipe! This recipe is a real keeper! So happy I have found a “company dish” to make for non-WFPB friends and family! Thank you!!!!!
Janet
December 27, 2018 at 4:26 pmMy husband made this last night and we loved it but is it really only two layers of lasagne noodles?
florentina
December 29, 2018 at 5:39 amSo happy you guys loved the lasagna. Yes I only used two layers of noodles but of course you can adapt it and go as tall as you like 🙂
cat
January 1, 2019 at 8:55 pmThank you. Can you freeze it before you bake it?
cat
January 1, 2019 at 8:54 pmCan you make this ahead of time and freeze it before you bake it? I bought all the stuff to make it, but my plans changed and don’t want the mushrooms to go bad!
florentina
January 1, 2019 at 9:14 pmYou can definitely bake it and freeze it, haven’t tried freezing it before baking..Let me know how it goes!
Stephanie
January 15, 2019 at 2:29 amI made this recipe last night and IT WAS AMAZING!!! I have been craving lasagna forever and this recipe was easy to follow AND delicious. I just made half of the recipe and it was still a very large amount. I will definitely make this again for dinner and maybe even bring it to a party it was so good! I did not add the smoked vegan gouda on top…just went with tomato slices and it was perfect.
florentina
January 16, 2019 at 8:08 amThat’s awesome Stephanie, so happy you love the lasagna! I make it for every major holiday now by popular demand, you can even prep it all in advance and bake before you serve Xo’s ~ Florentina
Steph
March 3, 2019 at 8:50 amLike the others said, this lasagna is AMAZING, I’ll be making it over and over again forever and my kids now eat lentil noodles without protest. Mom wins, thank you for all the fabulous recipes.
Tina
May 16, 2019 at 2:16 amI LOVE LOVE this recipe! The sauce is so good – SO GOOD! The Ricotta is something I will use in all kinds of ways. Also, I should say – I am NO CHEF, like I’m real bad in the kitchen and I made this easily. I used artichoke hearts instead of mushrooms and it’s amazing! The tip of nutmeg on the ricotta also really made it amazing. I’ll make this often! THANK YOU!!!
florentina
February 5, 2019 at 3:22 amHaha, seriously what was up with that? Give me more garlic bread and a good movie lol