Vegan White Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews (For the Alfredo sauce)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (For the Alfredo sauce)
• 0.5 yellow onion (Medium; chopped, for the Alfredo sauce)
• 6 garlic (Large cloves; minced, for the Alfredo sauce)
• 15 oz cannellini beans (One can; drained and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (For the Alfredo sauce)
• 1 tsp salt (For the Alfredo sauce)
• 1 cup water (For blending the Alfredo sauce; additional water is used to soak the cashews)
• 16 oz frozen spinach (Thawed and drained; squeeze out excess liquid)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (For sautéing the filling)
• 0.5 yellow onion (Medium; chopped, for the filling)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms (Sliced or chopped)
• 4 garlic (Large cloves; minced)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup raw cashews (For the ricotta; alternatives listed by the source: raw slivered almonds or one additional block of tofu)
• 14.5 oz firm tofu (Drained; no need to press; cut into chunks)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (For the ricotta)
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt (Or to taste)
• 1 box lasagna noodles (About 12 large noodles; cook according to package instructions, or use no-boil noodles)
• 8 oz vegan mozzarella cheese (Shredded; optional, divided between the ricotta and topping)
• 0.5 cup vegan parmesan cheese (Optional; for topping)
• fresh parsley (Chopped, for serving; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Pour it over the Alfredo-sauce cashews and let them soak for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat the olive oil for the Alfredo sauce in a small pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, until fragrant and the onion is translucent, then remove the pan from the heat.

3. 3

   Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a high-powered blender with the cannellini beans, sautéed onion and garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and 1 cup water. Blend until very smooth; set the Alfredo sauce aside.

4. 4

   Thaw the spinach and squeeze out the excess liquid. Set it aside.

5. 5

   Warm the olive oil for the filling in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and mushrooms. Sauté for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. 6

   Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning to the pan. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

7. 7

   Stir the spinach into the mushroom mixture, then remove the pan from the heat.

8. 8

   Add the ricotta cashews to a food processor and process until fine and crumbly. Add the tofu chunks, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Pulse until well combined and smooth.

9. 9

   If using mozzarella, stir half of it into the ricotta mixture.

10. 10

    Stir the ricotta mixture into the mushroom-spinach mixture.

11. 11

    Preheat the oven to 400°F (about 200°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

12. 12

    Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Lay the cooked noodles on parchment paper to keep them from sticking, or use no-boil noodles instead.

13. 13

    Spoon about 1/2 cup of Alfredo sauce over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Arrange 4–5 noodles over the sauce, then spread half of the mushroom-spinach filling on top and drizzle with 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce.

14. 14

    Add another layer of noodles, then spread the remaining mushroom-spinach filling over them and drizzle with another 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce.

15. 15

    Finish with a final layer of noodles. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan, if using.

16. 16

    Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more.

17. 17

    Let the lasagna cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

For make-ahead preparation, assemble the lasagna, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake, no longer than 24 hours. Alternatively, prepare the Alfredo sauce and ricotta filling in advance and refrigerate them in separate containers. The source does not specify how much extra boiling water to use for soaking the cashews; the separate 1-cup water quantity is for blending. Optional filling variations mentioned in the article include kale, broccoli, frozen peas, zucchini, artichoke hearts, or sun-dried tomatoes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• vegan
• dairy-free
• baked
• comfort food
• make-ahead