The Best Vegan Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 3 cup water (For cooking the lentils)
• 50 oz marinara sauce (Two 25-ounce jars)
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 14.5 oz firm tofu (Patted dry)
• 0.5 cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (From about 2 lemons)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp oregano (Dried)
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 3 cup baby spinach
• 1 lasagna noodles (1 box, about 12 noodles; regular, gluten-free, or whole-grain; uncooked)
• 2 recipe Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Double recipe; alternatively use 2–3 cups shredded vegan mozzarella)

Steps

1. 1

   Put the dried red lentils and 3 cups of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils through a fine strainer, return them to the pot, and stir in the marinara sauce. Set aside.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

3. 3

   Make the cashew-tofu ricotta: Process the cashews in a food processor until fine and crumbly.

4. 4

   Add the tofu in chunks, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to the food processor. Pulse until well combined and fairly smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a few tablespoons of water. Set aside.

5. 5

   Spread about 1 cup of the lentil marinara evenly over the bottom of a large 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

6. 6

   Arrange 4–5 uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the ricotta over the noodles, then top with half of the spinach.

7. 7

   Spoon about 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the spinach, then arrange another 4–5 uncooked noodles on top.

8. 8

   Spread the remaining ricotta over the noodles, then add the remaining spinach.

9. 9

   Arrange 4–5 more uncooked noodles over the spinach. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top.

10. 10

    Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

11. 11

    While the lasagna bakes, make the vegan mozzarella cheese if using the homemade option. Alternatively, use 2–3 cups of store-bought shredded vegan mozzarella.

12. 12

    After 40 minutes, remove the foil. Spoon the mozzarella over the lasagna, or sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over it.

13. 13

    Return the lasagna to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 more minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

14. 14

    Refrigerate leftovers; they will keep for about 4 days.

Notes

The recipe allows regular, gluten-free, or whole-grain noodles. Leftovers keep refrigerated for about 4 days. The method refers to adding a few tablespoons of water to thin the ricotta if needed; no amount is specified, so it is not included as a measured ingredient. Serve with vegan garlic bread, salad, or cooked vegetables, as suggested in the article.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegan
• dairy-free
• egg-free
• comfort food
• baked
• make-ahead
• gluten-free option