best vegan lasagna

Luxurious layers of rich, red marinara sauce, thick decadent bechamel white sauce, meaty-spinach-onion filling stuffed between 3 layers of tender lasagna noodles and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Devoured by vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike each bite is pure  blissful perfection!!

Epic Vegan Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce

cashews,

water

garlic,

9-12 lasagna noodles, cooked***

marinara sauce

olive oil oil

onions, diced

dry oregano

tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

300 gram packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

Gardein Beefless Crumbles

tbsp butter, dairy-free

tbsp flour

cashew milk (creamo)

salt (to taste)

mozzarella,

parsley-basil, chopped

hot pepper flakes, optional

In a high-speed blender add 1 cup raw cashews and 2 cups hot water, 1 large garlic clove, 1/2 tsp coarse salt.

Blend until smooth ~ 1 minute. Should be the consistency of whipping cream (thick milk).

Cashew Creamo (3 minutes)

Thaw frozen spinach by placing the packages in a sink of hot water or follow instructions on package.

Once thawed, remove from package and squeeze all water from the spinach. Set aside.

Spinach

Make the lasagna noodles as per package directions (but undercook by 3 minutes of recommended time).

Drain, rinse, and lay flat to cool. Pro Tip: if the noodles stick, curl or get hard before you use them, rinse them in warm water and pat dry.

*Cook 12 noodles (they will overlap) or 9 noodles (they will just touch) in an 8x11&quot; lasagna pan.

Lasagna Noodles (~10 minutes)

Make Marinara Sauce or use store bought.

Time saver - buy 2 jars (approximately 6 cups) of your favorite marinara or red sauce. I like the Rao brand.

RICH RED MARINARA SAUCE (~40 minutes from scratch, 5 minutes store bought)

Sauté onion and garlic in oil (or a splash of broth if oil-free) in a large skillet over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant (5-8 minutes).

Season with oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.

Add the drained spinach, and the Gardein beefless crumbles - mix well to incorporate.

Stir in 1/2 - 3/4 cup of red sauce then remove remove from heat.

No need to cook the beefless crumbles through as they will cook in the oven.

MEATY SPINACH FILLING (8-10 minutes)

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes which will form a thick paste (roux) and cooks off the flour.

Gradually add in cashew milk (creamo) stirring the whole time so it doesn&#39;t get lumpy or scorch.

Stir in 1/2 tsp of salt.

The sauce will start to thicken quickly (reduce heat if necessary). Continue stirring until the consistency of custard.

Pro Tip: this is not the time to multi-task - the sauce goes fast and can scorch easily!Remove from heat.

BECHAMEL WHITE SAUCE (4-6 minutes)

To assemble, spread 1 cup red sauce around the bottom of the 9x11&quot; lasagna pan.

Add a layer of cooked lasagna noodles (3-4).

Spread the meaty-spinach filling over the noodles - pressing down with the back of a spoon.

Add a sprinkle (2 tbsp) of grated mozzarella or parmesan (optional).

Add another layer of noodles.

Spread béchamel evenly over the noodles then swirl with 1 cup of red sauce.

Top with the last layer of noodles and cover with about 2 cups of red sauce.

Evenly space 9-12 mozzarella squares or small piles of shredded mozza cheese.

LAYERING THE LASAGNA - Preheat oven to 375º F (5 minutes)

Cover with foil (tented) and place in preheated 375º F oven (center rack) for ~40 minutes (until hot and bubbly).

Remove the foil and turn heat to broil for five minutes to brown the cheese.

Let cool for 15 minutes to set before cutting.

Sprinkle with chopped basil-parsley and hot pepper flakes.

Serve with any remaining red sauce and vegan parmesan on the side.

BAKING THE LASAGNA (40 - 45 minutes)

This Vegan Lasagna is made with a robust mushroom-spinach bolognese sauce, fresh basil, vegan ricotta and no-boil lasagna noodles topped off with a creamy marinara sauce, drizzled with Arugula Basil Pesto. Vegan comfort food at its best! READ NOTES.

Vegan Lasagna

cashews

onion,

4-8 garlic cloves, rough chopped

lb mushrooms, sliced (see notes

red bell pepper, chopped

fennel seeds (optional)

salt

pepper

baby spinach

additions: cooked lentils, vegan ground meat

———

basil ribbons, divided

tofu (firm or extra firm- do not use silken)

olive oil

garlic garlic

nutritional yeast flakes

nutmeg

basil

Simmer Cashews

 (or soak in cold water 4-8 hours) Place cashews in a small pot, cover with 1 cup water, bring to simmer, cover, simmer 10 minutes, turn heat off, leave covered so they soften. At the same time, start the Mushroom Bolognese.

Make the Mushroom Bolognese

Heat oil in an extra-large skillet. Saute the onion 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic, lower heat to medium, and saute 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, red bell pepper,  salt pepper and fennel seeds, and saute until mushrooms release their liquid, and begin to caramelize about 10-15 minutes. Deglaze with red wine if you like, cooking it all off. Stir in the spinach, wilting.

Reserve 1 cup of marinara sauce, and put this in a blender.  Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of marinara sauce to the mushroom mixture, stirring it in. Rinse the jar with 1/2 cup water and pour this into the bolognese. Bring to a simmer, for 2-3 minutes, season to your liking, adding salt and pepper if you like. If using a sugar-free marinara, a couple teaspoons of maple syrup is nice here. If it lacks depth, you could stir in a little a miso paste. Every jar of marinara is different, so make sure it is flavorful and &#8220;saucy&#8221; enough to cook the lasagna noodles. If it seems dry, add a little more water.

Creamy Marinara

Add the 1 cup marinara to the blender, along with drained cashews and 1/3 cup water. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. All together in the blender, you should have about 2 cups- so add more water if need be. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Blend until very creamy and smooth, a full minute. This will be used on the top and bottom of the lasagna.

Make the Tofu Ricotta

Place everything in a food processor and pulse, scraping down sides, Pulse until combined and creamy but not overly smooth.

Assemble: 

Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish with spray oil or olive oil.   Pour 1 cup of the blended Creamy Marinara Sauce in the bottom, enough to lightly coat. Layer 4 lasagna noodles. Spread out half of the mushroom bolognese. Dot with half of the tofu ricotta. (Feel free to add meltable vegan cheese here if you like). Sprinkle with a third of the basil ribbons. Repeat: add 4 lasagna noodles, the remaining mushroom bolognese,  the remaining tofu ricotta, (optional vegan cheese) and 1/3 of the basil ribbons. Top with the final layer of lasagna noodles, pressing down a bit to create a level base. Cover with the remaining blender sauce. Cover tightly with foil. If the lasagna touches the foil, place a piece of parchment between the lasagna and foil. At this point, you could refrigerate and bake 1-4 days later (letting it come to room temp first).

BAKE

Place in the middle of the oven and bake 50-60 minutes. While it is baking, make the Arugula Pesto.

Remove the foil, test with a knife to see if pasta is tender, all the way through. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon a little of the Arugula Pesto over top and sprinkle with remaining basil ribbons.

As good as it gets! All the yummy, cheesy, deliciousness sans meat. This is a keeper recipe folks!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/jRtvzuhV.mp4

This Vegan Lasagna is made with a robust Mushroom Bolognese Sauce, fresh basil, vegan ricotta and no-boil lasagna noodles, topped off with a creamy marinara sauce, drizzled with Arugula Pesto. Vegan comfort food at its tastiest! Video!

vegan lasagna bolognese video 

Vegan white sauce lasagna is layered with onions, mushrooms and spinach in a creamy white sauce and topped with vegan parmesan cheese. This is comfort food taken to the next level. Dig in and taste the splendor.

Vegan White Sauce Lasagna

onion

garlic (minced)

mushrooms (sliced thin)

(organic spinach)

shallot (minced (cut smaller than diced))

garlic (minced (fresh is best))

dry white wine

vegetable broth (divided)

raw cashews (or sub white beans, silken tofu

Nutritional Yeast

Dijon mustard

garlic powder

onion powder

According to the package instructions, cook lasagna noodles, or use pre-baked vegan lasagna noodles.

In a large skillet, saute the garlic and onions until translucent.

Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until brown.

If the mushrooms begin to stick, add a little vegetable broth and cook until the fluid dissipates.

Now add the spinach, a large handful at a time, stirring into the hot vegetables,

Continue adding spinach, and then add 1/2 cup vegetable broth, which will help wilt the remaining spinach.

Remove the onion, mushroom, and spinach mixture from the heat, and set aside.

Lasagna

In a skillet, saute garlic, shallots, and onions until translucent.

Add the wine and cook it down for about 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth, and continue to cook, reducing the heat to simmer.

In the meantime, combine the raw cashews (or substitute white beans, silken tofu, flour of choice, or gluten-free flour), nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, dijon mustard, and 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth in a high-speed blender.

Blend until smooth.

Now, turn the heat up to medium on the pan with the onion mixture.

Slowly add the contents of the blender, whisking as you add.

As the mixture heats, it thickens.

Remove the white sauce from the heat and allow it to cook.

White Sauce

In a 9 X 13-inch casserole dish, pour 1/2 cup vegetable broth in the pan&#39;s base.

Layer the cooked or pre-baked noodles, overlapping them slightly in the pan, and covering the bottom.

Pour a thin layer of white sauce on the noodles, and spread it across them. I use a one-cup measuring to make it easier.

Now, add a layer of mushroom spinach on top of the sauce.

Next, add another layer of noodles and continue the layering until the sauce is the top layer.

Layering the Lasagna

Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese

Optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cover and cook for 25 minutes; then remove the cover and cook another 10 minutes uncovered.

Or, cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Bake ahead of time, cool completely, refrigerate until the next day, and reheat so the flavors develop.

Completely cooked, allow to set up, and cut pieces to freeze individually. 

Baking/Freezing/Cooking ahead of time

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