A Vegan’s Favorite Vegan Lasagna with Vegan Tofu
Aw-wee-oo! Killer tofu! Okay, so this lasagna may not actually kill you, but the taste is killer. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Doug Funnie would approve. (Even if it doesn’t contain mayonnaise. Ba-dum-bump.) The best part about it is that it’s vegan, which means you get to talk about being vegan for hours on end, just like every other vegan you know. So let’s give your vegan friends another excuse to hijack the conversation by preparing and bringing over this vegan lasagna.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 4 cups tomato sauce
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 15 lasagna noodles from a 1-pound box
- 1 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ⅓ cup oat milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves julienned
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Bring a medium saucepot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the lentils and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain and return to the saucepot.
- Add the tomato sauce and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, until the lentils begin to break down.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions.
- Drain and set aside in a single layer so they do not stick together.
- In a food processor, combine the tofu, garlic, nutritional yeast, oat milk, olive oil, lemon juice, and nutmeg.
- Process until smooth and the consistency resembles ricotta cheese.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add the spinach.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- To assemble, spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Top with 5 lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping them.
- Add half of the tofu mixture and top with a layer of noodles.
- Add a layer of sauce and repeat, ending with a layer of noodles covered with a layer of sauce.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with the basil, slice, and serve.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
If you’re craving a little bit more “cheese,” you can always add nondairy mozzarella to the layers.
THE MORE YOU GLOW
To up the protein in the lasagna, I added red lentils. Red lentils have 24 grams of protein per 1 cup cooked. They break down in the sauce and are nearly undetectable.
Tofu acts as a great “faux” ricotta in this lasagna. It is also a great source of protein, with 37 grams per pound.
Tofu acts as a great “faux” ricotta in this lasagna. It is also a great source of protein, with 37 grams per pound.