Tofu Ricotta Lasagna
A vegan lasagna made with fluffy, herby tofu ricotta and an aromatic tomato sauce that's packed with vegetables. This Tofu Ricotta Lasagna is surprisingly light and fresh!
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- Food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
Tofu Ricotta
- 14 ounce block extra firm tofu
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 cup diced vegetables mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, etc.
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes plus extra for assembling
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
Lasagna
- 12 lasagna noodles boiled if needed
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup fresh basil and/or parsley
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast optional
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. If your lasagna noodles need to be boiled, follow package instructions for this at this time, cooking the noodles while moving on to the next step here.
Tofu Ricotta
- Add all of the Tofu Ricotta ingredients to a food processor. Turn the speed to high and blend for a few seconds. Repeat 1-3 more times until desired consistency. The ricotta should be well combined, but not so smooth and creamy that it turns green from the basil. You want it to be mixed, but with fresh pieces of basil still in tact. Alternatively you can simply use the pulse button a few times until reaching desired consistency.
Sauce
- Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the garlic and spices (red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, pepper). Cook for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic or spices. You can always turn the heat down a bit if needed.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and the cup of diced vegetables. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring everything together. Then add the crushed tomatoes and marinara sauce. Bring the pan to a bubbling simmer by turning the heat up a little. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer for at least 5 minutes. You can simmer for even longer to let the flavors build—if you have the time!
Lasagna
- Add a layer of the sauce to a casserole baking dish. Just enough to cover the bottom.
- Arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread a few spoonfuls of ricotta over each noodle.
- Repeat this process twice more, following the order of sauce, then noodles, then ricotta.
- In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and vegan parmesan/nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes if using. Use a spoon to sprinkle this breadcrumb mixture over top of the lasagna. It won't cover the entire lasagna, so sprinkle it evenly throughout.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.