Lasagna is a comforting internationally loved dish that was originally created by the ancient Greeks. Back then, it simply consisted of several layers of pasta and sauce. Later on, the Italians incorporated some of their traditional ingredients, such as ragù–meat sauce, cheese and béchamel. The modern Italian-American version of this popular and historic meal is made with ground meat or sausage, tomato sauce, and three types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. Sounds like an irresistible calorie-dense dinner bomb, doesn’t it?!
In GSU’s vegan lasagna recipe, texturized vegan protein is used instead of beef, a home made spinach-tofu ricotta replaces the tradicional rich and heavy cheeses, and a delicate rice milk béchamel tops the pasta casserole joining all of the flavors and textures into an exquisite vegan dinner favorite! We hope you love it!
♥NEW! Also try GSU’s gluten-free white vegan lasagna with plant-based chicken, vegetables, cheese and béchamel sauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to follow the instructions!
Ingredients, special tools, and preparation:
- 1/2 pound of oven-ready lasagna pasta sheets
- Blender or food processor
- A 3-quart (9” x 13”) pyrex or baking glass dish
- Foil
Spinach-Tofu Ricotta:
- A 16 oz package of tofu (drain all of the water)
- A bunch/plant of fresh spinach
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Optional: a garlic clove
PREPARATION:
- With a blender or food processor, blend spinach and tofu until you obtain a green paste.
- Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and olive oil, mix well, and set aside.
Béchamel sauce:
- 1/4 cup of corn starch or all-purpose flour
- 4 cups of rice milk
- A small square of Earth Balance butter (or a tablespoon of olive oil)
- Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
PREPARATION:
You can cook the béchamel sauce in a pot on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave.
- In a medium saucepan or microwave safe bowl, mix the corn starch with a little bit of water until you get a uniform paste without lumps.
- Add the rice milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg, mix well, and start cooking on medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid lumps from forming and to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot or bowl (if microwaving, pause and stir every 30-45”).
- Once the sauce starts thickening, turn heat to low and stir more frequently. Once you obtain a creamy thick sauce, remove from heat.
Meatless bolognese sauce:
- 2-3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 medium diced onion
- 1 cup of dehydrated TVP (in a medium bowl, place the TVP and pour 1 cup of boiling water or vegetable broth to moisturize the TVP before placing it on the skillet) or a pack of meatless ground (LIGHTLIFE Gimme Lean, Yves, Morning Star Farms, or other)
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1 can of stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
- A pitch of sugar
- Olive oil, chili flakes, paprika, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to taste
- Optional: fresh chopped basil or parsley as garnish
PREPARATION:
- Place a pot on the stove and turn the burner to medium heat. Add some oil, chili flakes, diced garlic, and diced onions and let sizzle for a couple of minutes.
- Add the TVP or meatless ground. Once the TVP or meatless crumbles start browning, add the can of tomato sauce, salt, sugar and pepper and stir it all up. Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
PUTTING YOUR LASAGNA TOGETHER:
- In a 3-quart pyrex or baking dish, pour a thin layer of tomato sauce and bechamel sauce.
- Place a layer of pasta sheets and top with a generous layer of spinach-tofu ricotta.
- Lay another round of pasta sheets and cover with a rich layer of bolognese sauce.
- Cover sauce with another layer of pasta sheets and repeat steps until you run out of pasta sheets. You will probably have a total of 5 layers.
- Finally, pour all of the béchamel sauce on top of the last layer of pasta and add the rest of the tomato sauce.
- Drizzle the top of the lasagna with olive oil, cover with foil.
Bake it: Bake lasagna at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes to crisp up the top layer. Remove from oven, let cool off and portion. Garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil and serve hot.
TIP: For best results, prepare and bake lasagna a few hours before serving or even the day before. Then reheat, portion, and serve.
You have done it! Bravo! Mangia bene! Buon appetito!
Gluten Free White Lasagna (with lots of vegetables, vegan chicken, and cheese!)
This gluten free white lasagna is super easy to prepare and makes a delicious wholesome dinner! For this recipe, we have used the no boil organic green lentil lasagna sheets from Explore Cuisine. These lasagna pasta sheets are plant-based, gluten free, organic, low fat, and high in fiber and protein! We have also chosen the vegan Gardein Chick’n Scaloppini, which are also gluten-free and a great source of protein.
Things you will need:
- A box of gluten free oven-ready lasagna pasta sheets (1/2 pound)
- A 3-quart (9” x 13”) pyrex or baking glass dish
- Foil
White lasagna filling:
- Olive oil
- A couple of minced garlic cloves
- 1 medium diced onion
- 1/2 diced red bell pepper
- Two handfulls of chopped broccoli
- Two handfuls of chopped cauliflower
- 2-3 cubed plant-based gluten-free Gardein Chick’n Scallopini
- Two small cubed green zucchinis
- Two to three handfuls of chopped spinach
- Gluten-free mozzarella style vegan cheese to taste (Follow Your Heart, Chao or other)
- Salt, pepper, paprika
PREPARATION:
- Place a medium or large pot on the stove and turn the burner to medium heat. Add some oil, chili flakes, garlic, onions, and bell pepper and let sizzle until onions start browning.
- Add the broccoli, cauliflower, and cubed vegan chicken and cover for a few minutes.
- Then add the cubed zucchini and cook for another few minutes or until all of the vegetables look almost fully cooked (the lasagna will go in the oven for 40 minutes and everything will finish cooking when being baked).
- Finally, add the chopped spinach, mix well and remove from heat.
Béchamel sauce:
- 1/3 cup of corn starch
- 6 cups of rice milk
- A medium square of Earth Balance butter (or two tablespoons of olive oil)
- Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
PREPARATION:
You can cook the béchamel sauce in a pot on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave.
- In a medium saucepan or microwave safe bowl, mix the corn starch with a little bit of water until you get a uniform paste without lumps.
- Add the rice milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg, mix well, and start cooking on medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid lumps from forming and to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot or bowl (if microwaving, pause and stir every 30-45”).
- Once the sauce starts thickening, turn heat to low and stir more frequently. If necessary, you can use a whisk or a food processor to get rid of the lumps. Once you obtain a creamy thick sauce, remove from heat.
PUTTING YOUR LASAGNA TOGETHER:
- In a 3-quart pyrex or baking dish, pour a thin layer of béchamel sauce and place a layer of pasta sheets.
- Top with a generous layer of vegetable-chicken filling, shred some vegan mozzarella on top, and pour some béchamel sauce on top of the cheese.
- Then lay another round of pasta sheets and repeat the steps until you run out of vegetables and pasta sheets.
- Finally, pour all of the remaining béchamel sauce on top of the last layer of pasta and put some more vegan cheese. Mix the cheese with the sauce, drizzle the top of the lasagna with olive oil, and cover with foil.
Bake it: Bake lasagna at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. Then remove the foil and broil for an additional 5 minutes to crisp up the top layer, if you like it crispy. Remove from oven, let cool off, and portion. Garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil and serve hot.
TIP: For best results, prepare and bake lasagna a few hours before serving or even the day before. Then reheat, portion, and serve. If you are reheating your lasagna, as recommended, prepare an extra cup of bechamel sauce and pour it on the top layer, add some more cheese, and reheat at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Always let cool of a bit before serving. Enjoy!
