Vegan Lasagna With Tofu Ricotta

Everyone needs a go-to lasagna recipe, and this one from The Friendly Vegan Cookbook is our favorite of them all. It’s simple to make, perfect for batch cooking, and great for feeding a crowd. Plus, it stores well in the refrigerator and freezer and reheats beautifully. But most importantly, this vegan lasagna is absolutely delicious! 

With a delightful protein-rich tofu-based ricotta made from extra-firm tofu and traditional Italian herbs and spices, this dairy-free lasagna dinner has the same yum-factor as the cheesy lasagna you grew up eating, but it’s way healthier and also cruelty-free! 

I’ve been making this lasagna for years. I’ve made it for myself and my husband to enjoy throughout the week, I’ve made it when guests visit from out-of-town so there’s always a hearty omnivore-approved meal ready in the fridge, and I’ve made it for vegan dinner parties with friends. I even made a double-batch to freeze when I was nearing the end of my vegan pregnancy so I would have ready-made vegan meals when my newborn arrived. Needless to say, I love it, and I hope you will too! 

Why You Should Make This Vegan Lasagna

I know so often we come across recipes online, save them, maybe pin them on our vegan Pinterest inspiration board, or leave the tab open on our computer until we’re so overwhelmed that we shut them all and it’s lost forever.

Dear friend, don’t let that happen with this lasagna recipe! You can click the “print” button on the recipe card below and add the ingredients to your grocery list right now. When you have meals for days in the week ahead, you’ll be so glad you did!

This makes a great:

• Vegan freezer meal that you can meal prep now, divide into serving-sized glass containers, and save until you’re ready to enjoy
• Meal to bring over to a sick, pregnant, or busy friend or neighbor 
• Family meal to fill many hungry bellies 

You get the gist. It’s a crazy handy recipe to get to know and love. From my kitchen to yours, enjoy it!

Key Ingredients

• Lasagna noodles: Make sure to look out for eggs in the ingredient list. Dried lasagna noodles found in the pasta aisle of the grocery store are usually vegan-friendly but a lot of oven-ready options are not. Always check the ingredient list to be sure.
• Vegetables: Yellow onion, zucchini, button mushroom, garlic and spinach add tons of color and flavor to this vegan lasagna! If you don’t have all the vegetables, that’s ok, you can mix and match or add what you do have on hand. This recipe is really versatile! See below for some extra veggie-swapping ideas.
• Super-firm tofu: This firm tofu has already been pressed, making prep time even faster! If you can’t find super-firm, extra-firm tofu works too. Just make sure to press out the excess liquid for 15-30 minutes before using.
• Marinara sauce: Store-bought is fine or if you want to up the flavor even more, nothing compares to homemade marinara sauce! If going the store-bought route, make sure to look out for sauces that contain dairy.

How To Make

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt, and cook the lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain the noodles, rinse with cold water to cool, and set aside.

Step 2: In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil then add in the onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach. Cover the skillet and set aside to allow the spinach to wilt.

Step 3: Meanwhile, make the tofu ricotta. Place the tofu, soy milk, lemon juice, basil, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spoon several times between pulses so all the tofu gets evenly crumbled. When you reach a crumbly ricotta­-style consistency, spoon the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the sautéed vegetables and spinach until evenly combined.

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large 9 × 13 ­inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom followed by a layer of 4 overlapping lasagna noodles. Top with a layer of half of the tofu mixture. Repeat with another 1½ cups of the marinara, another layer of noodles, and the second half of the tofu mixture. End with another 1½ cups of the marinara and a final layer of noodles, and spread the remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce on top, being sure to coat all the noodles.

Step 5: Bake for 45 minutes. Garnish with the basil leaves if desired.

Expert Tips

Making vegan lasagna is a fun and rewarding experience! Follow these tips to guarantee comfort food perfection!

• Use Your Noodle: Boil the lasagna noodles in salted water just until al dente, ensuring they are not overcooked. Rinsing them with cold water after draining halts the cooking process and prevents sticking, resulting in perfectly textured noodles.
• Give It A Squeeze: Before blending the tofu for ricotta, ensure it’s well-drained and patted dry. Excess moisture can affect the texture of the tofu mixture.
• Get Saucy: While store-bought marinara is convenient, making your sauce can elevate the flavor. Customize it with extra herbs and garlic for a more personalized touch.
• Layering Perfection: When layering, slightly overlap the lasagna noodles to create a sturdy structure. This helps the layers hold together during serving, presenting a neater slice.
• Make-Ahead Marvel: For days when you crave a homemade, ready-to-bake meal but are short on time, make it in advance. Prepare the recipe and refrigerate or freeze it and reheat it when you want delicious, hot lasagna!

Get Creative With Your Veggies

This vegan lasagna recipe is incredibly versatile, and we encourage you to get creative with add-ins and use the veggies you have on hand.

• Not a fan of mushrooms? Leave them out! 
• Like your lasagna extra cheesy? Sprinkle some vegan cheese shreds on top before baking. 
• Prefer kale to spinach? Make that simple swap! 
• Have some broccoli nearing expiration? Chop it up and toss it in! 
• Feel drawn to the dried oregano in your spice cabinet? Toss a teaspoon in with the basil!
• Have a plethora of squash? Dice or thinly slice it up and add it in with the zucchini. 

There are so many ways you can go with this delightful dish. If you have a favorite way to prepare it, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

FAQs

More Vegan Dinner Recipes

• If you love the flavors of this lasagna you’ll love this Vegan Stuffed Shells With Tofu Ricotta!
• For another go-to recipe that will wow plant eaters and omnivores alike, try thisYellow Curry With Tofu!
• Pot pie lovers will be pleasantly surprised with this easy Vegan Chicken Pot Pie full of all the nostalgic flavors yet completely plant-based!
• Savor the heartiness of a Vegan Shepherd’s Pie when you want something ultra comforting and filling.

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Vegan Lasagna With Tofu Ricotta

Author: Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto

5 from 12 votes

This flavorful vegan lasagna is packed with tofu ricotta, spinach, and veggies, and makes a filling meal that will last for days. It’s also an awesome dinner party meal and a comforting dish to bring to a friend who could use some TLC. You can even freeze pre­portioned cooked serv­ings of this lasagna for an easy heat­-and­-enjoy meal.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 –8 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 lasagna noodles, standard size, enough for 3 layers
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ large yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 1 small zucchini, diced
• ▢ 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• ▢ 6 ounces fresh spinach
• ▢ 2 16-ounce blocks super-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into chunks for easy blending
• ▢ ¼ cup unsweetened plain soy milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 tablespoon of minced fresh basil leaves
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 5 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or from the recipe on page 228, divided
• ▢ Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain the noodles, rinse with cold water to cool, and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until slightly softened. Turn off the heat. Stir in the spinach, cover the skillet, and set aside to allow the spinach to wilt.
• Place the tofu, soy milk, lemon juice, basil, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to push everything down with a spoon several times between pulses so all the tofu gets evenly crumbled. When you reach a crumbly ricotta­-style consistency, spoon the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the sautéed vegetables and spinach until evenly combined.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 9 × 13 ­inch baking dish. Follow this with a layer of 4 overlapping lasagna noodles, then a layer of half of the tofu mixture. Repeat with another 1½ cups of the marinara, another layer of noodles, and the second half of the tofu mixture. End with another 1½ cups of the marinara and a final layer of noodles, and spread the remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce on top, being sure to coat all the noodles.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Garnish with the basil leaves (if using).

Video

Notes

You can prepare this lasagna in advance and keep it in the refrigerator (or freezer!) until you’re ready to bake it. If the lasagna is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. If you bake it from a refrigerated state, increase the bake time to 1 hour or until heated all the way through.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1776mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3605IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg

Course — dinner

Cuisine — Italian

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This vegan lasagna recipe is from The Friendly Vegan Cookbook by Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto. Photos by Zhoro Apostolov. This easy vegan dinner recipe was published with permission from BenBella Books, 2020, all rights reserved.