Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta
Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta! This is the best dairy-free lasagna recipe; and packed with plant-based protein thanks to two special ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinara sauce:
- 1 28 ounce can or 2 (14) ounce cans diced peeled tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 14 ounce can red lentils*
Cashew Ricotta:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 8 ounces tofu, drained and lightly pressed
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Garlicky Spinach:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups spinach leaves
To assemble:
- lasagna pasta sheets, either cooked or oven ready
- Grated vegan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180°C).
- Prepare the marinara sauce by heating a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the pot is heated, add the marinara sauce ingredients to the pot and allow to come to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes.
- While the marinara sauce is simmering, prepare the cashew ricotta by draining the cashews, adding to a food processor and processing until very crumbly. Add in the tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to the base of the food processor and pulse until fairly smooth. It should be similar to the consistency of ricotta. Taste, season as needed and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil and minced garlic cloves. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring until just fragrant, then stir in the spinach. Cook until just wilted, then remove from heat.
- Once the marinara sauce has finished simmering and the ricotta is done, it's time to assemble! First, add a thin layer of marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9x9 inch. glass baking dish. Layer lasagna sheets over the marinara sauce and then layer the rest of the ingredients. End with a layer of marinara sauce, then spinach and ricotta. Finally, sprinkle over some grated vegan cheese.
- Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until the top of the lasagna has browned and the cheese has melted.
Notes
*If you can't find canned red lentils, then you'll want to cook from dry first. Add 1 cup dried red lentils and 3 cups water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until softened. Drain the lentils, then add to a pot along with the remaining marinara sauce ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes. If using dry, then you might need to add in more salt.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 12gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 898mgPotassium: 483mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2426IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 4mg