Lasagne is a great way to showcase how delicious vegan cooking can be. It’s endlessly versatile, depending on what flavor you feel like making the Marinara Sauce, what fresh vegetables are found at the market that day, which Tofu Ricotta is used, and whether the Cashew Tofu Cream is featured on top. Lasagne can be served alone or with a sprinkling of Almesan, breadsticks, and a crisp green salad.
Ingredients
- 2 recipes Marinara Sauce, plain or any variation (roasted garlic is particularly good here)
- 2 recipes Tofu Ricotta or Cashew Ricotta
- 1 recipe Almesan
- 1 recipe Cashew Tofu Cream from Moussaka recipe
- 2 pounds spinach or a mix of spinach and other greens (kale, chard, dandelion, etc.)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (1-pound) package lasagna noodles, cooked according to the package directions or left uncooked
How to Make It
- Prepare the Marinara Sauce, the Tofu Ricotta, the Almesan, and if using, the Cashew Tofu Cream. When you’ve achieved all of that, preheat the oven to 375°F. Have ready to go a 9 x 13-inch casserole pan and a double layer of aluminum foil that can tightly cover the pan.
- Wash the spinach well, drain, and place in a steamer basket in a large pot. Cover and steam for 8 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat, uncover, and let cool. Squeeze handfuls of the spinach to remove the excess water and finely chop. Fold the spinach into the Tofu Ricotta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle about ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of the lasagne pan and layer with five or six noodles, either precooked or raw. Add about half of the tofu ricotta and about one third of the sauce. Add another layer of noodles (four or five), the rest of the ricotta, and another third of the sauce. Top with the remaining noodles, then top the noodles with the remaining sauce.
- If using uncooked noodles, gently pour 1 cup of warm water over the top of the assembled casserole, being careful to pour into the gaps between noodles and the edges of the pan as well. Skip this step if using cooked noodles. Generously sprinkle Almesan on top of the lasagne before baking.
- Tightly crimp two overlapping layers of foil over the top of the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the edges of the noodles are slightly browned and the sauce is bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Best if served with additional marinara sauce.