Vegan Lasagna

🍅 Why We Love This Recipe

• Tastes just like the classic: To make this vegan lasagna as close as possible to our family recipe, we used vegan alternatives like plant-based ground beef and vegan ricotta that taste just like the real thing. Even non-vegans will want a slice!
• Easy to make: Lasagna is always a bit time consuming, thanks to the layering and baking, but this recipe is about as easy as it gets. It only takes a few steps and no super special ingredients needed.
• Comforting winter meal: There's nothing cozier than this homemade vegan lasagna on a cold winter night!
• Freezer friendly: This vegan lasagna is meal prep friendly and can be frozen for later use.

🧀 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan lasagna:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Plant-based meat: We used Impossible meat ground beef alternative – it's the best 1:1 substitute in our opinion! You can really use any brand. Or, if you would prefer, you can use cooked green lentils or crumbled tofu. Try our lentil bolognese sauce – it would be perfect in this lasagna!
• Ricotta: There are so many great vegan store-bought options for ricotta. Our favorite vegan ricotta is this one from Kite Hill. It's super soft, fluffy, creamy, and perfect in this vegan lasagna.
• Pasta sauce: A basic canned marinara works well in this recipe, or you can use something with a bit more flavor like tomato basil or arrabiata for some spice. You can also make it from scratch if preferred.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms add a bit more meatiness to the sauce. We use basic button mushrooms, but any variety will do.
• Lasagna noodles: To make this recipe gluten free, sub in your favorite GF lasagna noodles. Note that gluten free pasta tends to fall apart very easily, so handle with care when layering the lasagna.
• Vegan cheese: For topping, we use a mixture of vegan mozzarella and parmesan. A few of our favorite brands include Follow Your Heart, Miyoko's and VioLife. To make your vegan cheese extra melty, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil while baking.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 175˚C.

(1) Bring water to a boil for lasagna noodles and season with a few teaspoons of salt. Cook the lasagna noodles for about 7 minutes, then drain. They should still be somewhat firm and will finish cooking when baked.

(2) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

(3) Stir in the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. 

(4) Add in the plant-based ground meat until browned and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning blend, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.

(5) In a mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, nondairy milk, ¼ cup of parmesan, ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

(6) In a 9" x 13" baking dish, spread about ¼ cup of marinara evenly over the bottom of the pan, then place down a layer of noodles. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by an even layer of more marinara. Spread half of the meat and mushroom mixture evenly over the sauce.

Repeat with another layer of noodles, sauce, and mushroom/meat mixture. Add one more layer of noodles and a small amount of remaining sauce. Top the lasagna with the shredded mozzarella and the remaining ¼ cup of parmesan.  

(7) Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 10-15 additional minutes. Let lasagna sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. 

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Cooking the noodles: To prevent the cooked lasagna noodles from sticking together after draining, place the noodles in a single layer on a paper towel while making the rest of the lasagna. Don't let them sit in the colander – we learned the hard way that they stick together very easily and will break apart when you try to separate them.
• Getting vegan cheese to melt: The single best tip we've found is to cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes. This traps the moisture in, which helps vegan cheese melt instead of drying out.
• Let sit before serving: For best results, let the lasagna cool for at least 15-20 minutes, or preferably closer to 45 minutes before serving. This allows the lasagna to set a bit more for cleaner slices.
• Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
• Serve vegan lasagna with:
  • Garlic bread
  • Salad
  • Sautéed or roasted vegetables

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