Here's a very classic and traditional lasagna recipe with all of the cheeses and meat sauce -- only, it's all vegan. And it's amazing!
Lasagna has always been a big favorite in our home, and I sometimes experiment with different versions, like this Pumpkin Spinach Lasagna or my Wild Mushroom Lasagna.
As delicious as these recipes are, there's nothing that can quite beat the comfort-food feel of a traditional lasagna with a red "meat" sauce and lashings of vegan parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. It's really the most perfect meatless lasagna and that's what I have for you today.
There's no spinach in this vegan lasagna or sweet potatoes or any adaptations that take it away from the classic. It is also a rather easy recipe, although it does involve a few steps because you are making two of the three cheeses yourself -- the parmesan and the ricotta. You can use storebought mozzarella cheeze, as I did, because there are some good options out there in the stores.
I first ate a vegetarian lasagna almost right after I moved to the United States, at the home of an acquaintance who was vegetarian. I was not, but I remember thinking at the time how close the meat substitute tasted to the real thing. In my vegan lasagna, I can guarantee you, no omnivore will miss the meat and the dairy -- unless you tell them. And why would you?
In addition to being delicious, this vegan lasagna is a really filling dish, and since this recipe makes a large pan, you will have enough to feed a group of hungry family members or friends. And that makes it perfect for holiday eats. Or for just anytime eats, because who ever needed an excuse to eat lasagna?
When you pull that bubbling, hot baking dish out of the oven, with the cheese baked golden at the top, people will be gathering around the table faster than you can say "Garfield."
What we love about this recipe
- It's the best vegan lasagna you'll eat. Exactly as you remember it, just meatless, and healthier.
- It's no-fuss.
- It's easy to make ahead.
- You can easily make it soy-free or gluten-free by using soy-free meatless meat and gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Everything that goes into it is mindblowingly delicious. And it's clean, real food.
- The ricotta and the parm are easily made in the food processor. And you can use them in so many different pasta recipes.
- It's immensely kid-friendly. And adult-friendly. And omnivore-friendly. So if you're feeding all kinds of eaters, here's the food that'll please everyone, and get rave reviews.
Helpful tips for making the perfect vegan lasagna without breaking a sweat
- Make the various elements of the vegan lasagna in advance. You can make the ricotta, parm and the "meat" sauce the day -- or even a couple of days -- before you want to bake your lasagna. Assemble the dish and bake the day you want to serve.
- Make the entire lasagna in advance, cover tightly with cling wrap, and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for a month. Thaw and then bake as instructed.
- Use no-boil lasagne noodles, if you don't want the extra step of boiling your noodles first. They are easily available now, and I am not above using them to save precious time and effort. You do need to incorporate more liquid in your recipe if using no-boil noodles, so pay attention to the recipe instructions. Also no-boil noodles are shorter than regular lasagna noodles, so you need to layer on more of them.
- If you want to add more veggies to the recipe, you can cut down the meatless meat by half and add a roasted, diced eggplant to your marinara sauce while you are making it. Or add finely diced mushrooms.
- If you don't want to use meatless meat, use lentils instead. Use 28 oz, or roughly two cans, of brown lentils and add them to the marinara instead of the meat.
- Soak the cashews for the ricotta for a few hours so they blend up into the perfect consistency.
- Season your ricotta. This is a great opportunity to add some fresh, herby flavor into your lasagna.
- Use any brand of vegan mozzarella cheese. I usually get the vegan cheese at Trader Joe's or Aldi's, or Daiya when I'm at Whole Foods, and they all work very well in any recipes that call for the use of mozzarella.
The meat sauce is perfectly seasoned and delicious , and you can use it not just in this lasagna but with other pasta dishes as well.
What to serve with the lasagna
You don't need to serve much alongside this classic vegan lasagna, because it's a full meal on its own, but some Garlic Pull Apart Bread and a fresh, green salad are the perfect accompaniments.
Ingredients
- No-boil lasagna noodles (preferred, although you can use regular noodles if you can't find these)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Vegan meatless meat that's crumbly
- Canned whole plum tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Vegetable stock
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Vegan cashew parmesan
- Vegan mozzarella shreds
More vegan pasta recipes
- Vegan Garlicky Pasta with Broccoli Rabe
- Vegan Wild Mushroom Lasagna
- Instant Pot Spaghetti with "Meaty" Marinara
- Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
- Lentil Pasta Salad
- Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Onions
Classic Vegan Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 lasagna noodles (or 24 no-boil lasagna noodles)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed and minced)
- 28 oz vegan meatless meat that's crumbly. I used a combination of 14 oz Gimme Lean and 14 oz of Tofurky's Italian sausage. Make sure you process the sausages in a food processor to make them crumbly.
- 28 oz whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are best for this)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon oregano (or basil)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups vegetable stock (reduce to 2 cups for regular noodles)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 16 oz vegan mozzarella shreds
For the cashew ricotta:
- 1 ½ cup raw cashews (soaked 30 minutes, then drained)
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using regular lasagna noodles, cook them in salted boiling water until al dente but not mushy.
- Make the meat sauce by heating the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic. Saute, until they soften, about five minutes. Add the "meat" crumbles and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix in.
- Put the plum tomatoes in a bowl and squish them to break with your fingers. Add to the saucepan along with 3 cups of vegetable stock if using no-boil noodles, and 2 cups of stock if using regular noodles that have been cooked.
- Stir well, bring to a boil, add the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Stir and let the sauce cook for about 15 minutes or until it turns a bright red. Turn off heat and check seasoning. Set aside.
- Make the ricotta, by placing the cashews in a food processor with all ingredients except the parsley. Process for a couple of minutes until fairly smooth. Mix in the parsley and pulse until it's mixed into the rest of the ricotta. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Assemble the lasagna by spraying a 12 X 9 inch lasagna pan with cooking spray or oil. Ladle out a small amount of sauce into the pan and spread.
- Layer on four sheets of the noodles into the bottom of the pan. If using no-boil noodles, which are smaller than regular noodles, you might need to layer on five noodles vertically and one more horizontally.
- Layer on one-fourth of the meat sauce over the lasagna noodles.
- Layer on one-fourth of the cashew parmesan.
- Layer on one-fourth of the vegan mozzarella.
- Layer on one-fourth of the vegan ricotta.
- Repeat until you have built up three layers of the meat sauce and the cheeses. Over the fourth and final layer, layer the remaining meat sauce, parm and mozzarella.
- Cover tight with aluminum foil, place the lasagna pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and bake another 30 minutes until bubbly and hot.
- Let the lasagna stand at least 15 minutes to firm up, then cut and serve.
Nutrition
Love this vegan lasagna? Check out more vegan pasta recipes on Holy Cow!
Mette
I am no chef by any means and this recipe was super easy to follow. The best lasagna I have ever had!!!
Krista
I’m excited to try this! Not easy to find a vegan spin on a classic lasagna which is exactly what I’m looking for. No tofu, mushrooms, spinach, etc. Thank you fur posting this! Question, how would it be with only the ricotta and mozzarella? I’m not a big Parmesan fan and want to cut down on some prep as I’m pregnant with our 5th.
Vaishali
You can leave it out absolutely. Bread crumbs mixed with some oregano, black pepper and salt are a fine sub for parm, in case you can do that, but if you can't I think the lasagna will work quite well without it.
Congrats on the baby! ❤️
Jackie
Excellent!!! I love this recipe!
Susan
Can this lasagna be frozen after being cooked?
Vaishali
Yes absolutely. Thaw and reheat before serving.
Marcy Hall
I made this last night for my family with dairy and glutton allergies. Three adjustments I made: 1) I used Palmini lasagna noodles (2 cans) made from heart of palm 2) I added vegetable broth to the cashews to get a really creamy consistancy 3) I used crushed tomatoes instead of whole plum tomatoes. The whole family LOVED it (ages 3, 6 & 9) and appreciated dairy free lasagna. I ordered all the ingredients online for pick up at Sprouts. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making it again soon.
Vaishali
So great to hear, Marcy. I need to try out the hearts of palm noodles--what a great idea.
Lorra
Hi Marcy,
Would you please tell me the amount of vegetable broth you used in your cashews to achieve the creaminess?
Thank you,
Jeanna gaines
Delicious!!!!!
Yall pls make this recipe
Sarah
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and especially this one!
I made this today and my husband loved it and said how great it tasted and amazing it’s all vegan!
All of your recipes have turned out so great.
VT
Hi Vaishali, Great website. Thanks for the recipes posted over the years. They are really great since I use them to make dishes that are dairy-free and nut-free for my allergic son. I would really appreciate it if you could post the original recipe for the lasagna that uses Morinu tofu. Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Vinny
This recipe is something awesome. I made it for a group of friends coming over Friday night, including some who were not vegan, and everyone loved it. Thanks for your incredible recipes.
Mardy
Hi Vaishali, I am going to make this for Sunday Dinner but wanted clairify the ‘soy free’ aspect.... don’t both Tofurkey and Gimme Lean sausage have soy ingredients in them?
Thanks, will let you know how it works out.
Vaishali
Hi Mardy, yes they do but you could try Field Roast which is soyfree! So happy you're making it!
Barbara Thorpe Miller
I don’t see the Parmesan recipe
Vaishali
Added now-- both as a link from the ingredient list and in recipe notes. Thanks!
Tony Rossi
Hello, Vaishali.
Thank you for another great recipe. I have been making and enjoying your recipes for several years, especially your Indian dishes.
I'm having trouble finding the recipe for the cashew parmesan you refer to. You indicate it's in the notes, but I can't find it. Thanks in advance, and thanks again for your excellent website and recipes!
Tony
Vaishali
Thanks so much for the kind words, Tony! And I forgot to add the link to the parm recipe-- it's added now. 🙂