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Vegan lasagna in glass baking pan with green napkin on side.
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5 from 57 votes

Vegan Lasagna Recipe

This amazing vegan lasagna is classic and traditional, but it is meatless and dairy-free. Lasagne sheets (regular, whole wheat or gluten-free) are layered with creamy ricotta cheese, homemade vegan parmesan, vegan mozzarella shreds, and a meaty marinara. It's perfect comfort food for a cozy family dinner, a potluck, or a holiday gathering.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 521kcal

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Blender or food processor
  • 9 X 12 inch baking dish

Ingredients

Ingredients for marinara sauce

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 7 cloves garlic (crushed and minced)
  • 1 large onion
  • 28 oz vegan meatless meat (I used a combination of Beyond Sausage and Impossible Beef this time. I've used other brands, like Gimme Lean and Field Roast in the past with good results. Crumble the sausage into smaller bits.)
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 28 oz canned whole plum tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups water (or vegetable stock)
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for cashew ricotta

  • 1 ½ cups raw cashews (soaked 30 minutes, then drained)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup water

Other ingredients

Instructions

  • Make the meat sauce. Heat oil in a large saucepan with garlic. Add the onions. Saute, until they soften, about five minutes. Add the "meat" and saute for a couple of minutes to brown.
  • Add the tomato paste and mix in. Place 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, basil if using, red pepper flakes, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook the sauce without covering for about 15 minutes or until it turns a bright orange-red. Turn off heat and check seasoning.
  • Make the ricotta cheese. Place cashews in a food processor with all ingredients. Process for a couple of minutes until fairly smooth.
  • Cook lasagna noodles. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente but not mushy. If you use no boil noodles you don't have to cook them first.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/205 degrees Celsius.
  • Assemble the lasagna. Spray a 12 X 9 inch lasagna pan or baking dish with cooking spray or oil. Ladle out a cup of marinara 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, ricotta and mozzarella.
  • Bake the lasagna. Cover the baking dish 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.

Notes

Variations
  • If you want to add more veggies to the recipe, 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.
  • Use lentils instead of the meatless meat. Use 28 oz, or roughly two cans, of brown lentils and add them to the marinara instead of the meat.
  • Use zoodles or zucchini noodles instead of regular noodles for a low-carb version. Slice the zucchini ¼th of an inch thick with a mandoline or a knife and layer it on instead of the pasta. No need to cook the zucchini first.
Make-ahead tips
  • Make the three 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.
  • You can also make the entire lasagna in advance. Cover the assembled but unbaked lasagna tightly with cling wrap, and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for a month. Thaw and then bake as instructed.
    Storage instructions
    • Freeze the lasagna, baked or unbaked, for up to three months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator, then bake or reheat before serving.
    • Refrigerate the baked or unbaked lasagna or leftovers for up to three days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 842mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 614IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg