Are you a lasagna lover, but now that you’ve adopted a plant-based or vegan lifestyle, you’re at a loss for what to cook for special occasions? I’ve got you covered with my delicious vegan lasagna recipe featuring tofu ricotta cheese. I’ve served this dish to literally hundreds of people, and everyone loves it. Stick around because, at the end, I’ll share a special ingredient that can turn even the most hardcore meat lover into a fan of this lasagna.

3 Components of  thePerfect Lasagna

The perfect lasagna has three main components: sauce, a cheese mixture, and noodles. If each of these components tastes great, your lasagna will be a hit. Let’s break each one of those down.

1. The Sauce: Homemade vs. Store-Bought  

If you think about it the sauce is what brings most of the flavor to your lasagna so it needs to be good! Here is a link to my favorite homemade sauce. While, creating a homemade sauce is easier than you might think, you can opt for a good-quality jar of tomato sauce (just check the label for added sugars or cheese). Whether homemade or store-bought, make sure the sauce is flavorful and suits your taste. You can always add herbs like basil, oregano, and garlic to enhance the flavor.

2. Tofu Ricotta: Creamy and Dreamy

For the tofu ricotta, check the recipe below.  It is made with firm tofu and vegan sour cream which makes it really rich and creamy and can be made in just a few minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste, and you have a dreamy, creamy ricotta cheese ready to elevate your lasagna. There are some store bought vegan ricotta’s in some of your larger grocery stores but I cannot vouch for their flavor.

3. Noodles

I have tried to take short cut’s with noodles but it is totally not worth it! In the video below I tried the no-boil “oven ready” noodles but as you can see the did not work out. Go ahead and boil your noodles. Once cooked and rinsed drape each noodle over the edge of the pan so they don’t stick together.

BONUS: A Surprise for Meat Lovers: Plant-Based Italian Sausage

If you have meat-loving family members, add some plant-based Italian sausage to the lasagna. Crumble it up, brown it to perfection, and it will add extra flavor and a familiar texture to satisfy the carnivores.

Here is the video to see how I make mine.

https://youtu.be/Nb1ZhITbMiQ

Yield: 12 servings

Hearty Vegan Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta

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Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that most people love, but don't always realize that it can be made vegan. In this vegan lasagna recipe, we use tofu ricotta cheese to create a delicious and creamy filling. You'll love the flavor and the texture of this lasagna, and you won't believe how good it tastes without any meat or cheese! If you're looking for a delicious and satisfying vegan lasagna, then give this recipe a try

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Vegan Lasagna
• 6 cups Tomato Sauce
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 1 recipe Tofu Ricotta
• 2 links Plant-Based Italian Sausage
• ¼ cup nondairy Parmesan cheese (optional)

Tofu Ricotta

• 2 packages (14 ounces) water-packed tofu, firm or extra-firm
• 1 package (8 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)
• 1 cup soy sour cream
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup cane juice crystals or other sweetener
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

For the Vegan Lasagna

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Ladle 1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish.
3. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce.
4. Spread 1/2 of the Tofu Ricotta over the noodles.
5. Add Plant-based Italian sausage if using.
6. Repeat layers once.
7. Top with remaining 4 noodles and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.
   Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.

For the Tofu Ricotta

1. Drain water from tofu and wrap tightly in 2 clean dry dishtowels and let sit for 20-30 minutes, to remove excess moisture.

2.     In a large bowl, mash tofu with a potato masher or your hands. 

3.     Add remaining ingredients to tofu and mix well. Add additional salt or sweetener to taste.

TIP: Be sure to remove all excess water from the spinach or your Tofu Ricotta will turn green.