Who doesn’t love lasagna right? Well what about vegan lasagna?
Unless you’ve had it at a vegetarian restaurant chances are you haven’t had much vegan lasagna in your life, so that’s why I want to share this delicious recipe with you!
This past week a friend of mine was staying with me and we were going through all my cupboards (I have a lot of them!) and were trying to see if there was something we could throw together for lunch without going to the store. I have a plethora of the basics plus a smattering of random ingredients I never got a chance to use up yet so we had a lot of possibilities.
She asked if I had a box of lasagna noodles and I admitted “No unfortunately I don’t have any” but while rummaging I did find a bag of mini lasagna noodles I got from The Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver. I thought they looked so cute and it would be neat for a mini lasagna casserole sometime, but I just never got a chance to use them before.
We also found some jars of pasta sauce, along with some tofu and frozen spinach so we were pretty much covered to make a basic casserole. One of the things that makes preparing healthy meals at home easy is making sure you have things like canned tomatoes or pasta sauce, dried noodles, frozen veggies and a variety of seasonings to work with.
So we whipped this vegan lasagna casserole together and it didn’t take very long at all which was great because we were starving! LOL. I have a lasagna recipe that’s coming out in my next ebook (called Comfort Foods From Around The World) that I’m trying to have ready by the end of this month and it was SO much quicker to put together than that so I was pretty impressed.
The mini lasagna noodles are not really essential for this recipe, any pasta will do, but for the photos’ sake it helps to have the pretty ruffled edges. 🙂 You can also break regular lasagna noodles into chunks, or use more common noodles such as penne if that’s all you can find. It’s pretty much going to taste the same, just have a different texture and mouth feel. Some specialty stores or gourmet kitchen supply stores might carry mini lasagna noodles so keep your eyes peeled.
I like to keep my lasagnas fairly healthy so I omit the vegan processed cheese or nut cheese and just make a homemade tangy tofu ricotta instead. (This also keeps the fat and salt content much lower too.) I have tried both regular firm and silken tofu for my vegan ricotta and I have to say that the silken tofu wins hands down. It’s just a nicer texture, creamier and melts in your mouth like real ricotta. Feel free to use whatever tofu you prefer but I really think silken tofu makes a difference especially when you’re looking for a creamier texture in your cheese-less vegan lasagna.
Scroll down for the recipe…
(Low Fat Vegan) Easy Mini Lasagna Casserole
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 454 g/1 lb. package mini lasagna (mafalda, or similar) noodles *GF if desired
2 709 g/25 oz jars pasta sauce (mushroom, garlic, basil flavored etc.)
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 packages firm silken tofu, drained (I used mori-nu)
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup-2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 tbsp miso paste (Genmai brown rice)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 283g/10 oz. package of frozen spinach thawed and moisture squeezed out
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C)
2. In a large 4-5 qt. pot bring water to a boil and then add 1 tbsp salt and stir. Add mini lasagna noodles (or pasta of choice) and cook for about 5-6 minutes (less for smaller pasta). Stir occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking to bottom of pot. Drain and rinse to remove excess salt if desired. Let noodles cool slightly before handling (because you’re going to be layering them in.)
3. In a mixing bowl, crumble the tofu and add the chopped basil and seasonings adjusting the nutritional yeast and lemon to your tastes. Add the spinach and mix together.
4. In a large 9×13 lasagna casserole pan (or 2 smaller pans) pour in some sauce just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Next layer in 2-3 layers of noodles (you can make it as neat or messy as you like) and then top with the tofu/spinach mixture. Add another layer of sauce and spread it out so it covers everything.
Middle layer with sauce on the bottom, 2 layers of noodles, tofu ricotta and spinach, and sauce.
Start the next layer with 2-3 more layers of noodles and repeat twice more. Cover the top layer with the remaining sauce and make sure all the noodles are covered. Garnish with some tofu/spinach mixture or vegan cheese if desired (optional)
5. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until noodles are al dente or at desired tenderness. Allow lasagna to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens.
6. Serve with your favorite salad or garlic bread.
Let the mini lasagna casserole cool slightly before serving
My husband thought it was the best recipe I have made. He couldn’t quit eating. I used Whole Foods yellow lentil-brow rice lasagne noodles and it turned out beautiful. Made up the filling and put on homemade pizza crust which was great! A real keeper recipe!
In one of your replies you state that chefs use salted water so the pasta doesn’t taste like nothing. Well, maybe you need a different brand of pasta. Any Italian person will tell you that the pasta is the most important ingredient (not the sauce as most Americans seem to think). The sauce is only flavoring. I personally wouldn’t use a brand that tastes like nothing. May I suggest Dellallo. It comes in both whole wheat and white and tastes yummy without anything added. Also comes in lots of shapes.
Almost every chef salts the pasta water so that the pasta absorbs a little of it to enhance the flavor, otherwise yes you have little flavor in the pasta unless it is a higher salt recipe from the manufacturer. It also means you don’t need as much salt in your sauce.
From http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cooking-pasta-properly.aspx
“Salted water flavors the pasta. A generous amount of salt in the water seasons the pasta internally as it absorbs liquid and swells. The pasta dish may even require less salt overall. For a more complex, interesting flavor, I add 1 to 2 tablespoons sea salt to a large pot of rapidly boiling water. By the way, the claim that salted water cooks food faster (because of its higher boiling temperature) is exaggerated; you’re not adding enough salt to raise the temperature more than about 1°F.”
Hi Veronica,
I was just wondering if this recipe really calls for 90oz of pasta sauce. Seems like a lot since most jars are only 23-24oz. Looks like a great recipe.
Yes. Most pasta sauce jars are barely enough for 2 people. Lasagna needs a lot of sauce or else its dry as the pasta absorbs some when baking.
Thanks for this recipe Veronica, it was delicious.
It seems the conversion is wrong – 709 gram jar is 25 ounces not 45 ounces.
Absolutely delicious, Veronica. I did grate some nutmeg on the kale, and it wasn’t bitter. Thank you for yet another great recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Ooops…..I misread the recipe. I thought it was 2 jars of pasta sauce (25 – 32 oz), but didn’t see it’s a total of 90 oz. Going shopping. 🙂
Making this tonight, but since my husband doesn’t eat spinach I will be substituting it with kale. Hope it works as well.
I’m not sure what you mean by “Doesn’t eat spinach?” you can’t taste the spinach at all when you put it into lasagna. Kale you will definitely taste.
Just that….he doesn’t eat spinach. I love it myself. You don’t think kale will work? 🙁
I dont know. Kale is very strong so it might be more bitter and need more seasoning spinach is so mild you cant taste it.
I’m making this tonight. I didn’t make it last night. I wasn’t sure re the kale. I was thinking that maybe I would add a bit of nutmeg to the kale to cut the bitterness. Not sure how bitter this frozen kale will be, so I’ll try some first. I’m looking forward to eating this tonight. Thanks..
I’m also using the noodles you don’t have to boil, so I’m guessing cooking times may change slightly. And I was just able to find silken tofu in the water, no firm silken. I don’t used the boxed because of the soy protein isolate. I’m thinking that silken is too soft to use my tofu press on.
Hi, Veronica,
What is the purpose of boiling the pasta in salted water instead of unsalted water? All my life I have boiled pasta in unsalted water and never had any problem. Now, I need to avoid sodium. Just rinsing pasta cooked in salt water will not remove the salt that has soaked into the pasta. But I assume there is some rationale for the salted water that I just don’t know, even though it seems unnecessary. Do you know what it is? Thanks.
Technically, all chef’s will salt their pasta water so that the pasta absorbs some of the salt and does not taste like nothing. There is a huge difference in taste vs unsalted pasta and salted. Generally only people looking to reduce sodium don’t use salt in their pasta water. It also helps the pasta cook cleaner and the water doesn’t get as starchy.
This is an awesome meal. I made it last night and mu teen son gave it rave reviews! Thanks for continually posting excellent recipes!
You’re welcome!
What would I use in place of the noodles? I’m trying to stay away from pasta.
The only other thing I can think of is thinly slices zucchini squash on a mandolin and using that for the noodles instead, but do them long ways so you get long strips, not circles.
Spaghetti squash would be a good option I imagine!
If you want, but that’s not lasagna. 🙂
Whole Foods yellow lentil-brow rice lasagna no cook noodles!
Made this without the spinach. Instead I blended fresh basil into the “ricotta” mixture. Layered with mushrooms, eggplant, green and yellow squash. It was OUTSTANDING!! I would never have known that it was tofu instead of cheese!!! Definitely a keeper!
Thank you 🙂 I love tofu ricotta it has such great flavor.
So good!! I was eating the ricotta mixture out of the bowl
Oh great! Yes my tofu ricotta is quite tasty to add to many casseroles. 🙂
I’m interested in trying the recipe. Before I stopped eating dairy products I used ricotta cheese. It gave a nice “tanginess” which is difficult to duplicate in vegan products. What about using something like calcium citrate to help impart that tangy flavor to vegan lasagna? That would avoid having a lemon taste to the lasagna.
Correction: I meant citric acid, not calcium citrate as a flavoring.
The tofu ricotta doesn’t really taste lemony… it’s just added to bring out the flavour. The miso adds the fermented tangy flavor that cheese normally gives, and the salt and lemon enhance this.
I have never put calcium citrate by itself in food, but you can try.
I love this website,
I am slowly trying to become more vegan. Any thoughts of what i could sub in instead of tofu?
Because you don’t like tofu? The silken tofu is used instead of ricotta cheese. There’s nothing else that I can think of that can replace ricotta cheese. If you leave it out I would add some vegetables or vegan cheese or something like that otherwise it’s just pasta and sauce and will probably taste more like spaghetti.
Ruth, I’m with you on the tofu! My system cannot handle soy and so that lets the tofu out. I was going to ask the same question so thanks for TCB for me also. Since I don’t know what sort of cheese to substitute for the tofu, I guess the recipe is out. I must say, it certainly looks beautiful AND delicious. Oh well.
Hi
My Daughter has been a vegan for nearly a year and I am a vegetarian. However, I eat mainly vegan so that I don’t have to keep making too many different meals 🙂 I also make Vegan Lasagne and was very interested in your version… sounds lovely and I will try it. Because we live in South Africa and struggle to get any interesting vegan products and have never seen vegan cheese, I just make a white sauce with soya milk and add a little mustard. Thanks so much for your news letter, they really help.
Low Fat Vegan Chef,
My husband is vegan (38 years), but decided a couple of years ago to not eat tofu, so could you tell me the amount of Dayia cheese to use in place of the silken tofu.
Many thanks,
Jamila
Hi Jamila
You can use however much daiya cheese you would like. I find that a little goes a long way and it’s very salty. Whenever my vegan friends use it they find it’s much better used sparingly for flavour and to not use as much as you would have with dairy cheese.
Hi Veronica,
Did you use fermented tofu? My understanding is that regular tofu is bad for you given that it is a soy product. I don’t like the idea of using tofu and that’s the only thing that would put me off trying this recipe.
Stay well, Eileen.
No I did not use fermented tofu. I used silken tofu. There is a lot of misinformation about soy out there, did you know it was actually the Weston A Price Foundation that started attacking soy and trying to label it as a dangerous food? They want to promote lots of meat, dairy and butter as health foods and when soy started coming out as an alternative they put a lot of money into trying to prove it was bad for health. The Truth About Soy http://zenhabits.net/soy/ Is Soy Dangerous? http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/soy-truth.php
Traditional Soy products (especially organic) should not be a concern unless you have an allergy to soy. Tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame beans etc and whole soy products are much different than isolated soy protein in drink and bars. Stay away from isolated soy protein, but whole food soy products can be consumed if desired. McDougall Newsletter Truth About Soy: http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/april/050400pusoy.htm
Thank you so much for this info, Veronica 🙂 The owners of our local tofu shop are third generation producers and their products are outstanding. All the scary info around soy just doesn’t make sense with this been a traditional food from traditionally healthy culture. But now you’ve named the source of this info…aha, it’s falling into place. And I hear you on the isolated soy – I’ve stopped drinking soy milk too. It’s an occasional thing if I’m out now.
Your recipes are awesome – got to try this lasagne now. You’re the only source ever where I’ve printed off new recipes at work, gone shopping on the way home and made a phone call to one of my most favourite people in the world to say “I’ve got a new recipe to try!” I don’t even do this with my library of recipe books. Keep it up 🙂
Thanks so much Eve! That’s awesome!
I’m so glad I read through these posts and questions! I’ve been vegan about a year now, and lovin it, but I’ve been curious about the so-called dangers of soy. Thank you for helping to connect the dots. Ahhh, now to relax and go buy some silken tofu to make this beautiful recipe.
My question: is this recipe as successful if cut in half? Just for me, I really can’t store 8-10 servings in my freezer for later. Thanks!
Yes of course. It’s really so good i don’t often have leftovers and if i do its 1-2 servings i can freeze for later
OMGosh, Veronica – your lasagne looks sooo delicious! The curly noodles make it look extra special.
I have eaten vegan lasagne on occasions in the past – cooked in vegetarian restaurants (and a couple times in raw restaurants) – they were all scrumptious – but I know they were in no way low-fat. I never even thought to check back in those days:)…
I’m definitely keeping this simple recipe up my sleeve for if I ever have to cook for people.
Thanks!
Thanks Em, I hope you get a chance to make some yummy vegan recipes for others some day. It’s so nice that you want to share healthy food with your loved ones. 🙂
Happy to have found a low fat recipe! I assembled the lasagna & will be putting it in the oven later tonight. Thank you 🙂
Excellent! I hope you enjoy it tonight. 🙂
Looks absolutely delicious. BUT…..I can’t eat tofu nor do I consume any dairy products. Is there anything else you can suggest that I could use as a substitute? What if I just left that ingredient out altogether?
Hi Gail,
Well without the tofu it would more just be pasta sauce and veggies. I’d just add sautéed mushrooms, onions, spinach, garlic and maybe some nutritional yeast to it then. I do not know of any tofu ricotta substitute personally, but veggies and red sauce always go well together.
hi Gail
Not quite so lo-fat but try blending a handful of cashews with some cooked sweet potato, water and seasonings.
Excellent! Thanks so much for your suggestion Kiwi! I can hardly wait to try it!