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Plant Based Lasagne

Just like everyone’s favourite snarky cat, Garfield, one of my go-to comfort meals growing up was Lasagne. I loved the taste of the rich tomato sauce, mixed with the creaminess of the cottage cheese and egg layer.

It has taken me some time to come up with a plant based recipe that I am proud enough of, one that I can say not only contends with, but beats the taste of ‘the real thing’. Now, like Garfield, I can go back to eating this tasty meal in the plentiful portions it was meant for.

Plant Based Lasagne

Ingredients:

Tomato Layer:

  • 2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic (diced)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 2 medium-large sized eggplants (diced) *See substitution recommendation at bottom of recipe if you don’t like eggplant
  • 1 450 gram package cremini mushrooms (diced)
  • 2 tsp himalayan salt
  • 2 cups packed fresh spinach (chopped)
  • 2 cups roma tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 650 ml jar of your favorite red sauce (homemade is best, but any will do)
  • 1 cup fresh packed basil (chopped)

Cashew ‘Cheese’ Layer

  • 2 cups raw cashews or cashew pieces
  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 3 large lemons, juiced (approx. 2/3 cup)
  •  1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Noodle Layer & Extra Sauce Layers

  • 9 whole grain lasagne noodles
  • 1 650 ml jar of your favorite red sauce (homemade is best, but any will do)
  • ‘Go Veggie’ Parmesan *Optional

Preparation:

In a 9 x 13 deep casserole dish, spread half of one of the jars of red sauce. Set pan aside.

In a large skillet on medium-high heat, combine olive oil, garlic, and onion. Cook until brown, 3-5 minutes. Add in eggplant, mushroom, and salt. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, and red sauce and let simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fold in basil.

In a large pot prepare your lasagne noodles as per package directions. I like to add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to the water to ensure that the noodles do not stick to each other. These should cook for approximately 10 minutes, giving you time to prepare your cashew ‘cheese’.

In a high speed blender, combine cashews, soy milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and spices. Blend until smooth, set aside.

Now you are ready to build your lasagne!

In the sauced 9 x 13 pan, place 3 lasagne noodles over the sauced bottom of the dish. Now, spread half of your eggplant sauce mixture over top the noodles. Then spread half of the ‘cheese’ mixture over top the eggplant sauce layer. Top the ‘cheese’ layer with 3 noodles. Repeat layers, topping finally with the remaining half jar of red sauce sprinkled with ‘Go Veggie’ parmesan if you so choose.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve!

*For those who do not like or cannot have eggplant, you may substitute 5 small zucchini peeled and diced. Due to the water content in the zucchini vs. the eggplant, I would recommend cooking down the zucchini with mushroom for a total of 20 minutes (rather than just 10) to ensure your sauce layer is not too watery. Then proceed with the recipe as is written.