Vegetable Lasagna Pasta Bake with Tofu Ricotta

My Vegetable Lasagna has become a well loved recipe in my family this winter, and it was the inspiration for this new variation of the recipe: Lasagna Pasta Bake. There was a time this winter I really struggled to find whole grain lasagna noodles. I checked so many stores and almost ended up buying a very expensive pack of them online, until I finally found them at a grocery store near my house. Honestly, it was the last place I thought I would find them. So I thought, if I am struggling to find these- I imagine others are too. So the idea to make a Lasagna Pasta Bake was born, it’s essentially my Lasagna recipe using just pasta noodles. You can use a 100% whole grain pasta noodles, or  100% legume based pasta (my favorite) for this dish. It is so much easier to find 100% whole grain pasta than lasagna noodles. And to be honest, I almost love this recipe a bit more! The texture of the noodles really holds up in this recipe, creating a mouthful of goodness.

 

A few notes before you get started:

METHODS: I do have an instant pot version of this recipe on my blog. The Lentil-Veggie Mixture can be prepared in the instant pot before combining all the ingredients in a glass dish to bake. 

CAULIFLOWER: I use the frozen riced cauliflower from Costco and thaw it before cooking. It’s also fairly easy to make in a food processor. Just wash and then chop the cauliflower. Add it to a food processor and pulse. Remove the larger pieces and then pour the rest into a bowl, add the cauliflower back in and pulse again until all the cauliflower reaches desired texture.

NOODLES: Use 100% whole grain or legume pasta of your choice. You can pick whichever short cut texture you like best (some recommendations: fusilli, rotini, elbows, penne). I prefer the Tolerant brand or Whole Foods brand best for lentil pasta- they both tend to hold up the best in cooked or saucy dishes. (I am not sponsored and do not receive money from Tolerant or Whole Foods- just a really find their noodles work well in a lot of my dishes). 

MISO: I use white miso paste as a substitute for table salt in a lot of my recipes. It’s something I have learned from my day- job. If you don’t have miso, feel free to omit it. If the dish needs a little salt, feel free to adjust as needed (I’d recommend an iodized salt if you do use any).

Lasagna Pasta Bake with Tofu Ricotta

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) package of 100% whole grain or legume-based pasta noodles 

1-2 cup(s) oil-free marinara (or your favorite marinara sauce)

Lentil Vegetable Mixture:

1 cup dry green or brown lentils, rinsed

1 large onion

2 bell peppers (any color)

3 cups riced cauliflower*

1/4 cup dried basil

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 (6 oz) BPA- Free can or jar of tomato paste

1 (28 oz) BPA- Free can of diced tomatoes (use the liquids)

Water 

1 tablespoon white miso paste*

3-4 cups finely chopped kale

Garlic Cashew Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon white miso paste*

1 cup water

Tofu Ricotta:

1 (14-16 oz) package of firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon white miso paste*

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Method:

Pasta:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Lentil Vegetable Mixture:

In a pot, combine the lentils with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are soft. Drain off any extra water and set aside. 

Wash and chop the veggies. Sauté the onion in a small amount of water on in a large pot. Once the onions start to become translucent, add in the spices, stir well and cook for a few minutes. Next add in the  bell pepper and cook for a few minutes. Add more water if need to keep the veggies and spices from sticking.

Add in the tomato paste, tomatoes with the liquid, and 1 cup of water. Stir until well-combined. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat. Simmer the vegetable mixture for 20-30 minutes. 

Once the vegetable mixture is almost finished, add the cooked lentils, chopped kale and miso paste. It may be helpful to set aside some liquids in a bowl and stir the miso paste in it and then add it back to the instant pot). Stir until well combined. 

Garlic Cashew Sauce:

Prepare the Garlic Cashew Sauce by combine the cashews, garlic powder, miso, and water into a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the cashew sauce into a bowl and set aside.

Tofu Ricotta:

Leave some of the Garlic Cashew Sauce in the blender, and then prepare the Tofu Ricotta. Drain off the liquids from the tofu  and then crumble it a bit. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, vinegar, black pepper, and garlic powder to the blender. Blend until fairly smooth. It may help to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times. Add the Ricotta to a bowl. 

Assemble:

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

In a large glass baking dish, layer the bottom with 1-2 cups of marinara sauce. Add a layer of the noodles. Spread about 1/2 of the Tofu Ricotta over the noodles. Next top with the Lentil-Vegetable Mixture (as much or as little as you’d like). Spread 1/2 of the Garlic Cashew Sauce over the veggies. Then repeat the process again. The last layer should be the Garlic Cashew Sauce. (There may be some Lentil-Vegetable Mixture left, but it tastes great as leftovers).

Bake the Lasagna for 45 hour uncovered. Allow the dish to cool completely before trying to cut into it- this will allow the cashew layer to thicken up a bit and make it easier for cutting and serving.

Serves 8-12 people