Vegetable Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta
It’s during these dark winter months where comfort food takes center stage in my kitchen– warm soups, stews, and baked dishes are some of my favorite meals. The Two Bean Enchilada recipe is a (year-round) go-to recipe for my family- and it became inspiration for me to create this Vegetable Lasagna dish.
I love a good, hearty lasagna packed with flavor and texture— one that is loaded with nutrient-dense foods and that tastes amazing. This recipe marks all the boxes. Featuring a Lentil Veggie Mixture made with riced cauliflower, peppers, onion, tomatoes, kale, and a bunch of herbs and spices. A Garlic Cashew Sauce that gives this lasagna a creamy texture and a “cheesy” like taste- you won’t even miss the cheese. A Tofu Ricotta that is also creamy and “cheesy”, and packs some more plant-protein into this dish. These three layers bring lasagna to the next level! My family and I love this dish- and I hope you do too!
I have been playing around with different ways to prep this lasagna, as I know making lasagna can be a bit more labor intensive than other dishes. If you have an instant pot and prefer to use that, see the notes below for instructions for the instant pot method.
A few notes before you get started:
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 fresh 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: I had trouble finding 100% whole grain lasagna noodles (checked several stores!), so I used a legume based one from Whole Foods.
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).
INSTANT POT: The official method below uses a stove top method to cook the lentils and the veggie mixture. If you have instant pot and prefer to use it- follow the instructions here. All the ingredients are the same as the standard recipe- you’ll follow all the same steps for everything else in the recipe with the exception of the lentil veggie mixture.
Lentil Vegetable Mixture:
Rinse the lentils and add to the instant pot. Wash and chop the veggies. Add the onion, bell peppers, riced cauliflower, herbs & spices, diced tomatoes, and 2 cups water to the instant pot. Stir the ingredients together until well combined.
Place the cover on the instant pot and make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Select the “chili/ bean” button and cook for 20 minutes.
Once the Lentil- Vegetable Mixture is fished, carefully release the pressure by moving the pressure valve (I like to put a clean towel over the steam). Once the pressure has released, open the instant pot and add the kale, tomato paste, 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.
Vegetable Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta
Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) package of 100% whole grain or legume-based lasagna noodles*
1 cup 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)
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:
Noodles:
For the noodles, follow the directions on the package. Some require to cook and others do not.
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 10-15 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- 60 minutes 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
Kristina DeMuth
Kristina DeMuth