Description
This delicious, no-fail Vegan Baked Mediterranean Lasagna is rich with the warm, sunny flavors of the Mediterranean—onions, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, basil, artichokes, olives, herbs and tomatoes, layered with home-made cashew ricotta and plant-based cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Cashew Ricotta:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup soy milk, unsweetened
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- Pinch salt (optional)
Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 small (8 ounces) eggplant, diced
- 1 medium (8 ounces) zucchini, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 14-ounce can artichokes, in water, drained, sliced
- ½ cup kalamata olives, drained
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce
- ½ cup water
Pasta and Toppings:
- 9 sheets (1.4 ounces each, about 3 ½” x 4 1/2 “) dry lasagna noodles, about 12 ounces total (whole wheat, preferred)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella-flavored plant-based cheese
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs, dairy-free
Instructions
- To make Cashew Ricotta: Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain water, place in blender or food processor container with soy milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and garlic. Process until fairly smooth, scraping down sides (should have a slight pebbly texture, like ricotta). Season if desired with salt. Set aside.
- To make Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce: Pour olive oil in a large saucepan or heavy pot. Add onion, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for about 8 minutes. Add basil, artichokes, olives, Italian seasoning, black pepper, balsamic vinegar and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add sauce and water and bring to a simmer. Remove pan from heat.
- To Assemble Lasagna: Heat oven to 350 F. Spray a large baking dish (9×13 inches) with non-stick cooking spray, and line with one-third of the dry lasagna noodles, one-third of the vegetable sauce, one-third of the cashew ricotta, and one-third of the mozzarella plant-based cheese. Repeat for a total of three layers. For the final layer, sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour, remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Slice into 8 squares.
Notes
To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta, plant-based cheese, and breadcrumbs.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 474
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 396 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 14 g
- Protein: 14 g