Description

This delicious, no-fail Baked Vegan 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. Make it gluten-free by swapping out pasta and breadcrumbs with gluten-free varieties.

Ingredients

Scale

Cashew Ricotta:

1 cup raw cashews
Boiling water, as needed
½ cup soy milk, plain, 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
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained (reserving liquid), sliced
1/2 cup reserved artichoke liquid
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted, drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, (make your own spice blend here)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 (25-ounce) jar marinara sauce

Pasta and Toppings:

12 ounces lasagna sheets (nine 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches; or twelve 2 1/2 x 10 inches)
1 cup shredded mozzarella-flavored plant-based cheese
2 tablespoons bread crumbs

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Instructions

To make Cashew Ricotta: Place cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain water, place soaked cashews in blender or food processor container with soymilk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt (optional). Process until fairly smooth, scraping down sides (should have a slight pebbly texture, like ricotta). Set aside.
While cashews are soaking, make Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce: Pour olive oil into a large saucepan or heavy pot on medium heat. Add onion, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for about 8 minutes. May add some of the reserved artichoke water if it sticks. Add basil, artichokes, olives, Italian seasoning, black pepper, balsamic vinegar and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add marinara sauce and remaining artichoke water, stir well, cover pan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat (about 4 minutes). Remove pan from heat.
To Assemble Lasagna: Heat oven to 350 F. In a large baking dish (9×13 inches), spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce and spread over the pan. 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 layers two more times (for a total of three layers). For the final layer, sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes, remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes until golden brown and pasta is tender. Slice into 8 squares.

Notes

Make this a gluten free lasagna by using gluten-free lasagna noodles and breadcrumbs.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

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