Vegan Tofu Ricotta Lasagna
Enjoy this vegan tofu ricotta lasagna with a homemade lentil and quinoa "meat" protein. This feeds about 10-12 people.
Equipment
- pot
- spatula
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
- casserole bowl
Ingredients
tofu ricotta
- 2 extra firm tofu blocks
- 2 medium sized lemons
- 2 tsp salt
- 2.5 tbsp. oil
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp pepper
filling
- 16 oz. Lucini Tomato pasta sauce *see notes*
- 2/3 of an onion
- 1 eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 1.5 cup of mushrooms
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning
- 2/3 cup red wine *see notes*
lentil & quinoa "meat" see notes
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa *see notes* took 25 mins
- 1 cup cooked lentil
- 1/3 of the onion
- 1/2 cup Lucini tomato pasta sauce
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
sauce & noodles
- 2/3 cup pasta sauce
- 1 box GF lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa and lentils in separate pots. Follow the cooking directions followed by the package they came with. I cooked 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water. If it seems dry, add an extra ½ cup of water. In a small pot, set the fire on high heat until it reaches a boil, and reduce the heat to low heat. Cook for about 20-23 minutes. Cover with a lid. A rice cooker can be appropriate for this step as well.
- Cook the green lentils in a medium size pot. Follow the cooking directions followed by the package they came with. I poured the 1 cup of lentils into the pot, following with the 4 cups of water. It takes about 20-27 minutes, check them in the last few minutes to prevent mushiness.
- Drain the tofu with a clean reusable towel and place a plate on top of it for about 5-7 minutes.
- Set the oven for 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the lentil & quinoa.
- While the quinoa and lentils are cooking, chop the eggplant, mushrooms, onion and zucchini into bite sized cubes. Cut the garlic into a minced size garlic.
- Tofu Ricotta cheeze: Use a blender or food processor to mix the tofu, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, pepper, garlic & onion powder together. Blend for about 1-2 minutes until the texture is about smooth and creamy. Transfer it to a bowl. Clean it right after.
- Lentil & quinoa “meat”: once the quinoa and lentils are done place them on a large tray. Mix the 1/3 onion, pasta sauce, and seasonings with it. Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- Filling: In a blender or preferably a food processor, add the eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, Italian seasonings and pasta sauce of your choice. We want it to be chunky not smooth. In a big pot sauté the onions until they are translucent and then add the garlic and mix for 2 minutes. Sauté with water if you’re on an oil free diet, it will take a little longer than oil. Add the filling that we just made into the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes are up add the red wine. *see notes if younger than 21*. Then leave it for 15 minutes until it reaches a boil.
- GF lasagna noodles: First check the directions of how to cook the lasagna noodles. The directions that were located on the packaging said to cook it for about 4-5 minutes long. Once they are done, place it on a drying rack.
- Time to assemble the lasagna! I used a 9.5 x 13.5 x 2in 3 qt pan that fit perfectly. I first added some of the pasta sauce on the bottom, the noodles, the tofu ricotta, the filling, the lentil and quinoa, and repeat. It was constructed as a 4 layered lasagna dish. I decided to start with 4 noodles on the bottom and worked my way up with 3 noodles for the upcoming rows.
- Cover it with foil and bake for 35 mins, and 10-15 minutes without foil at 375 degrees F. It is optional but you can add daiya or vivo life cheese on top for the last 10-15 minutes.
- Grab the lasagna from the oven and enjoy a slice with some bread and butter. Stay Gucci and have a “cheezy daiya“.
- “What did the plate of lasagna say to the bowl of spaghetti?¿Que pasta?”-Ziny (u/ZinyZee) reddit
Notes
- This serves around 10-12 servings. Half the ingredients so it can be for about 5-7 servings ? or freeze it up to a 2-3 months in your freezer with a holding temperature of 0 degrees F. It will only suffice by only baking it 1 time, so make sure to freeze whatever you want after it cools down after the first bake.
- I bought the Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil, no added sugar, organic sauce. It is 25.5 oz. (720g). It was enough sauce for me. I wanted to give cup/oz. measurements since there is an option to pick your own sauce. It is over 3 cups, so I used 2 cups for the filling, 1/2 cup for lentil & quinoa, and 1/2 cup for layering the lasagna.
- If you are under the age 21-years-old you can opt to using 1/4 cup GF soy sauce/tamari. Tamari gives a salty and strong taste like wine.
- Check the directions onto how to cook the lasagna noodles on the box. I myself cooked the noodles for 5 mins with some salt, because of the directions that cam with the box/package. I am happy how the texture of the noodles came out, it was soft and not at all hard.
- Making the Lentil and quinoa “meat” is optional. You can use beyond meat for another solution or don’t add it at all. Although, if you do add the fake meat, follow the ingredients of what to flavor the fake meat with. If you do skip this step the mushrooms give off a meaty texture and it still taste really good without the lentil & quinoa or fake meat. ?
- Nutrition facts include everything. Contact me for a new nutritional label if you decide to do without or add fake meat ?
Nutrition
Calories: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 16gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 1282mgPotassium: 793mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 352IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 4mg
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