My Favourite Vegan Lasagne

Phoebe Thorburn -

You can make a lasagna a million different ways. Well, that's definitely an overstatement, but everyone does seem to have their own favourite way of making it. To get a hint at the plethora of different varieties you can make it you only have to open a food magazine to see the latest pea, broad bean and asparagus variety calling for your attention.

Point being that I have made many veggie lasagnas’ since becoming vegan and this is the one I continue to fall back on. It's my current favourite (yes I have posted one previously, but this one is definitely better) and that's because of this seriously fabulous pesto-ricotta stuff that you top it off with. It's a bi-weekly staple now in my home because it doesn't actually take that long to chuck together and it lasts a couple of days (HALLELUJAH!) for dinners and lunches.

Without further ado, here is my current favourite way of making a vegan lasagna. Scruffy in looks, warm hug like in flavour!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium-large butternut OR 1/4 large kent pumpkin, skin cut off & cut into chunks
  • 2 zucchinis, top and tailed
  • 2 carrots, top and tailed
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves, crushed)
  • 250g firm tofu (or a block up to 350g - don't waste any)
  • 1 bunch basil, leaves only
  • handful raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 700g jar passatta
  • 1 x 400g tin crushed/chopped tomatoes
  • dried Italian herb mix or dried mixed herbs
  • 4 handfuls spinach
  • 300-400g lasagna sheets (GF if you prefer)
  • 2 handfuls vegan cheese shreds (or use vegan parmesan alternatively)

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200C.
  2. Cook your chunks of pumpkin in a pot of boiling water until tender (about 10 mins), then drain, mash until smooth and set aside until needed.
  3. Meanwhile, using a mandolin or food processor attachment (alternatively, you can just chop of grate the stuff) slice your zucchini and carrot super thinly. Sauté in a pot with a little oil and the minced garlic, until slightly soft and the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and set aside until needed.
  4. In a food processor (or blender - up to you), combine the tofu, basil leaves, cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, olive oil and a generous amount of salt (about a tsp) and pepper. Blend until a pesto-ricotta like creation comes about. You want the tofu to be resembling moist tiny crumbs - what an image!
  5. Assemble your lasagna by starting with the passata, then some lasagna sheets. Build up layers with the mashed pumpkin, sautéed veg, handfuls of spinach with oodles of passata and the tinned tomatoes topped with the dried herbs amongst the lasagna sheets how you'd like. I like to save the tofu ricotta mixture for the top, adding a little passata before lathering it on, smoothing it out and finishing with some vegan cheese shreds or vegan parmesan (whatever I have on hand).
  6. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and delicious! Let stand for 10 minutes if you can wait that long, this way it will cut like a dream :) Enjoy honeybunches!