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Vegetarian Lasagna

A delicious vegetarian dish using tofu, cashews & fresh basil to make a ricotta-like mixture. Black beans replace the meat in this tasty meal combined with a homemade sauce!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • One 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • One 12-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt plus more for pasta
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
  • Two 15-ounce cans black beans rinsed and drained {or dry black beans that have been rinsed, soaked overnight & cooked according to package directions}
  • 8 ounces lasagna noodles {I used the oven ready kind that did not need to be cooked first}

Homemade Sauce Directions

  • On medium heat add olive oil to a large saucepan and saute the chopped onion and garlic until lightly brown and getting translucent. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, water, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and black beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the noodles well {unless you are using the noodles that don't require cooking before baking}.

Tofu Ricotta Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews finely ground
  • 14 ounces extra-firm tofu drained and pressed *
  • 2 cups of shredded mozzarella {divided} or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • Salt and pepper {to taste}

Tofu Ricotta Directions

  • Add the cashews to a food processor and grind them. Then crumble in the tofu and add the 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella {or the nutritional yeast}, olive oil and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Keeps well for at least a week.

Instructions

Layering Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Spread 1 cup of the prepared sauce in a 9- by 13- by 2-inch baking pan. Make three layers each of noodles, sauce and Tofu Ricotta. End with the sauce and make sure the noodles are completely covered {or they will dry out during baking}. If using cheese, sprinkle the top with the 1/2 cup of leftover mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered. Allow the dish to stand for 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Notes

* Cook's Note:
To press tofu, drain any liquid from the block of tofu. Fold paper towels around the tofu and then set a big wrought iron skillet on top of it to press out the excess moisture. Allow to sit while preparing the sauce.
Adapted from Trisha Yearwood