Unlike many plant based lasagna recipes, this one doesn’t use tofu or a vegan cheese substitute.
I did some experimenting and came up with a healthy ingredient combo that makes a rich, plant based “ricotta” using cannellini beans. They give a creamy texture plus they add protein and iron.
I’ve tried to make this recipe as simple and quick as possible by using pre washed spinach and oven ready lasagna noodles but still takes some time to assemble. It’s a good recipe for when you have extra time to put on your favourite playlist and enjoy the process.
Ps. It’s also gluten free.
Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a food processor or high speed blender, combine the cannellini beans, hummus, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and parsley. Blend on high until well combined, thick and creamy. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium low heat and sauté the peppers and mushrooms until soft (5-7 minutes), then add the spinach and cook for an additional 5 min or until just wilted.
Cover the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce. Arrange a single layer of the noodles leaving a little space in between for them to expand.
Carefully spread a layer of the white bean ‘ricotta’ you made in the first step over the noodles. This can be a bit tedious – I used my fingers to help hold the noodles in place while spreading it.
Next, spread half the veggie mixture on top of the ‘ricotta’. Top with another 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce, then another layer of noodles, the rest of the ‘ricotta’ and the rest of the veggies. Add another layer of noodles and then cover with 2 cups of sauce. Make sure the top layer of noodles are well covered with lots of sauce or they will not cook properly.
Sprinkle with a little nutritional yeast, cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Check in after 30 minutes to make sure the top noodles are still well covered with sauce and spread it around if necessary.
TIPS & NUTRITION
You can use frozen spinach if that works best for you and feel free to sub in different veggies you have on hand or prefer.
This is a great meal to prep on Sunday and store in individual size containers in the fridge or freezer for a busy week.