good lasagna

I love sauce (in my family we call it gravy), I love pasta, and I love cheese… but I always hated lasagna. Probably not the best way to start a recipe but I’m just being honest. After trying dozens of different recipes and variations, I finally came up with a version that I actually like. So I call it “good lasagna”. For this recipe I make my own vegan ricotta from tofu that is super yummy spread on toast but PERFECT with sauce and veggies. I add a few layers of zucchini for some extra roughage but like always, you should customize this recipe with whatever ingredients you like!

INGREDIENTS

1 quart of your favorite sauce

1 pack of lasagna sheets (I use the no boil kind)

1 block of extra firm tofu

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 zucchini sliced very thin

1/2 cup vegetable broth (I make mine with better than bullion roasted garlic flavor)

Seasonings: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried or fresh basil

Optional layers- baby spinach, vegan ground meat, cooked lentils, vegan mozzarella cheese

MAKE IT

Ricotta Mixture:

1. Drain your tofu block, wrap in a few layers of paper towel and press to remove excess liquid. Usually I press under a pan that’s weighed down with some canned beans. Let this press for about 20 minutes.

2. Break up tofu in a bowl, add your oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, vegetable stock and seasonings to taste.

3. Mash well with a fork or potato masher, you can add more liquid if it’s looking a little dry. If you like a really smooth ricotta mixture you can also use a food processer.

4. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.

Build the Lasagna:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Grab your favorite baking dish and add a thin layer of sauce to coat the bottom. Lay down one layer of lasagna noodles making sure they don’t overlap.

3. Add a layer of ricotta on top of your pasta, then a layer of sliced zucchini (or your favorite veggies), then top with a layer of sauce.

4. Repeat the layers one or two more times depending on the size of your pan. I like my last layer to be pasta, sauce, and ricotta at the very top. You can add some slides of vegan mozzarella or shredded cheese so that this can brown at the end.

5. Cover your lasagna tightly with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. I like to put mine on a sheet pan in case there’s any bubbling over.

6. After 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the top becomes brown.

7. Remove your lasagna from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.