This is one of my favorite recipes because it’s not only easy to prepare, it’s always a hit with both plant-based and non-plant-based eaters. You can change up the noodle or the vegetables to keep this dish a mainstay in your meal planning.

Ingredients:

1 - 8 oz pkg oven ready lasagna noodles - there are many plant-based varieties available

2 - 25 oz jars marinara sauce, no added sugar or oil

4 Tbsp water

1 handful fresh spinach, stems removed

1 - 8 oz pkg mushrooms, sliced thin (optional)

½ cup kalamata olives, chopped (optional)

2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin planks, roasted until tender

1 large eggplant, sliced thin lengthwise and roasted until tender (optional)

2 large sweet potatoes, baked and sliced about 1/8” thick

¼ tsp crushed red pepper, or more based on your taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the Cashew Ricotta below, - NOTE: you can eliminate the Cashew Ricotta if you’re allergic or are trying to lose weight, the baked sweet potato slices still give it a gooey texture. Bake sweet potatoes and sliced vegetables until tender.

2. Prep the bottom of a rectangle, deep baking dish with 1/2 cup marinara sauce and 4 Tbsp water. 

3. Add a layer of noodles followed by a layer of zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potato, spinach, and eggplant.  Top with dollops of ricotta and gently spread around.  Spoon on a layer of marinara sauce and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

4. Repeat noodle, zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potato, eggplant, spinach, ricotta, and sauce layers, along with crushed red pepper, until you run out of ricotta mixture. Typically this is about 3-4 layers, depending on the size of your pan.  Make sure you have enough sauce remaining to put on top.

5. Top with chopped olives if you’re using them, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, remove foil and test noodles for doneness. If they’re not quite tender, replace foil and bake another 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender. 

6. Remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing, this will help it set up making it easier to remove from the pan. In the meantime, heat up any remaining sauce.

7. Slice lasagna and serve with a spoonful of marinara sauce on top of each slice.

Notes:

• Feel free to substitute with any other vegetables you have on hand but I think it tastes best with zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms and sweet potato. The key to this recipe is the baked sweet potato slices. Once you make this you’ll understand why.

• This lasagna is delicious served with my plant-based Italian Meatballs.

Cashew Ricotta Cheese

Prepare in a high speed blender, leaving a little texture if desired. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups       Raw Cashews, soaked overnight and drained - if you’re not able to eat cashews you can substitute with a 14 ounce package of firm tofu

½ cup            Fresh water

1 tsp             Basil 

½ to 1    Lemon, juiced - start with 1/2 lemon, you can add more after tasting for tartness

1 Tbsp           Nutritional yeast

¼ tsp             Black pepper

In a blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth, leaving a little texture if desired. Taste, if you prefer it a bit more tartness, add the juice from the remaining half lemon.

Plant-Based Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts or cashews

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or blender until coarsely blended.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 8 weeks.