This creamy vegan white lasagna is rich, comforting, and perfect when you want something special. With ricotta, garlicky white sauce, and sautéed vegetables. Like most lasagna recipes, it's very customizable with different veggies and cheeses.
⅓cupfinely chopped fresh parsley, optional - plus more for garnish
12sheetsregular lasagne noodles - sub GF, whole-wheat, or no-boil if desired
6largecloves garlic, minced
1tablespoonoil, optional - or ¼ cup vegetable broth
½of a largeyellow or white onion, chopped - or 1 large shallot
16ouncesbaby bella or white button mushrooms, chopped
6ouncesbaby spinach, chopped
2cupsplain, unsweetened soy milk - or another neutral tasting plant milk like cashew
¾cupraw cashews - see Notes; soak overnight if not using a high-speed blender
¼cupnutritional yeast
2 ½tablespoonslemon juice
1tablespoonwhite miso - or chickpea miso
½teaspoonsea salt
pinch ofnutmeg, optional
black pepper
7ouncesshredded vegan mozzarella - I used Violife. See Subs above for oil-free ideas.
Instructions
First, make the ricotta and stir in the parsley, if using. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and lightly oil a glass or ceramic 9x13 baking dish.
Cook lasagne noodles according to package directions. Note: feel free to cook 9 sheets instead of 12, and use 3 sheets per layer instead of 4. Begin step 4 while the pasta water is heating.
Preheat a large saute pan over low heat. Add the oil or broth and the garlic. Stirring frequently cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender.
Increase heat for the saute pan to medium. Cook the onion and mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes or until dry. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute or until wilted.
When the pasta is done, carefully drain. Lightly spray a plate or baking sheet with oil to prevent sticking. Use tongs to pick up each pasta sheet, and lay them out flat on the plate. Set aside.
To the blender with the sauteed garlic, add the remaining sauce ingredients: milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon, miso, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Assemble the lasagna: arrange 4 (or 3) sheets of pasta in the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the ricotta on top, followed by half of the mushroom mixture. Spread 1 ¼ cups of the white sauce on top.
Repeat the layers: pasta, the remaining ricotta, the remaining veggies, and 1 to 1 ¼ cups sauce (you should still have about 1 cup left for the top). Place a final layer of pasta on top, and completely cover it with the remaining sauce. Add black pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes), if desired.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add the mozzarella evenly on top. Carefully (it's hot!) cover the entire dish with foil, as tightly as possible. This traps moisture and melts the cheese. Bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. It's fine to take a peek under the foil and make sure the cheese has melted. Pop it back into the warm oven if needed.
Uncover and let stand 15 minutes before slicing into 12 squares.
cashews - can be replaced with ½ cup raw sunflower seeds. Or for a lighter sauce, use 2 ½ cups fresh cauliflower florets. For both of these options reduce the milk to 1 ¾ cups.
mushrooms - or crumbled vegan Italian sausage or beefy crumbles. Saute for a few minutes with the onion to heat through.
Store leftover lasagna in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave. Or freeze for up to 1 month.Nutrition was calculated as recipe is written (not with the lighter options). It represents one serving, or 2 squares.