Bottom-Friendly Vegan Lasagna

Bottom-Friendly Vegan Lasagna

Active time

30 min

Total time

2 hrs

Servings

12

💡 When pasta is on the menu, I will find a way to sneak in as many vegetables as possible. This bottom-friendly vegan lasagna uses thinly sliced zucchini to alternate layers with the lasagna noodles, adding more fiber and nutrition while still feeling like you're enjoying pasta. Stealthy 👅

Bottom-Friendly Vegan Lasagna Ingredients

For the red sauce (from 'Essentials of Italian Cooking' by Marcella Hazan ):

  • 32 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
  • 5 tbsp vegan butter or regular butter
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
  • Salt

For the dairy-free ricotta:

  • 3 cups macadamia nuts or cashews
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup water

For the lasagna:

  • 3 zucchini, sliced thin with a Mandoline
  • 2 9 oz boxes of oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 7 oz bag of vegan mozzarella shreds

💡 You can always snatch store-bought pasta sauce, but once you try this red sauce, I have many doubts you'll ever go back. 

Bottom-Friendly Vegan Lasagna Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Step 2

Add the red sauce ingredients to a saucepan over low heat. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally—taste to adjust salt. Remove the onion from the sauce and set the saucepan aside to cool while making everything else.

Step 3

Add all the dairy-free ricotta ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture gets too thick, add 1 tbsp of water and blend again. This mixture needs to be spreadable.

Step 4

Thinly slice zucchini lengthways using a Mandoline so you have long lasagna noodle-like pieces.

Step 5

Spray a large baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Step 6

Start the assembly process by adding enough red sauce to the bottom of the pan to cover it.

Step 7

Lay down a layer of zucchini noodles, making sure to overlap the edges slightly.

Step 8

Spread a layer of dairy-free ricotta next using a rubber spatula.

Step 9

Lay down a layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles once again making sure to overlap the edges slightly.

Step 10

Lay another layer of marinara down and top with vegan mozzarella shreds.

Step 11

Repeat layering zucchini noodles, ricotta, lasagna noodles, marinara, and vegan mozzarella shreds until you've used all your ingredients. NOTE: If you run out of zucchini or noodles but still have other ingredients left, keep going! It's your lasagna, and there are no rules.

Step 12

Once you've used all the ingredients, top the lasagna with vegan mozzarella shreds (make sure you buy the kind that melts like Daiya or Violife).

Step 13

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes (or whatever the cook time on the box for the lasagna noodles says).

Step 14

Remove the foil from the lasagna and turn the broiler on. Broil for 5-10 more minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Step 15

Top with fresh chopped parsley and let cool for 10-20 minutes so the lasagna sets. Bottoms up!