I am so excited to share with you this Epic Lasagna! After years of testing, I have finally perfected this foundation of layers that creates an incredibly hearty, wholesome, and comforting lasagna that will impress anyone you make it for. Made with layers of crumbled plant-based sausage, creamy tofu ricotta, sautéed greens and cremini mushrooms, roasted eggplant, thinly sliced carrots and zucchini, and topped with plant-based cheese, breadcrumbs, cherry tomatoes and olives- the final result is over-the-top and epic! The best part? You can make this in advance and keep it tightly sealed in the fridge or freezer until ready to bake. Serve it with a side salad and some roasted vegetables and you have an outstanding dinner.
THANK YOU TO BEYOND MEAT!
I am so excited to announce that I have partnered up with Beyond Meat to bring you this Epic Lasagna! After going plant-based nearly 2 decades ago, the goal was to simply eat more plants and mushrooms because that’s what made me feel my best. When Beyond Meat hit the market, I was blown away. The texture and flavor of their products are truly incredible and have allowed me to recreate the classic dishes that I grew up eating.
This Epic Lasagna is a true celebration of that while being a showstopper of a recipe that will definitely scratch that lasagna itch! With 16 grams of protein per serving, Beyond Meat’s Hot Italian Sausage links are always a go-to. I have been loving their products since they came out and I am thrilled to be working with them. Tap here to find out where you can buy their products close to you.
BROWN THE SAUSAGE FOR THE EPIC LASAGNA
Here we have Beyond Meat’s Hot Italian Sausage links that I have crumbled and browned with onions, garlic, and a splash of red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. This creates that classic meat layer that we all know and love in lasagna. I like to add this towards the bottom of the lasagna when layering, in addition to my tofu ricotta.
MAKE THE TOFU RICOTTA FOR THE EPIC LASAGNA
After years of being disappointed with plant-based ricottas on the market (or lack thereof, really!), I created this quick and easy version that really hits the spot! It’s a blend of creamy cashew butter (although you could use any nut butter) that’s mixed with fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and some spreadable plant-based cheese. (I love to use this one!) Mix until smooth and then gently fold it with crumbled tofu and you have a rich and delicious feta that works beautifully as a layer in lasagna.
SOAK THE NOODLES FOR THE EPIC LASAGNA
One trick I love to do when making lasagna is to soak the noodles in some hot water on a baking sheet. Forget setting up a huge pot of boiling water and straining the noodles! This quickie method doesn’t fully cook the noodles before going in but it does give them a head start. The lasagna is tightly wrapped in foil which will help to cook the noodles, in addition to the juicy vegetables.
ASSEMBLE THE LAYERS
Once you have the meat and ricotta filling done, you can prep your vegetables. This includes thinly sliced and roasted eggplant in addition to some sautéed greens. Then you thinly slice some carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms and you are ready to assemble. Note: I do recommend slicing the zucchini and carrots very thin if you want them to be tender and succulent. If you slice them thicker, they will still have bite to them once the lasagna finishes baking which you might like. This is up to you!
BAKE THE LASAGNA
Two things to remember when making this lasagna: One, you will need a deep lasagna baking dish. If you do not have one you can either make two smaller ones (just buy two boxes of noodles) or halve the recipe. You could also remove some of the layers to your liking to make it fit! The second thing to remember is regarding the marinara. When assembling, I like to make sure the noodles always have some sauce, either on top or on the bottom. This will help to make sure they cook up nicely.
Once you have combined all of the layers (see above!) you are ready to bake. Before placing in the oven, you will need to create a foil tent around the baking dish. This means using two pieces of foil to shape over the the lasagna (to avoid touching the cheese topping) while tightening up the edges the best you can. The goal here is to trap steam which will help the lasagna to cook while also helping the cheese to melt.
ENJOY THE EPIC LASAGNA!
After the initial covered bake, you remove the foil and continue to cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife can easily cut through the center. I like to let it stand for about 20 minutes which helps it to set a bit and then you are ready to serve!
Well, there you have it folks! My Epic Lasagna recipe. If you do make this, please leave a comment and a rating below. This greatly helps the success of my recipes! And if you share it on social media, please tag me. I love to see it. I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this recipe. Happy cooking, y’all!
–Timothy
WANT TO TRY SOME OTHER COMFORTING MEALS?
Roasted Eggplant 1 small Italian eggplant (13 oz / 362 g) Sliced Vegetables & Mushrooms 2 medium carrots Sausage Filling 2 tablespoons olive oil Sautéed Greens 5 oz kale, spinach or desired mixed greens (142 g), roughly chopped Tofu Ricotta ⅓ cup well-stirred creamy cashew butter (100 grams) Lasagna Assembly Breadcrumb Topping (optional) 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs Roast the eggplant: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the eggplant and remove the top. Thinly slice the eggplant, about ¼ inch thick, and transfer to the baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the slices and evenly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, until soft and tender. Set the eggplant aside and reduce the oven down to 400°F (200°C) for the lasagna. Slice the vegetables and mushrooms: While the eggplant roasts, prepare the vegetables and mushrooms. Peel and slice the carrots very thinly and thinly slice the zucchini into rounds. Note: It is important to slice them thinly so that they become tender while cooking. Lastly, remove the stems from the mushrooms and thinly slice. Set everything aside. Cook the meat filling: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Sauté the onion until soft, stirring every so often, about 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and another small pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add in the whole sausage links and use a spatula to chop them into a crumble. Continue to cook on medium-high, stirring every so often, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the red wine vinegar and tamari and mix well. Transfer the meat filling to a bowl and set aside to cool. Return the skillet back to the stove top to cook the greens. Sauté the greens: In the same skillet (without wiping it out), reduce the heat to medium and add the greens, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes, until greens are wilted and juicy, making sure to scrape up any of the tidbits at the bottom of the pan. Place greens in a bowl and set aside. Prepare the tofu ricotta: In a large bowl, add the cashew butter, soft cheese, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and mix until smooth and creamy. Crumble the tofu with your hands into the bowl, until the texture of ricotta is created. Then add the parsley, thyme, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine and season with more salt, to taste. Set aside. Soak the noodles: Remove the parchment paper from the baking sheet and spread a thin layer of olive oil on the bottom. Arrange the lasagna noodles in an even layer (it's ok if they overlap a bit). Pour boiling water over the noodles and let them sit for 5 minutes. Note: The goal of this step is to just barely wet the noodles, giving them a head start before cooking in the oven. Assemble the lasagna: In a deep lasagna baking dish, add the tomato paste and ladle in a large scoop of the marinara. Mix and spread well to cover the bottom. Add a layer of 3 noodles, a light spreading of marinara, and then an even layer of the roasted eggplant slices. Then spread over the meat filling with another light covering of marinara sauce. Add another layer of 3 noodles, a light spreading of marinara, and dollop scoops of the ricotta over the noodles. Gently spread into an even layer. Next, add another layer of 3 noodles and a light spreading of marinara. Then spread the greens and the mushrooms evenly over top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkling of sea salt and add thin layer of marinara. Next, add another layer of 3 noodles, a light spreading of marinara and an even layer of the sliced carrots and another thin layer of marinara. Add 3 more noodles over top, a light spreading of marinara, and one single layer of the zucchini rounds. Lastly, place the final layer of noodles over the zucchini and spread over the remaining marinara. Sprinkle over the plant-based cheese shreds and cover tightly with foil. Note: You will need to use two sheets of foil to cover each half of the dish, creating a dome shape so that it is not touching the cheese. The goal here is to create a tent-like structure which will trap steam and help to bake the lasagna while also helping the cheese to melt. Bake: Bake for 40 minutes at 400°F covered with foil. While that bakes, mix together the breadcrumb mixture into a small bowl until well-combined. After 40 minutes, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the melted cheese, along with the cherry tomatoes and olives. Bake uncovered to finish, about 20-30 minutes, or until a knife slides into the center easily (you may have to push this time depending on your oven). Note: If you'd like to make the top more brown, you can place it under the broiler towards the end for about 5 minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving. Serve: Using a sharp knife, cut into large pieces and use a big spatula to transfer to desired plates. Enjoy immediately! You must have a deep lasgana dish for this recipe. If not, you will have to take out one or two of the toppings or halve the recipe. You could also buy 2 packs of noodles and make two smaller lasagnas in regular-sized baking dishes.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Few cracks black pepper
1 medium zucchini, top and bottom removed
1 (8 oz) pack crimini mushrooms (227 g)
1 medium onion, diced
6 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pack (4 links) Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages (14 oz / 400 g)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
Sea salt, to taste
Few cracks black pepper
Splash red wine vinegar
6 oz soft, spreadable plant-based cheese (170 g)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 block extra firm or high protein tofu (16 oz / 454 g)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh (or dried) thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 pound box lasagna noodles (454 g)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz / 170 g)
2 (14 oz) jars good marinara sauce (1360 g)
1 (8 oz) bag plant-based mozzarella shreds
Handful Castelvetrano olives, halved, to garnish (optional)
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved, to garnish (optional)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Drizzling olive oilInstructions
notes
In a pinch you can use a different nut butter for the ricotta, such as almond or walnut.
You can make this in advance and freeze it tightly wrapped in foil. I suggest letting it thaw on the counter before baking. If baking directly from frozen, you will have to add more cooking time.
9 comments
I’m definitely trying this!
Amazing! Happy cooking!
Make this. WORTH IT. Having a total fit of joy. It was SO. GOOD. My friend said that this is as good as food gets. The instructions are, honestly, meditative. I couldn’t rush or think ahead. You laid out even the prep while cooking work. It was how I wanted to spend my Sunday. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for letting me know! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. I appreciate you!
Make. This. WORTH IT. Having a total fit of joy. It was SO. GOOD. This is as good as food gets. The instructions are, honestly, meditative. I couldn’t rush or think ahead. Even the prep-while-cooking is laid for you. It was just what I wanted to do with a Sunday afternoon. Amazing.
I think I have finally found an epic vegan lasagna!
Enjoy!
Made this w/ modifications:
beyond pineapple jalapeño sausage
peanut butter in lieu of cashew butter
layered carotts, zukes, greens in one layer
This was a household hit. Like many of your recipes, this one took labor + time = care! Was in a hurry, but this meal allowed me to be present and in the present. Enjoyed the step by step instruction. Heating the leftovers up in the oven as I type. Thank you for this gem.
Thank you so much for this, Donald! Very happy to hear you liked it. I will definitely check out that pineapple jalapeño sausage- sounds great!!