Vegan Ricotta & Spinach Lasagna

The Vegan Ricotta & Spinach Lasagna brings all the comforting & satisfying taste of regular lasagna without a trace of even a single animal product. Without using the dairy cheese, this lasagna has all the goodness of a cheesy flavor. It features gluten & dairy-free vegan lasagna noodles, sugar-free marinara sauce, tender spinach, & homemade cashew-ricotta cheese. This Vegan Ricotta & Spinach Lasagna delivers all the cheesy satisfaction without involving even a bit of dairy/animal products.

NUMERICAL OVERVIEW:

• Diet: Vegan, Free from egg & dairy
• Course: Main
• Cuisine: Inspired by Italy
• Time for prep: Twenty-five mins
• Forty-five mins for cooking
• Working time(in total): 70 minutes
• Size/serving: One slice/serving
• Yield in total: 9 slices
• Mode of cooking: Oven-baked
  Level of difficulty: Normal

TOOLS:

• A spatula
• An oven
• A food processor/blender
• Saucepan
• Skillet(big)
• Bowls for mixing
• A baking dish(9 by 13 inches)

INGREDIENTS:

VEGAN RICOTTA:

• Juice of lemon, two tbsps.
• 2 tbsps. of vegan milk
• 1.5 cups of drained & pressed tofu(firm)
• Fresh parsley/basil
• 1/2 cup of raw cashews
• Salt, 1/2 tsp.
• 1 tbsp. of oil(olives)
• A clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp.of nutritional yeast

LAYER OF SPINACH:

• Minced cloves of garlic, 2
• 1 tbsp. of oil(olives)
• To taste of salt & pepper
• 3 cups of spinach, fresh

SAUCE:

• Tomato & basil pasta sauce/marinara sauce, 3 cups

ASSEMBLING:

• ~12 Lasagna noodles, boiled/no-cook
• Basil, fresh

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Warm up the oven(empty) at 190 °C & get to work.
2. Grease the dish’s bottom and sides with a thin coating of oil.
3. Include the salt, combine tofu, vegan milk, soaked cashews, garlic, juice of lemon, nutritional yeast, & oil in the food processor.
4. Run the food processor after placing the lid on till you get the creamy ricotta.
5. Clean the sides in between as required.
6. Place a skillet over a normal flame & add oil in it.
7. Add garlic once the oil is heated.
8. Cook it till you feel its classical aroma.
9. Then, add the spinach & cook it till it becomes soft.
10. Sprinkle the salt & pepper and mix well.
11. Leave it to cool completely.
12. Upon cooling, combine the sautéed spinach with the ricotta mixture(vegan version).

ASSEMBLING:

1. Spread marinara sauce evenly and thinly across the baking dish’s bottom.
2. Next, make another layer with the lasagna noodles.
3. Over them, spread the mixture of vegan ricotta-spinach.
4. Start repeating the layer with the marinara sauce till the top of the dish.
5. Cover the top with the foil(aluminium) before placing it in the oven.
6. Now shift the baking dish to the oven for ~thirty mins.
7. If you want to have the golden bubbly top, then bake on the top rack for an additional fifteen mins.
8. Keep the dish at the counter for ~ten minutes, then garnish with basil.
9. Slice and serve this Vegan Ricotta Spinach Lasagna.

TIPS:

• Press the tofu firmly to squeeze out any extra water, which results in the richer ricotta.
• To save your time while preparing, soak cashews a night before.
• You may use zucchini, mushrooms, or lentils to add variety in taste & nutrition.

HOW TO PRESERVE(LEFTOVERS):

CHILLING:

• Upon cooling, save the lasagna(leftover) in the container(sealed) & refrigerate it. Serve/consume it within the next five days.

FREEZING:

• Pack the individual slice of lasagna using the cling wrap/foil. Consume it within ~sixty days.

REHEATING:

• Warm up the refrigerated/defrosted lasagna for ~thirty mins using the oven at 350°F.

FAQs:

Which noodles work best for this recipe?

• Every gluten-free noodle works for this recipe. We advise you that no-boil noodles work best here.

Is it possible to go nut-free while having this lasagna?

• Yes! Use seeds of sunflower or tofu to swap the cashews, and your recipe will be nut-free.

Will vegan cheese work here?

• Use the vegan version of mozzarella cheese/cashew Parmesan(shredded). Make an even layer of shredded vegan cheese to give a golden finish on the surface.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS/SERVING:

Size/serve: One slice
Calories: ~265 kcal
Carbs in total: Twenty-eight grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Net carbohydrates: Twenty-four grams
Fats: 12 g
Sugar: Five grams
Proteins: 11 grams
Sodium: 520 mg