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Side view of a slice of vegan lasagna with a fork.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Lasagna

This easy Vegan Lasagna is a comforting, meatless, dairy-free recipe made with tofu ricotta, lentils, and rich marinara for a flavorful plant-based meal.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Total Cost: $15.13 recipe / $1.26 serving
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 284kcal
Author: Jess Rice

Equipment

  • 9x13 Baking Dish
  • Food Processor
  • Sauté Pan
  • Aluminum foil

Ingredients

Lentil Layer

  • 3 cups water $0.00
  • ½ cup dried brown lentils uncooked and rinsed, $0.48
  • 2 tsp salt divided, $0.02
  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, $1.24*
  • ¼ cup walnuts $0.62**
  • 8 oz. white mushrooms $1.94
  • 1 Tbsp reserved sun-dried tomato oil or olive oil, $0.19
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning $0.52
  • 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes in juices, $0.96

Vegan Lasagna Ingredients

  • 16 oz. lasagna noodles $1.84
  • 1 tsp olive oil $0.06
  • 23 oz. marinara sauce of your choice, $1.67***
  • 1 cup fresh spinach tightly packed, $0.37
  • 1 Tbsp fresh basil minced, $0.45
  • 1 tsp fresh parsley minced, $0.08

Tofu 'Ricotta'

  • 1 lb. extra firm tofu $2.92
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice $0.07
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning $0.52
  • 15.5 oz. can cannellini beans with liquid, $0.92
  • 4 garlic cloves $0.16
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.10

Instructions

  • Gather ingredients. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Cook lentils by bringing 3 cups of water, ½ cup lentils, and 1 tsp salt to a boil. Then, bring it down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked (not overly mushy). Strain and set aside.
  • Add sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, and white mushrooms to a food processor.
  • Pulse repeatedly until all ingredients are processed and well-combined. The texture will be similar to what you’d see if you were to mince by hand. Stop and scrape down the sides of your food processor as needed during this process.
  • Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. They will continue cooking in the oven! Toss with 1 tsp of olive oil and set aside, covered with a clean kitchen towel or the lid to your pasta pot.
  • Add 1 Tbsp reserve sun-dried tomato oil (or olive oil if you used dried sun-dried tomatoes), ½ tsp salt, and the mushroom mixture to a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Check on your mushrooms periodically while you complete the rest of the steps. They will release their water and then eventually reabsorb it, but keep an eye on things so they don’t burn.
  • Meanwhile, break up the block of tofu (strain excess water and give each piece a gentle squeeze over the sink, but no need to press the tofu—a little moisture is good for this recipe!) and add it to your food processor with ½ tsp salt, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp Italian herb seasoning, the entire can of white beans plus the liquid in the can, garlic cloves, and black pepper.
  • Process thoroughly until a consistently smooth ricotta-like texture forms.
  • To the sauté pan with the cooking mushroom mixture, add 1 Tbsp Italian herb seasoning, cooked lentils, and strained petite diced tomatoes. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until well-mixed and fragrant.
  • Now, it’s time to assemble your plant-based lasagna! Start by spooning some of your marinara sauce into the bottom of your 9x13” dish. You just want enough to cover the bottom; this layer can be thin.
  • Next, layer the lasagna noodles so they are just overlapping, creating a thin seam.
  • Then, scoop out half of your tofu ricotta mixture and gently spread it out evenly. It will be quite thick, so this takes a bit of finesse.
  • Spread out the spinach on top of the tofu ricotta.
  • Add another noodle layer. (Depending on the shape of your 9x13” dish, you may see a need to add an extra noodle as you get closer to the top and the opening of the dish gets wider.)
  • Add sauce. You can be more generous with the sauce now.
  • Add all of the lentil mixture to this next layer, carefully spreading it out.
  • Add noodles.
  • Add the other ½ of your tofu ricotta.
  • Add another layer of noodles and the rest of the marinara sauce.
  • Top with freshly minced parsley and basil and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes, covered with tinfoil. After 40 minutes, remove the tinfoil and bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If you are using dehydrated dry sun-dried tomatoes (which are typically less expensive than the kind soaked in oil), you will need to rehydrate them before using them in this recipe. I recommend rehydrating them in a small amount of boiling water (just enough to cover them, then strain) OR rehydrate them in olive oil, which you’ll want to do ahead of time so they have plenty of time to soak up the oil and soften.
**If you can't have walnuts, swap them for another nut or seed (such as shelled sunflower seeds, pecans, or almonds, etc.) You can also leave them out and add more lentils, but I love the texture they add.
***You can use any marinara you like. Go for your favorite store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 804mg | Fiber: 8g