HEALTHY VEGAN & GF LASAGNA
Happy National Lasagna day! I’ve always been a fan of making lasagna because not only is it fun to construct all the layers, but the recipe is always made in bulk. This is extremely helpful because on the nights you can’t be bothered to cook, because lasagna is there for you! Just simply heat it up, and your meal is ready. There is a bit of prep to this recipe, but I promise the effort is well worth the wait.
I’ve had both vegans and meat eaters test this lasagna and both of which found this recipe to be very delicious. They were even more surprised to find out it’s actually very healthy as well. I’m pretty sure that worked as their cue to grab seconds haha. This recipe is gluten free, packed with protein, and has lots of healthy omega 3 sources.
Feel free to make it for your meal prep, or even for your next party or gathering. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser! Without further adieu, let’s get started!
Healthy Vegan & GF Lasagna
Equipment
- Oven
- Pot
- Tray
- Food Processor
Ingredients
PASTA
- 1 box gluten free lasagna sheets I used brown rice
RICOTTA
- 14 oz Tofu soft
- 8 leaves Basil fresh
- 3/4 Lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp Oregano dried
- 3-4 tbsp Nutritional yeast
VEGETABLES
- 2 cups Spinach
- 1/4 tsp Olive oil
MEAT SAUCE
- 2 cups Walnuts
- 13.5 oz Lentils canned
- 20 oz Pasta sauce
HERB TOPPING
- 1/2 cup GF Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Oregano dried
- 1/4 tsp Thyme dried
- 1/4 tsp Rosemary dried
- 1/3 cup Nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Lightly coat your tray with olive oil and set aside.
- Prepare the ricotta by placing all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency. Set aside.
- Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until you reach a fine “meaty” texture. Set aside.
- Rinse lentils, then transfer them into a pot along with the walnuts and pasta sauce. Cook the mixture on medium heat and stir occassionally for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Place spinach and olive oil in a pot and cook until spinach is wilted and has shrunk.
- Follow the directions for cooking the lasagna noodles.
- Once all your ingredients are done being prepped, begin layering.
- Start with a small amount of the meat sauce and spread it across your tray on top of the olive oil. Lay out your pasta sheets on top of the sauce. Next, do a thin layer of the ricotta and spread it across the pasta sheets. Top the ricotta with a little bit of the cooked spinach, then cover it with the pasta sheets. Repeat this process until the last layer where it’s just the meat sauce.
- Sprinkle your bread mixture on top of the meat sauce, then cover the top with foil.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes covered with foil.
- Remove foil, then set the oven at 400 F. Bake lasagna again but uncovered this time for 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Allow lasagna to rest for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.
Similar to other lasagna recipes, this one is hearty and will leave you stuffed. The big difference is that you can feel good knowing that it’s just as healthy as it is hearty. There’s a lot of fiber from the lentils, the pasta, and spinach, as well as protein from the tofu, and walnuts. The walnuts are also a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, and vitamin E, all of which are micronutrients your body needs! Have a great week!
With love,
April