Ingredients
For assembling
- 1 large eggplant thinly sliced
- 1 large zucchini thinly sliced
For the tomato sauce
- 2 x 14oz cans chopped tomatoes with liquids
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 celery stick diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of chili flakes to taste
- Salt to taste
- 2 bunches of fresh basil
- 1 cup vegan parmesan shredded
For the vegan ricotta
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 16 ounce firm tofu patted dry
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly grounded nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Bring a medium pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently for 4 minutes until wilted and lightly browned. Add celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Pour the chopped tomatoes in the pan, 1 tsp salt and bring the heat down to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to form a thick sauce. Taste and adjust salt and spiciness to your taste. Add basil leaves and set aside.
- Meanwhile, grill the eggplants and zucchini slices in a cast iron grill or skillet. If slices are wet, pat them dry with a paper towel or clean cloth. Don’t add any oil to this process, grill for 1 minute each side over high heat, until the veggies are browned. Lay the slices in a baking tray to slightly cool down. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven at 390º F.
- Make the vegan ricotta: Add the cashews to a food processor and process until finely crumbled. Add the chunks of tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic powder to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until well combined and smooth.
- Assemble the lasagna: in a square or rectangular roaster, add a thin layer of tomato sauce, lay the slices of eggplant side by side, trying to fit as much as you can, but don’t overlap them. Add a little bit of the ricotta, spreading over the eggplant, and top with another thin layer of tomato sauce. Be careful to not overuse it. Next, lay the zucchini slices and repeat the process until you use all of the vegetable slices, but leave ⅓ cup of tomato sauce and ricotta. Add the last layer of tomato sauce and spoon over the ricotta. Finish with shredded vegan parmesan.
- Bake for 30 minutes until browned and bubbling. Remove from the oven and wait 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
This is a vegan and gluten-free recipe, really tasty and light. The zucchini and eggplant are substitutes for the pasta sheets and when grilled, taste sweet and soft.
This recipe makes up to 4 large servings, but can be served up to 6 smaller portions, and can be served with arugula or spinach salad.
For vegetarians, just replace the cheese for regular ricotta, adding 14 oz of ricotta with 2 tbsp milk, 3 eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix in a large bowl and use in the recipe.
You may not use all of the tofu ricotta. In this case, just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or use it as a dip for crackers.
This recipe makes up to 4 large servings, but can be served up to 6 smaller portions, and can be served with arugula or spinach salad.
For vegetarians, just replace the cheese for regular ricotta, adding 14 oz of ricotta with 2 tbsp milk, 3 eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix in a large bowl and use in the recipe.
You may not use all of the tofu ricotta. In this case, just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or use it as a dip for crackers.