This lasagna is a great entree to make when you have vegan or non-vegan friends coming over for dinner. (I'm assuming you have friends. If not, just make this for yourself.) It tastes like a traditional dairy-filled lasagna without any of the animal cruelty. Using tofu and cashew cream to act as the ricotta, this lasagna is layers of protein-rich deliciousness.

Serves 8

Total time: 80 mins, active time 30 mins

1 box of lasagna noodles cooked per the box instructions.

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce*

 1 cup cashews (soaked for 4 hours unless you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix)

 1/4 water

 1 Tbsp lemon juice

 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

 1/2 tsp salt

1 package of extra firm tofu (drained very well and mashed)

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

5 cloves of garlic minced

2 Tbsp of nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp aquafaba**

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup vegan mozzarella, divided

*add 1 cup of your favorite vegan protein crumbles (Boca, Gardein, Beyond Meat, etc) to the sauce and make a vegan "meat" sauce to take this to the next level.

**see the vegan pantry essentials if you're not familiar

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Make the cashew cream by adding the cashews, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides to make sure that all of the nuts are blended and creamy.

Well-drain the tofu. This is an important step to make sure you don't have a soupy lasagna at the end. I usually press it in my tofu press for about 15 mins then mash the tofu in a large bowl. (If it still seems too wet, put it in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth and wring out even more of the liquid.

Add the garlic, parsley, aquafaba, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to the tofu and then add the cashew cream and most of the one cup of vegan mozzarella (recommend Daiya, Follow Your Heart or Violife), saving some for the top of the lasagna. Mix until well combined.

Now get ready to assemble the lasagna. Place a 9"x13" baking dish on the counter and put your sauce, noodles and filling nearby. (tip: When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then put it in a large bowl filled with cold water. This makes the noodles easier to handle.)

Coat the bottom of the pan with some sauce and then add a layer of noodles so the noodles overlap a bit. Next cover the noodles with about 1/2 of the tofu mixture. Next cover the tofu with some of the sauce. Repeat these step with a second layer and then top it with a final layer of noodles. Completely cover the top layer of noodles with sauce and then sprinkle the remaining vegan mozzarella on top.

Cover the baking dish in tented foil and place it in the center rack of the oven and bake for 30 mins. After 30 mins remove the foil and then bake for an additional 20 mins.

Allow the lasagna to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Nutritional information: Coming soon.