Vegan Zucchini Lasagna
Lasagna that’s made with zucchini “noodles” in place of pasta. Packed with vegan ricotta, cheese, and sausage for a hearty and delicious gluten-free vegan meal.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr 5 mins
Total Time1 hr 35 mins
Course: Main Course
Keyword: gluten-free vegan lasagna, vegan zucchini lasagna, veggie lasagna, zucchini lasagna
Servings: 9
Calories: 203kcal
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini (about 8-10 inches long)
2 teaspoons salt
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 medium tomatoes
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup vegan sausage crumbles (or vegan ground beef or vegan sausages chopped small.)
2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons vegan pesto or a handful of fresh basil
2 cups vegan ricotta (See ingredients and directions below or homemade or use store-bought.)
For the homemade tofu ricotta
1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu
2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1 handful fresh basil
Instructions
MAKE ZUCCHINI “NOODLES”
Wash 2 medium zucchini and cut off about a 1/2 inch from both ends. Use a mandolin to make long thin slices the length of the zucchini and about 1/4 inch thick. You can also carefully cut it with a knife if you don’t have a mandoline.
Place the sliced zucchini on a long sheet of paper towels (or a very clean tea towel) and sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow the slices to sit for 10 minutes. Then flip them over and sprinkle with more salt and let them sit for 15 more minutes. (This will extract the excess liquid out of the zucchini so that your lasagna will not be too watery. It is an important step to get the correct texture, so don’t skip this.)
PREP YOUR OTHER INGREDIENTS
After 25 minutes, your zucchini should have released a lot of liquid. At this point wash off the salt and pat the zucchini “noodles” dry with a clean paper towel.
While the zucchini noodles are sitting, fry up some vegan sausage crumbles, vegan ground beef, or chop up some vegan Italian sausages into bite-sized pieces. (If you don’t want to use vegan “meats,” you can use sauteed mushrooms instead.)
Wash and slice 2 medium tomatoes and 2 cups of baby spinach. and set them aside.
MAKE YOUR TOFU RICOTTA: (OR USE STORE-BOUGHT VEGAN RICOTTA IF DESIRED)
Drain and press a container of extra firm tofu getting out as much liquid as possible.
Crumble the tofu into a large food processor.
Add, 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast,1 teaspoon salt, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a handful of fresh basil.
Blend well for 2 minutes in a food processor. Add a splash of soy milk or water if needed to thin out the ricotta to a smooth spreadable texture.
ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA:
Cover the bottom of your lasagna dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
Then lay down a layer of the washed zucchini “noodles” so that they overlap each other a little.
Spread a layer of vegan ricotta on top of the zucchini “noodles.”
Add a second layer of zucchini and pour another cup of spaghetti sauce on it.
Sprinkle with vegan sausage, vegan ground beef, or sauteed mushrooms.
Add another layer of zucchini “noodles” overlapping them slightly.
Spread on a layer of vegan ricotta cheese, sauce, and top it with fresh baby spinach.
Layer again with zucchini and tofu ricotta, and then add a layer of sliced tomatoes.
End with one last layer of zucchini “noodles” and more sauce.
Sprinkle on some shredded vegan mozzarella cheese and vegan pesto.
Cover with foil and bake at 375° F for 40 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
Be sure to take to time to salt the zucchini slices to get the excess water out of it or it will make your lasagna too wet.
You can put as many layers as you want, just be sure to frequently alternate in sauce to keep it moist and ricotta or mozzarella cheese to hold it together.
Be sure to bake uncovered for the last 25 minutes to allow steam to escape and let it dry out a little.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1279IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 8mg