Lucy Lou's Vegan Lasagna

 

In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, I will refrain from eating dairy or eggs for the month of January.   To kick-off what I'm referring to as "No Dairy January", I decided to highlight a recipe that I have very much enjoyed numerous times made by my friend and science buddy LL.  LL has spent much of her life as a vegan and recently shared her delicious recipe for vegan lasagna before she headed off to points polar. Yes, this recipe contains tofu and for those of you that have an innate hatred or fear of it, I challenge you to try this recipe anyway.  I strongly believe you will enjoy it.  The only drawback is that after one bite you will officially become a dirty hippy.

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15-20 min
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 box of lasagna noodles
2 bunches of spinach, chopped
2 boxes of firm silken tofu
2 cups pasta sauce/marinara

"ricotta"
2 boxes of firm silken tofu
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups shitake or portabella mushrooms
1 yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp Italian herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)
pinch cayenne

Directions:

• boil water for noodles, cook until al dente, strain, and mix with some olive oil to reduce sticking.
• steam spinach, strain, and set aside
• saute garlic, onions, and mushrooms in olive oil
• add in spices, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste
• to make the "ricotta", combine the saute of vegetables with silken tofu, pine nuts, and nutritional yeast, stir well or blend
• layer noodles, sauce, spinach, "ricotta" in a 9 x13" glass dish, repeating until you use most of the ingredients or you run out of room.
• top off with sauce and any leftover spinach and/or "ricotta"
• bake for approximately 20 minutes

Potential Alterations:

• try using other vegetables (zucchini, squash, broccoli, eggplant, etc.)
• add sun-dried tomatoes to the "ricotta"  (I did this and it was a nice addition)
• pine nuts too pricey?  use walnuts instead or leave out altogether
• enjoying with a nice glass of red wine not optional