I have been having so much fun lately with a bunch of new cookbooks, like this one from America’s Test Kitchen, called “Vegan for Everybody.” I was fortunate enough to hear Jack Bishop, ATK’s Editor and Chief Creative Officer, present this book at my local bookstore, Pages. I am fascinated by testing recipes and making the subtle tweaks towards perfection. There’s no one in this space who does it more rigorously or better than America’s Test Kitchen.
You may have seen me write about their new vegan cookbook on a recent Five Friday Favorites, but I finally found the recipe I want to share with you. This Hearty Vegetable (and vegan) Lasagna is as good, if not better, than any lasagna I’ve had with meat or cheese for that matter. Lasagna is a favorite comfort food, but it can be very heavy and hard to digest. I personally am not a fan of a super cheesy, meat-filled dish, so I had a feeling I would be smitten with this recipe.
Basically, this what makes this lasagna vegan is the lack of any dairy products. But just because a dish is vegan doesn’t necessarily imply nutritious (you could eat a vegan potato chip and Tofutti popsicle diet, for example.) But before you assume that ATK subbed in some pasty, tofu ricotta and a processed non-dairy cheese that doesn’t really melt, think again. They actually did the work and came up with a genius puree of boiled raw cashews, cauliflower, olive oil and water. The result is an ethereally light “ricotta” that rivals the real thing. Once again, I ask “is there anything cauliflower cannot do?” A bonus is that this filling contains high quality protein so you don’t have to worry about adding any to complete the meal.
Eggplant, mushrooms and zucchini are included for great flavor and substance. I imagine sautéed dark green leafy vegetables like Swiss chard would also be nice here. And gluten-free lasagna noodles are easy to find, so this can be made gluten-free and vegan. Is it your lucky day, or what?
The true test came when I served this lasagna to my family. Mr. Picky actually tried it because he doesn’t eat cheese, so this was “safe” and he really liked it. My husband lives for a traditional lasagna, and he apologized for rolling his eyes when I told him this was vegan. He loved it! This lasagna proved that a good vegan recipe can be had with a balance of flavors, textures and substance. I can’t wait to try more recipes from this book. Stay tuned!
Hearty Vegetable Vegan Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- For the Tomato Sauce:
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon organic sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For the filling:
- 8 ounces cauliflower florets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (21/4 cups)
- 11/2 cups raw cashews, chopped
- Salt and peppers
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- For the vegetables:
- 1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- For the Lasagne:
- 12 no-boil lasagne noodles
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- For the tomato sauce: Process tomatoes, basil, oil, garlic, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 30 seconds. Transfer sauce to a bowl and set aside. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
- For the filling: Bring 3 quarts water to boil in a large saucepan. Add cauliflower florets, cashews, and 2 teaspoons salt and cook until cauliflower is very soft and falls apart easily when poked with fork, about 20 minutes. Drain cauliflower mixture in colander and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Process cauliflower mixture, 3 Tablespoons oil, and 1/4 cup water in clean, dry food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 2 minutes (mixture will be slightly grainy). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer 1/4 cup mixture to bowl and stir in remaining 1 Tablespoon oil and basil; set aside for topping. (Mixtures can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- For the vegetables: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss eggplant and mushrooms with 2 Tablespoons oil, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl, then spread on rimmed baking sheet. Toss zucchini with remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in now-empty bowl. Roast eggplant-mushroom mixture until beginning to wilt, about 15 minutes. Remove sheet from oven, stir zucchini into vegetables, and continue to roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned, eggplant and zucchini are tender, and most of the juices have evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside. (Cooked vegetables can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
- For the lasagne: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Spread 11/3 cups tomato sauce over bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles on top. Spread half the cauliflower filling over noodles, followed by half of vegetables. Spread 11/3 cups tomato sauce over vegetables. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, remaining cauliflower filling, and remaining vegetables. Arrange remaining 4 noodles on top, and cover completely with remaining tomato sauce.
- Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake until edges are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Dollop lasagne evenly with 8 to 10 spoonfuls of reserves cauliflower topping, and let cool for 25 minutes. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with remaining 1 Tablespoon basil, and serve.
Notes
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Looks great! If substituting cashews with cashew butter, how much should I use? Also, my husband doesn’t like mushrooms. Any suggestions on what to substitute and the quantity?
To substitute with cashew butter, start with half the amount (3/4 cup) of cashews the recipe calls for and add more, if needed to achieve desired consistency. Any vegetable (about 4-5 cups) would work well in this recipe. Swiss chard, asparagus, broccoli florets, and sweet bell pepper, to name a few.
I’m allergic to everything nuts except coconuts. What should I use to substitute the cashews?
For the cashew-cauliflower filling, you can try using cooked white beans in place of the cashews. Another option is to try a tofu ricotta recipe.
Pine nuts.
I tried the no boil noodles & the top layer of noodles shriveled up & did not cook. Wanted to try making & boiling noodles. Anything to change with the cooking time do I still cover? And can I make the lasagna & cook the following day. Thank you
Sorry that happened, but it should not have! I’ve made this dish at least 40 times. If it was well covered and the noodles were covered in sauce and the temperature was correct, the top layer of noodles should have been tender. I would refer to the package directions on the box of noodles that you have to boil in advance, just to be safe. You can assemble the day before and put in fridge, covered.
Pamela I assume I can use frozen cauliflower rice ? Defrost first ? Also If I use frozen cauliflower how long do I need to cook the cashews? Same amount of time ? Thanks !!!
I assume so, but go by weight and not by volume. I would add the frozen cauliflower rice in for the last 5 minutes. Cashew will take the time listed in the recipe.
Went husband is vegan but allergic to nuts. Do you have a good cheese substitute that you can use or make without nuts?
Laura, I haven’t tried this but I think you could give this a go with cooked white beans and boiled cauliflower and blend those together. Try the recipe with the same amount of cooked white beans as cashews. No need to boil with the cauliflower. I haven’t done it, but it’s worth a try. Another option is blending tofu with the cauliflower.
Thank you. I’ll let you know how it is when I give it a try.
Excellent recipe in healthfulness and flavor…unfortunately, it takes 4-1/4 hours to make. This preparation time is one of the longest of the more than 450 recipes from Cook’s Country/America’s Test Kitchen that I have made. ATK should continue to develop this recipe to shorten the prep time. Your suggestion regarding the use of frozen cauliflower might be a first step…
You can also use prepared marinara sauce and defrosted/frozen vegetables instead of roasted.
YUM! Slim pickings on our veggies so I made this with spinach and broccoli and roasted peppers. I was lazy (due to home schooling) and used Rao’s. Hubs had turkey bolognese with his and I used palmini hearst of palm lasagna for mine. SO GOOD! You are my hero! XO
I think those veggies sound totally amazing! The whole meal – outstanding!
I’ve made this so many times and it is DELICIOUS!!! I have a Magimix with various cutters and wondered if the recipe could be adapted where the vegetables filling could be grated (using a large grated) or sliced (4mm) to cut down on preparation time? Any other time saving ideas would be great!
Thank you for bringing us delicious healthy nutrient rich family meals!
You can do whatever size vegetables you want, as long as you cook them prior to adding them to the filling. 🙂
if we are gifting this for a new mama, would you recommend freezing before baking or baking the lasagna through and then freezing? thanks!
I personally like freezing then baking. But if you were to bake, then freeze, I would not bake all the way through. Cut it short by 10 minutes.
I doubled the cashew and cauliflower and didn’t end up using it all. Any recommendations for storing/what else to use it for?
You can use it as a base for roasted vegetables like carrots + some toasted hazelnuts and herbs. Or on toast with savory toppings like sautéed mushrooms. I don’t know if you eat eggs, but you can likely combine it with beaten eggs and sautéed veggies and bake like a frittata.
I love making this lasagna. We are trying very hard to go plant based I haven’t bought or made lasagna with meat sauce in 10 years, this is by far the best recipe I ever introduced my family to. Everything about this site is a YES!
Thanks, Kellie! I agree about this lasagna. It is a staple for us, especially with my vegan hubby.