Vegetarian Lasagna


Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Meal Type
Dinner
Author
Jessica Lord
Serves
8
Preparation Time
30 minutes
Cooking Time
1 hour

Ingredients

Layers

  • 1 packet instant lasagna sheets (250g)
  • (OR) creamy rosemary polenta

Red Sauce

  • 1-2 700g tomato passata jars and water to rinse
  • 2 cups TVP Mince or dry lentils of your choice.
  • 2 Tbsp beef stock powder, vegan
  • 1 cup red split lentils
  • 125g frozen spinach
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-3 Tbsp dried herbs (oregano, parsley, basil)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (fruity)

Cheeses

  • Buddhist chef mozzarella recipe x2
  • 3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast or vegan parmesan to sprinkle

Optional

  • 1/4 cup of red wine
  • 1/4 cup diced olives/ artichokes
  • puree carrots and celery to replace stock powder.
  • Finely dice 1/4 white cabbage to replace onion and use asafoetida spice in hot oil to replace garlic is required.

Instructions

RED SAUCE

  1. Combine onion, garlic, oil salt and dried herbs plus any additions in a blender cup and puree.
  2. In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the puree until translucent.
  3. Add TVP Mince, stock powder (if using), lentils, passata or tomato puree, water, and stir to combine.
  4. Cook on low to medium heat and reduce to 2/3 the original volume.
  5. Add spinach and simmer.
  6. Unfortunately the desired consistency is subjective, but a slightly runny bolognese works well.
  7. Preheat oven to 180*C (fan forced).

ASSEMBLY

  1. Spray oil a large baking dish/ lasagna pan.
  2. Place lasagna sheets on the bottom of the dish so they cover most of the base but don't quite touch. The instant lasagna sheets expand and placing them at the bottom makes it easier to remove from the dish once cooked.
  3. Add tomato sauce one ladle at a time to ensure even distribution without disturbing the sheets beneath.
  4. Add a layer of lazagna sheets as before, then pour a third of the bechamel sauce and spread gently over the sheets.
  5. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella or lay out thin rounds from a mozzarella ball. Repeat layering with tomato sauce, lasagna sheets, bechamel, mozzarella, twice more.
  6. Scatter nutritional yeast over the top of the dish to help it get crispy in the oven.
  7. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes until golden brown on top.

Notes

  • You can use 'Vegan Moxarella', in place of cheese and bechamel to make Vegan and Dairy free.
  • You can use fresh rice noodle sheets from the Asian grocer instead of pasta to make Gluten free. *You can use very thinly sliced ribbons of zucchini instead of pasta or noodles to make the layers, just be sure to overlap neatly.
  • You can submerge leftover 'Spinach balls' in the sauce layers if desired.
  • Add any leftover Italian bottle vegetables to clean out the fridge; sun-dried tomatoes, char-grilled peppers, olives, artichokes.
  • Puree the onion and garlic with any other vegetables (if using) for a more enriched sauce base without the chunks, no one likes chunks of stringy celery left behind. If you puree the dried herbs they disperse through the sauce and re-hydrate faster.
  • If using fresh spinach or kale, shred finely and add to the pot before reducing.