This Vegan Lasagna recipe is made with a robust mushroom bolognese, fresh basil, vegan “tofu” ricotta, and no-boil lasagna noodles, topped off with a creamy marinara sauce, drizzled with Arugula Pesto. Vegan comfort food at its tastiest! Video.
What is more comforting in winter, than a hearty Lasagna Bolognese? Today I’d thought I’d share a vegan Lasagna to add to your plant-based repertoire, one that got two thumbs up from my non-vegan husband.
The mushroom bolognese filling is rich and robust, worthy enough for a big bold glass of red wine. The vegan ricotta adds delicious richness and creaminess and has a very similar texture to real ricotta. Instead of topping the lasagna off with cheese or vegan cheese, we blend some cashews into the final layer of marinara sauce to add a little more creaminess. Finally, we drizzle a little Arugula Pesto over top to add a bit of brightness, and beautiful vibrant color.
The recipe is not hard, but several steps can be tackled in stages if you prefer, or pick a day like Sunday when you are not pressed for time. Using the no-boil lasagna noodles and a jarred Marinara Sauce, does help by saving a few steps.
Watch how to make Vegan Lasagna!| 60-sec Video
How to Make Vegan Lasagna (in a nutshell):
See the recipe card for detailed instructions. A good way to tackle this is to make this in “stages”!
- Make the mushroom bolognese filling – 20 minutes
- Make the vegan ricotta– 10 mintues
- Make the creamy tomato sauce (blend 1 cup marinara sauce with cashews) 5 minutes
- Assemble and Bake 50-60 minutes
- Make the arugula pesto while it is baking.
To make this in stages- you could make the mushroom bolognese, ricotta, creamy marinara and pesto ahead 1-3 days ahead. Then assemble and bake. Or assemble it ahead, and bake on the day of. If freezing, I would bake, then freeze.
Vegan lasagna (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Step one: Make the Mushroom Bolognese! Saute the onions and garlic, getting them golden and caramelized. This is key to adding depth and flavor here. Add the mushrooms and red bell pepper, browning the mushrooms. Season.
At this point, you could deglaze with a little red wine if you like, cooking it off, or skip it.
TIP: For extra heartiness, you could add 1 cup cooked lentils or ground toasted walnuts to the mushrooms- both are optional, but add depth and texture!
Add a few generous handfuls of baby spinach.
Stir the spinach and let it wilt.
Set 1 cup of marina sauce aside (place it in a blender) and pour the remaining into the pan.
Rinse out the marinara jar with 1/2 cup water, stir it into the bolognese to incorporate, taste, season well with salt and pepper if needed, and turn the heat off.
TIP: The extra water here helps to moisten the dry lasagna noodles. You want this to be flavorful and saucy- not dry!
Step two: Make Creamy Marina sauce. At the same time, as the bolognese is going, set cashews to simmer in water until soft ( alternatively you can soak the cashews in water for 6 hours or until tender)
Drain the cashews and place them in the blender with the 1 cup of remaining marinara, add water, olive oil and salt.
Blend until creamy and smooth, adjusting salt and pepper to taste. This will be the bottom and top layer of the lasagna. Set aside!
Step three: Tofu Ricotta! Then, you will make the Tofu Ricotta, which is as simple as pulsing the ingredients in a food processor until creamy and ricotta-like.
Pulse until creamy- but not overly smooth. Set aside. Medium or firm tofu works best here. Extra-firm tofu, may end up too dry.
Step four: Assemble the Vegan Lasagna! Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread half of the Creamy Marinara on the bottom.
Add a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly.
Pour in half of the flavorful, saucy, mushroom bolognese.
Add half of the vegan ricotta, and sprinkle with 1/3 of the basil ribbons. You could add vegan cheese here if you like too~!
Repeat the layers. Add lasagna noodles.
Add the remaining mushroom bolognese and the remaining vegan ricotta. Sprinkle with basil.
Add the final layer of no-boil-lasagna noodles, press down a bit to level, and pour the remaining creamy marinara sauce over the top.
Step five: Bake! Cover tightly with parchment and foil and bake. (If the top of the lasagna is touching the foil, please separate with a layer of parchment, as anything “wet” that comes in contact with foil will break down the foil and it will end up in your food-not good-yuck!)
***At this point you could refrigerate it, and bake 1-3 days later, bringing it to room temperature first.
Bake at 375F for 50-60 minutes.
Of course, you can always add vegan meltable cheese to this- on the top, or in the layers.
Step six: While the lasagna bakes make the flavorful Arugula Pesto (or use your own favorite pesto, or even store-bought, though typically not vegan).
Drizzle the pesto over the lasagna.
Step 6: Serve! Not only will the arugula pesto add bright flavor here, but it will also elevate the vegan lasagna’s appearance. Add the last of the basil ribbons.
Sometimes I’ll make extra vegan ricotta and dot the lasagna with dollops on the top before baking. Also good.
The leftovers are really tasty reheated and will keep up to 4 days in the fridge. Or feel free to freeze.
Variations
- Bolognese: After publishing this recipe, I’ve been adding cooked lentils and/or ground walnuts to the bolognese for added protein and heartiness. For example, you could add 1 cup of cooked lentils. Or add 1/2 cup ground walnuts to the existing recipe. You can add plant-based ground meat. Just keep in mind you’ll need at least 4 cups of bolognese sauce total– making sure it is saucy and flavorful!
- Creamy Marinara Sauce: You can use hemp hearts instead of cashews- no need to simmer, just blend with the 1/3 cup water and 1 cup marinara, salt and olive oil.
- Vegan Cheese: Feel free to use store-bought vegan ricotta, or add meltable vegan cheese to the layers, and/ or on the top.
Serving Suggestions
Serve vegan lasagna with a hearty leafy green salad, and garlic bread, and dinner is ready!
Storage
Lasagna will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, or can be frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can freeze unbaked or baked. Thaw completely before baking or reheating.
On the homefront: I love sun. The older I get I just can’t seem to get enough of it. It fuels me and energizes me and as much as everyone says it’s not good for you- I don’t care, I choose to believe it is good for me. Yes, I am wrinkled and freckled, and I suppose that is the trade-off.
The other day, in Encinitas, Brian and I went on a very sunny walk. It was glorious. We were several miles from home and out of nowhere, a storm overtook us. A downpour like you’d see in the tropics. At first, it was really irritating, there was nowhere to take cover and we were not prepared- in our shorts and tee shirts. Within minutes, we were drenched and freezing. There was no point in walking around the puddles because my tennis shoes had puddles in them. 😉
And then I swear, a voice like Eckhart Tolle whispered in my ear “when you resist, you suffer.” So I stopped resisting, and gradually my anger turned to laughter once I resigned myself to the fact that I was just going to be soaking wet for a while. And it reminded me…
There have been many times in my life, where “not accepting” what was happening, made things so much harder for me- and I’m not just talking about thunderstorms here. Life often brings heartache and tragedy. We can’t escape this. I’ve found the first step to healing is simply, accepting. Having a good cry. Maybe even every day. For a long time. And stop fighting (mentally) what is happening. In this place of vulnerability, we are closest to the truth of who we really are. It is scary, uncomfortable, yet a profoundly beautiful place to be.
Yes, a strange tangent for a recipe blog, but I guess it wanted to come out… 😉
Hope you enjoy this Vegan Lasagna Bolognese! Let us know in the comments below.
Happy cooking,
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Vegan Lasagna Bolognese Recipe
- Prep Time: 50 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: vegan, main
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Lasagna is made with a robust mushroom-spinach bolognese sauce, fresh basil, vegan ricotta and no-boil lasagna noodles topped off with a creamy marinara sauce, drizzled with Arugula Basil Pesto. Vegan comfort food at its best! READ NOTES.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup cashews
- water to cover
Mushroom Bolognese Filling:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- one large onion, diced
- 4–8 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups plant protein- crumbled soy chorizo, cooked lentils, plant-based ground meat- see notes.
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- pinch cayenne
- 25-ounce jar marina sauce- divided
- 2 big handfuls of chopped baby spinach
- ———
- 1/2 cup basil ribbons, divided
- 16-ounce block tofu (firm or extra firm- do not use silken)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley (or 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning)
12 No-Boil lasagna noodles
Optional: 1 1/2 cups shredded meltable Vegan Cheese
A batch of Arugula Pesto or use store-bought pesto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Simmer Cashews: (or soak in cold water 4-8 hours) Place cashews in a small pot, cover with 1 cup water, bring to simmer, cover, simmer 15 minutes, turn heat off, leave covered so they soften. At the same time, start the Mushroom Bolognese.
- Make the Mushroom Bolognese: Heat oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. If using plant-based ground meat, brown it first and set aside. Wipe out pan add more oil, saute the onion and garlic 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add mushrooms, red bell pepper, salt pepper and fennel seeds, and saute until mushrooms release their liquid, and begin to caramelize about 15-20 minutes. Deglaze with red wine if you like, cooking it all off. Add the plant based protein or lentils, and stir in the spinach, wilting.
- Reserve 1 cup of marinara sauce, and put this in a blender. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of marinara sauce to the mushroom mixture, stirring it in. Rinse the jar with 1/2 cup water and pour this into the bolognese. Bring to a simmer, for 5 minutes, season to your liking, adding salt and pepper if you like. If using a sugar-free marinara, a couple teaspoons of maple syrup is nice here. If it lacks depth, you could stir in a little a miso paste. Every jar of marinara is different, so make sure it is flavorful and “saucy” enough to cook the lasagna noodles. If it seems dry, add a little more water.
- Blender: Along with the 1 cup marinara to the blender, add the drained cashews and 1/3 cup water. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. All together in the blender, you should have about 2 cups- so add more water if need be. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until very creamy and smooth, a full 1-2 minutes. This will be used on the top and bottom of the lasagna.
- Make the Tofu Ricotta: Place everything in a food processor and pulse, scraping down sides, Pulse until combined and creamy but not overly smooth.
- Assemble: Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish with spray oil or olive oil. Pour 1 cup of the blended Creamy Marinara Sauce in the bottom, enough to lightly coat. Layer 4 lasagna noodles. Spread out half of the mushroom bolognese. Dot with half of the tofu ricotta. (Feel free to add meltable vegan cheese here if you like). Sprinkle with a third of the basil ribbons. Repeat: add 4 lasagna noodles, the remaining mushroom bolognese, the remaining tofu ricotta, (optional vegan cheese) and 1/3 of the basil ribbons. Top with the final layer of lasagna noodles, pressing down a bit to create a level base. Cover with the remaining blender sauce. Cover tightly with foil. If the lasagna touches the foil, place a piece of parchment between the lasagna and foil. At this point, you could refrigerate and bake 1-4 days later (letting it come to room temp first).
- BAKE: Place in the middle of the oven and bake 50-60 minutes. While it is baking, make the Arugula Pesto.
- Remove the foil, test with a knife to see if pasta is tender, all the way through. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon a little of the Arugula Pesto over top and sprinkle with remaining basil ribbons.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Bolognese: After publishing this recipe, I’ve been adding either soy chorizo (or any plant-based meat), cooked lentils, or some ground walnuts to the bolognese for added protein and heartiness. For example, you could add 1 ½ cup of cooked lentils. Or add 1/2 cup ground walnuts to the existing recipe. You can add plant-based ground meat. Just keep in mind you’ll need at least 4 cups of bolognese sauce total– making sure it is saucy and flavorful!
Creamy Marinara Sauce: You can use hemp hearts instead of cashews- no need to simmer, just blend with the 1/3 cup water and 1 cup marinara, salt and olive oil.
Vegan Cheese: Feel free to use store-bought vegan ricotta, or add meltable vegan cheese to the layers, and/ or on the top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ th serving without the Arugula Pesto.
- Calories: 394
- Sugar: 9.9 g
- Sodium: 816.6 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.4 g
- Fiber: 8.6 g
- Protein: 15.1 g
- Cholesterol: 2 mg
I have tried many of your recipes and they have all been delicious! I have family members that have nut allergy so i am wondering what can I substitute for creamy tomato layer ?
Hi Rhonda- are you trying to keep it vegan? Hemp seeds will make it creamy if you have a good blender. 🙂
Served this tonight to company(no vegan) and they loved it. I made it yesterday and let it come to room temperature before baking. It was amazing. I forgot to put the pesto on top😩 but didn’t miss it. Will make this again
Great to hear Brenda!
Well I did not make it yet, but will. Thank you for your remarks on acceptance. Oof, that’s hard work, wish you well.
You as well, Barbara.
I made this Sunday and baked it Monday and it was really good. ! I did a few things different: I used whole wheat pasta, the only ingredient was 100% whole wheat, and I had to boil those, I boiled just till al-dente. I also added to the ricotta layer some cashew cream cheese spread which melted a tad, and also meltable mozzarella vegan cheese shreds. The ricotta on it’s own tasted very great and outperformed both of those I added. One more thing is I sliced longways a zucchini and salted and dewatered and added those under one of the pasta layers. This was super terrific and filling and the arugula pesto really did add a fresh different but delightful taste to top it off. Thanks for the recipe! This is now my go-to for lasagna! And I really enjoy your vegan recipes!
Love this Chrissy! A perfect use for Zucchini and thanks for sharing your adaptions! helpful!
Beautiful recipe. Tasted even better the next day. For the filling I used some Very Good Butcher sausage along with the mushrooms which gave it a nice hearty flavor. The cashew cream sauce was perfect. Cashews were soaked overnight and blended with the marinara as directed. Not quite vegan since I’m not ready to part with cheese in my lasagna yet! Used Parmigiano Reggio which was much lighter in the stomach than a mozzarella and gave it another delicious layer of flavor. I had some homemade frozen pesto from my summer garden thawed and gave the dish the perfect finishing touch. This one is a keeper. Thanks Sylvia!
Perfect Marva! Sounds tasty!
I really loved this recipe. I made a couple of errors, that others might find helpful. I only used one package of mushrooms, when I should have used two, but I used some chopped kale instead of the spinach which actually turned out great, so the sauce was awesome. I deglazed the pan with some yummy vermouth that I received over the holidays as a gift. Really great flavor, and a little different than the usual red wine deglaze. Also, I could not find any tofu that didn’t say “silken”. I bought the firm, but I think that’s why my tofu ricotta was super saucy. Still tasty, though! Next error was not letting it set up for at least 10 minutes after it came out of the oven, before cutting it. We were hungry! It kind of just turned into a mushy mess, a tasty mess, but mushy. Okay, hope this helps others to learn from my mistakes. I will definitely make again, the flavors were awesome. I had some chimichurri left over from dinner over the weekend and spooned it over the lasagne instead of making the pesto. Really good. Who knew that an Argentinian recipe would complement Italian flavors! Oh and one more thing, I made the bolognese on Sunday, and finished the rest on Monday which made it much more manageable for a week night dinner.
Thanks for sharing Lisa! Really helpful!
Hi Sylvia,
When I use the lasagna noodle link, ingredients show that it contains egg. Do you have a vegan noodle you recommend?
Hi Lisa- do you have access to Tuscanini brand? I believe they have an eggless lasagana noodle.
This is both the best lasagna I have ever had. My husband said the same. This also is the best pesto I have ever had as well!
That is great to hear Elise! Glad you liked this one!
WOW, this recipe is hands down the BEST vegan lasagna recipe I have made.
I was blown away by the vegan ricotta, that truly added such a creamy element that so many vegan lasagnas are missing. I also loved how easy it is to prep in advance,which is always nice for busy schedules or entertaining.
Last thing, I eat a predominately plant-based diet, but my boyfriend does not, so the fact he loved it and went back for seconds just shows how amazing it is. Whether you are vegan or not it is a great recipe for getting tons of veggies while also packing flavor.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed this Kelli! Thanks so much!
Sorry this didn’t work for you.
I have no words for how absolutely delicious this recipe is! This is the best lasagna I have ever had, including all the different meat based ones out there.
It took me a very long time to make it, but it was incredibly enjoyable on a Sunday. I also added carrots and they added a lot of sweetness. The explosion of fresh flavours as you eat it is unparalleled. I even dreamt about eating it last night! It’s that good!
I have made around 30 of your recipes and they have all been incredible, honestly. But *this*. This is a whole new level. I will be making this until I’m an old lady!
thanks So much Ali!
Ridiculously delicious! Amazingly flavored, well-spiced, plant-based home run. We particularly enjoyed the brightness the lemon brought through with the pesto. After we ate, I actually told my husband I felt proud of myself for making this meal. It’s THAT good. Be prepared to feel like a super hero. 🙂
OMG, I love it. Thanks Kerry! 🙌
This was awesome! I’m just amazed by the vegan alternatives out there. The tofu ricotta is very much like the “real thing”. It’s time consuming (as most lasagna recipes are) but it turned out so very flavorful. For those of you trying to avoid eggs, I noticed the noodles I bought *did* have egg in it, so just something to be aware of. But totally worth it!
This lasagna is absolutely delicious and I will use its component parts in other ways (the tofu ricotta in mexican recipes; the arugula pesto on everything! Haha)
I did make the cashew/tomato sauce and tofu ricotta the day before, which made the filling sautee and layering go quickly. I also tweaked the filling to our preferences (nixed red pepper; added zucchini and yellow squash I wanted to use up plus carrots for sweetness).My family- two young adult children here working remotely presently – plus us parents know when a meal is so delicious we start eating in silence – and this was one of those. Great leftovers for quick lunches for the working bunch or could’ve frozen for a second dinner. Gave me a great opportunity to link my kids (once again lol) to the blog and remind them of all the other recipes I make inspired by the weekly recipe email. So thank you so much!
Thanks Patricia, love how you added other veggies!
I did it ! Very good 😊 unfortunately I could’t find basil today. I’ve done a green salad with good vinegar. perfect combination !!
I used this recipe for inspiration to create 2 large pans of lasagna made with zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant and portabella mushrooms for my layers (all pre roasted before layering which took a loooong time). I made a beef bolognese with added mushrooms for the tomato sauce. I did make the tofu ricotta and it turned out great (I added lemon juice for a little brightness) and a kale arugula pesto with walnuts. It smelled like pizza and was such a great way to have a cozy meal with a lot of vegetables, made lighter with the tofu ricotta.
Thank you for your great recipes that always inspire!
This lasagna was amazing- did not miss the dairy at all…. rich, filling and so delicious! Thanks so much for yet another awesome recipe!
Delicious lasagna! the mushroom bolognaise is full of flavour and the whole lasagna is easy to put together. I used ricotta, not the tofu ricotta and added cheese, to make it vegetarian. Was a hit with meat eating husband and teenager. Will be making again.
This was fantastic – such great flavors. Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
Looking forward to making this> think I will take advise and make a few things the day before. Seems high in sodium though. Almost half a day’s worth.
Are you sure it is only 1/3 cup of cashews? It seems like you have used more; looking at the pictures?
Yes. They swell up after they cook.
Tried this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I really liked the creamy marinara and the tofu ricotta with fresh herbs was great. The pesto added a nice flavor, too. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed!
Love your recipes! Just wondering if the onions, mushrooms and red peppers are to be chopped or sliced before being sauteed? Not sure how small they should be if cut. Thanks so much!
Sorry – just looked at the pictures and the answer is obvious! Guess I shouldn’t have just jumped to the recipe 🙂
Ooops! I left a few details out, all fixed now. 🙂
This is the first vegan lasagna recipe I’ve been inspired to try. It’s a lot of steps, so I’d probably prepare sauce and “ricotta” a day in advance, then assemble and bake on day of. Looking forward to trying this. Thank you!
Yes, tackling in stages is a good idea!
Feasting at Home has become my family’s go to site for fresh and delightfully delicious recipes. Thank you so much!
This Vegan Lasagna Bolognese looks like it would be another my family would enjoy! I am wondering if you have any recommended substitutions or recipes for the tomato sauce. Tomatoes are not good for my GI issues.
Thanks, Stephanie. It would be tough here to sub the marinara as bolognese is essentially tomato-based.