Entrees
·
Vegan

Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna

This recipe was taught in a cooking class, Vegan Potluck Superstar with Krissy Ruddy.

There’s no lack of ooey, gooey, creamy goodness in this vegan lasagna. To save time, make any of the components ahead of time and freeze them. Then, assemble your lasagna for a quick and healthy dinner.

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

90 minutes

Yield

6 Servings

Ingredients

1 can tofu, extra firm (14-ounce package, drained)
3 cups basil, fresh
12 ounces squash, butternut (cubed)
5 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
2 onion (chopped, divided)
5 cloves garlic (minced, divided)
1 1⁄2 cups cashews (raw (or you could use blanched almonds))
3 cups water
3 tablespoons lemon juice (divided)
4 teaspoons sea salt (divided)
1 3⁄4 teaspoons black pepper (freshly ground, divided)
5 ounces spinach, baby
1 pound lasagna noodles, no-boil (if you can find them vegan, otherwise regular lasagna noodles are typically vegan and you can cook them according to the directions on the box)

Instructions

*If you are not using a high-powered blender, such as a Vita-mix, soak cashews or almonds overnight or boil for 10 minutes and drain. This will soften them and ensure a silky smooth cream.

To make the roasted butternut squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread butternut squash on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 Tbsp oil. Season with salt and roast for 30 minutes, until fork-tender. Remove from oven and puree in a food processor until smooth. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water or homemade, unflavored almond milk.

To make the spinach: In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add spinach and let cook until just wilted.

To make the Alfredo Sauce: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 chopped onion and let cook until soft. Remove from heat. In a blender, combine onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, cashews, water, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Process on high until very smooth, about 2 minutes, and set aside.

To make the ricotta: In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat and sauté 1 chopped onion until soft. Remove from heat. In a food processor, combine onion, 3 cloves garlic, tofu, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, and basil. Pulse until ingredients are just combined, but mixture still has some texture. Season to taste.

To assemble and bake the Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles across the pan; it’s okay if they overlap a little. Layer half the ricotta, 4 noodles, sauce, butternut squash, spinach, sauce, 4 noodles, sauce, remaining half ricotta, and 4 more noodles. Top lasagna with remaining sauce, reserving about 1 cup for serving. Noodles should be evenly coated.

Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of heated sauce.