Ode to Lasagna

Lasagna, Lasagna,

How I love you so,

You are truly delicious

This I happily know,

No need for cow cheese,

Tofu ricotta will suffice

Being topped with Nutritional Yeast 

Makes you taste quite nice!

The best part about you?

It's that I can eat you

And still be vegan too

Which makes me yell "Woohoo!"

So, yeah, I made lasagna last night. Mouth-watering, smile-inducing, tummy-loving lasagna. And now I will share my special homemade recipe with you. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

This recipe makes enough lasagna for about two days of leftovers for two people. 

Half the recipe if you're only cooking for yourself.

1 lb. cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and patted dry

2 servings of Sweet Tofu Ricotta (Recipe below)

2 boxes lasagna noodles

(I used Brown Rice No-Cook noodles - they were great!)

2-3 jars of your favorite tomato sauce

2 tbsp. cooking oil

1/3 c. Nutritional Yeast

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook pasta noodles according to directions (if they require cooking).

3. While pasta is cooking, make tofu ricotta.When done, heat oil in a medium to large sized pan. Once oil gets hot, add mushrooms and cook until tender. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and toss to coat. Mix mushrooms and spinach with the ricotta until well combined.

4. Oil a large casserole dish. Spread an even thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer noodles on top of sauce, then spread ricotta on top of noodles. Repeat until you have no more pasta or ricotta (I had about three layers). Pour the rest of your tomato sauce all over the noodles to completely cover. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder over the top. Add some salt and pepper if you like.  

5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the top begins to brown and crisp nicely.

Sweet Tofu Ricotta

You can add this to any dish that calls for ricotta. 

1 package firm or extra firm tofu,

pressed for 5-10 minutes and crumbled

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 c. vegan cane sugar or agave nectar

more sweetener/salt on hand to taste

1. In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients and pulse until thick and smooth. I like to start with 2 tsbp. of oil, and then add more as I go to make it creamier. You can also add more sugar to reach your own desired level of sweetness.