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Best Damn Vegan Lasagna

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.comBest. Damn. Lasagna.

It really, really is. And I didn’t name it that way, Michael did. I actually hesitated because it’s such a trendy thing to do, to refer to a recipe as the best ever, or ultimate, or whatever. But this. This is vegan lasagna nirvana. Not only that, but omnivores love it too! I’ve served it to three people so far, none of them vegan eaters, and all of them have given this recipe rave reviews. Let’s do this thing.

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.com

I almost called this a 4-ingredient vegan lasagna, because technically this is assembling three other recipes with noodles layered in. Don’t let that “three other recipes” thing scare you. Lasagna is known to be a complicated and time-consuming dish, but I have some tricks up my sleeve for helping you save some time in the kitchen. But before we get to that, let’s talk about those layers.

You know I’m all about those layers, ’bout those layers, more ricotta…

Late night bad jokes strike again.

There are four elements required to make the Best Damn Vegan Lasagna.

– Protein-Packed Marinara Sauce (or this Simple Tomato Sauce, or Vegetable Bolognese)
– Vegan Spinach Ricotta (feel free to leave out the spinach if the green is not your thing)
– Savory Cashew Cream (this is the magic cheesy filling and topping)
– Lasagna Noodles (my favorite is DeLallo Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna)

Once your ingredients are assembled, the layering process is super quick and easy.

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.com

First, layer one cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13×9 casserole dish.  Then lay down 5 lasagna noodles, overlapping to fit, and spread 1 cup of the vegan spinach ricotta on top of the noodles.

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.com

Pour on another cup of marinara sauce, and then drizzle on 3/4 cup of the savory cashew cream. Can we just talk for a second about how beautiful that cashew cream is? And you won’t believe how it thickens up as the lasagna bakes. And the brown spots after broiling…GAH, now I’m hungry.

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.comRepeat the noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cashew cream. Then add the final layer of noodles and sauce, cover the dish with foil, and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and drizzle on the cashew cream. Bake for another 20 minutes. And then…broil the lasagna for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully until it looks like this.

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.comOh, my.

The hardest part of this whole recipe is the waiting. The waiting to eat after it comes out of the oven, that is. The lasagna needs to rest for about 15 minutes, but IT IS SO WORTH THE WAIT.

Best Damn Vegan Lasagna | Oil-Free | https://passtheplants.com
If you are not trying to reach through the screen right now to eat this picture, I just have one question. Are you human? 😉

Seriously, folks, this is THE BEST DAMN VEGAN LASAGNA EVER. The last time I made it, I looked over to see Michael bowing his head after eating a bite. When asked what he was thinking about, he shushed me and said, “I’m having a moment.”  Apparently he needed some private time with his lasagna. That sounds so weird.

ANYWAY…you’re going to look down at the recipes below and be all, BETH, THIS IS TOO MUCH WORK. And I can totally see why you would think those thoughts. But let me convince you otherwise.

There are two options to making this lasagna – the make-ahead option, and the make-in-the-moment option. I’ll give you my tips and tricks for both.

Meal Prep Vegan Lasagna

This is the perfect approach for the person who likes to do meal prep for the week all at once. I am starting to become a person like this, but it’s slow-going. Being prepared and allowing enough time is the hardest part.

1. Measure out all of the ingredients for the savory cashew cream, marinara sauce, and vegan ricotta, and do any chopping or other prep as well (mise en place).
2. Start the marinara sauce on the stove or in the pressure cooker.
3. While the sauce is cooking, make the cashew cream.
4. Make the Vegan Spinach Ricotta. Feeling on your game? Make two batches and freeze one for later!

By the time the sauce is done cooking, you’ll have finished the ricotta and cashew cream and probably even had time to clean up a bit. This is also the perfect opportunity to make extra of all three recipes, to freeze for another time.

Now, just assemble the lasagna (setting aside the last 1/2 cup of cashew cream), and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Then, on the day you want to eat it, allow an hour for baking and rest time before diving in. You can also freeze the unbaked lasagna for up to one month. See notes for baking from frozen.

Make-In-The-Moment Option

Same as the make-head option, except bake the lasagna right then, instead of storing it for later. Start to finish, this process should take about 2 hours. There will be lots of down time while the lasagna is baking. Since you already have everything out, why not make extras and store them for next time? That’s a great use of your time, and you’ll thank yourself when you have all the components ready to go at a moment’s notice. Bulk meal prep for the win!

Well, hopefully I have convinced you to give this recipe a go. If you do make it, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment here, or tag @eatwithinyourmeans and #eatwithinyourmeans on Instagram. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

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Best Damn Vegan Lasagna

★★★★★ 4.8 from 58 reviews
  • Author: Beth Hornback | Pass the Plants
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 95 minutes
  • Yield: 9
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Description

The best damn vegan lasagna is the one you make at home! This super-healthy vegan lasagna is hearty, chock full of vegetables, and so so good!

Ingredients

For the Lasagna

Savory Cashew Cream

  • 2 cups raw cashews*
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon heaping nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon chickpea miso, optional (any light miso will work)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Protein-Packed Marinara Sauce

  • 2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes (I love the Muir Glen brand with basil)
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed in a fine mesh strainer
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, optional
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil, optional
  • 2 1/2 cups water

Vegan Spinach Ricotta

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 10-12 ounce firm or extra-firm tofu drained (1 package is typically 10-12oz but can go up to 14oz, which also works fine)
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach or 1 cup frozen spinach
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves**
  • 2 cloves garlic***
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon light miso white, yellow, or chickpea
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

Instructions

Make the Savory Cashew Cream

  1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor until creamy and smooth.

Make the Marinara Sauce

  1. Heat 4 quart (or larger) saucepan over medium heat. Click here for Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker instructions.
  2. Sauté the garlic and salt in olive oil for 30 seconds or so, just to wake up the garlic flavor.
  3. Add the oregano, if using.
  4. Stir in the sweet potato and lentils, and cook for a minute or so.
  5. Add water, then bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
  6. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until lentils are soft.
  7. Add in crushed tomatoes, and simmer for another 5 minutes to let the sauce come together.

Make the Vegan Spinach Ricotta

  1. In a food processor or blender, pulse cashews, garlic, miso, salt, and nutritional yeast until the mixture is fine and crumbly.
  2. Add the tofu, spinach, and basil and pulse to throughly combine.

Assemble the Lasagna

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Thin savory cashew cream with water until it is a pourable consistency.
  3. Spread one cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 casserole dish.
  4. Layer 5 lasagna sheets over the sauce, overlapping as needed to fit.
  5. Spread 1 cup of spinach ricotta over the noodles.
  6. Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce over the ricotta.
  7. Pour 3/4 cup of savory cashew cream over the marinara sauce.
  8. Repeat with noodles, ricotta, marinara, and cashew cream.
  9. Layer remaining 5 noodles on top of the cashew cream, then top with remaining marinara sauce.
  10. Set aside remaining 1/2 cup of cashew cream.
  11. Cover casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
  12. Remove foil and pour on the remaining cashew cream.
  13. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  14. If desired, broil the top for 3-4 minutes until browned.
  15. Let lasagna stand for 15 minutes before devouring.

Notes

*If not using a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in water for at least 2 hours. Drain and proceed with the recipe.

** Or two cubes of Dorot frozen basil

*** Or two cubes of Dorot frozen garlic

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare components and freeze separately. Defrost the components overnight in the refrigerator, then assemble and bake the lasagna as directed above. Alternatively, assemble the lasagna and freeze, unbaked. Defrost the lasagna overnight in the fridge they day before you want to eat it and add 15 minutes to the initial baking time.

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Comments

  2. Comfort food at it’s finest! It looks so good! Super creamy and flavorful. I love casseroles in the cooler months. Gonna have to make this one for sure!

    Reply

  10. Gracious ! I needed “a moment” merely looking at the photos and reading the ingredients !!
    Thank you for your hard work, and sharing this incredible recipe with us!!

    Reply

  12. Wonderful recipe, really unctuous like lasagna should be! I thought the cheese sauce benefitted from more miso and the tomato sauce needed more garlic, and next time I will process rather than blend the ricotta layer for more texture, but this is now my new standard lasagna recipe. Vegans ad non-vegans were aghast at just how good it was. LOVED it!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Jacque! Thanks so much for making the lasagna and telling me how it went for you. Love that you adapted it to your personal tastes. I might sneak in some more miso and garlic next time and see how I like it. 🙂 One other way you could get a bit more texture next time is to add some sautéed mushrooms and/or other veg like zucchini. I didn’t include that in the recipe because I wanted to try to keep the steps down (there are enough as it is, ha), but we’ve really enjoyed it in the past with some veggies added in as a layer rather than blended into the sauce. I’m still smiling that it was loved by everyone. 🙂

      Reply

      • I made this recipe for my family and we all LOVED it! I also have to go gluten free so I used organic green lentil lasagna noodles. Delicious! I would like to add more texture next time I make it. Thanks for the suggestions of mushrooms or zucchini. I will give that a try and comment to you all on how it turned out.

        ★★★★★

        Reply

        • Hi Kim! This is so great to hear!!! I definitely hear you about the texture. If I think ahead to have roasted veggies on hand it makes it so much easier to throw them in. I’m still getting adjusted to the idea of meal prep. 🙂

          Reply

        • Personally, I like my lasagna to have nice layers of zucchini, spinach, eggplant, or other chunky veggies. But, I think this recipe is BRILLIANT for kids. My kids hate all the veggies I love so much in my lasagna. In this recipe, the spinach is hidden in the ricotta so they don’t even know they’re eating it. This is my go-to lasagna for my kids!

          Reply

  13. I read in another part of your blog that you could make the spinach ricotta right in the blender (I also have a vitamix) ‘right after the cashew cream without rinsing’. Is there any advantage to making the spinach ricotta in a food processor rather than the obvious advantage of the last bits of cashew cream in the vitamix? I’m making it this week & feeling excited!

    Reply

    • Hi Phyllis! First of all, I am so excited that you are making the lasagna this week! I’ve had people as far away as Australia make it and even send me photos of the process, and it gets me all kinds of giddy inside. 🙂 As for your question, the only advantage I can see is texture, in that you can more easily control how fine the cashew pieces get, in case you do prefer some texture. I personally don’t want texture from the nuts so I see no reason at all why your Vitamin wouldn’t work for this. Fewer dishes are always a plus in my book! I so hope you’ll let me know how it goes. Happy cooking (and eating!). 🙂

      Reply

      • Hi Beth!
        Just an update. Making this lasagna right now & ran into a snag with the ‘ricotta’ mixture in the vitamix. I’m wondering if I should not have drained the tofu. The cashew blend all stuck to the sides & didn’t want to cooperate so i just put in the tofu, spinach & basil & had to push it down with very little success. I finally added a 1/4 cup of water just to get it to move. In hindsight I would definitely use the food processor next time.

        Reply

          • I agree. If you use the high speed blender it seems more moisture is needed. I ended up using about 1/2 cup of water to get it to work. Still tasted delicious & looked fabulous but was way more work.
            As a side note, I’ve tried to give this recipe 4 stars but there’s a glitch & it won’t do more than 3 ? Not good!

            ★★★

  14. Just made this tonight for my family. I love to make lasagna, but haven’t found a totally plant based version that my kids will eat. This one is a perfect fit. My three girls loved it! I didn’t change anything in the recipe and it turned out awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share your recipes and wisdom!

    Reply

  15. My daughter does not like sweet potatoes. This might seem like an obvious question but can you taste the sweet potatoes in the sauce? If you can, could I just use regular potatoes?

    Reply

    • Hi Beverly! I personally can’t taste them, and have asked others who can’t detect them either. That said, you would probably want to blend the sauce well so that she can’t see them. 🙂 I wouldn’t use white potatoes, it’s a totally different flavor and texture. If you decide to leave them out, that would be fine, but you might need to add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup or sugar to balance out the flavors. Hope that helps!

      Reply

    • My husband hates sweet potatoes, but he couldn’t taste them in this dish! I just chopped them in fairly small cubes, but I guess you could also grate them.

      Reply

  16. Wow! Just made this for our family for Christmas dinner and it was a huge success. We are a family that is converting to vegan one recipe at a time and this is a sure winner! I also made it gluten free with rice noddles – worked out very well. The flavours are so nice, comforting and mild, but also balanced. This recipe is now apart of our regular vegan dinner options. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Sari! I saw this comment on the way to my parent’s house where I made this lasagna for our family dinner as well! It brought a tear to my eye, truly. I’m honored that you gave this a try for your holiday meal, and thrilled that it turned out so well for you to become part of your dinner rotation. I would love to hear from you anytime with recipe requests! Happy New Year to you and your family. 🙂

      Reply

  17. I fail lasagna. Every single time. The lasagna cooking gene is missing in me.
    I nervously took this on, and the result… was magic. I have successfully made a lasgna for the first time. Did my toddlers eat this? No. Did I eat their plates? Shamefully yes. This is absolutely amazing. Vegan food still scares me, we have been vegan 3 months. This now goes in my weekly rotation. Easy, delicious, and goes well with wine!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • YAY CARLY!!!! Woo hoo!!!! I am so so so thrilled that this worked out so well for you. The positive feedback just keeps coming, and it makes my heart happy. I totally understand about vegan food being scary, I legit cried when my husband told me that he wanted to go vegan, and this was just over 4 years ago. I took on the challenge and headed into the kitchen, and now I love creating recipes even more than I already did, because of comments like this. Any requests for other recipes? I’m here for you!

      Reply

  18. The Lasagna was my contribution to the Christmas Dinner. I had it all prepared and it sat in the refrigerator for 24 hours and traveled to my sister’s house for baking. Bad news – to my horror it came out goopy.Good news- everyone still liked it and none went to waste. Next time I will either let it sit out awhile or bake it a little longer… I did use silken tofu for the Spinach Ricotta along with extra garlic. The “Tinkyada Pasta Joy; Organic Brown Rice Pasta Lasagne” from thrivemarket.com is very good. I have to rate the recipe five stars because everyone likes it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Ronald! I’m honored that you made this for your Christmas Dinner. Thank you so much for giving it 5 stars even though it didn’t turn out quite like you expected. My educated guess on the goopy factor is the silken tofu, because it has a wetter texture than regular tofu. I honestly have never tested this recipe with silken tofu, but I will now to see if I can get it to work, otherwise I’ll update the recipe to specify that silken tofu is not recommended. Thank you again for giving this a go, and I’m thrilled that your family liked it. Happy New Year to you!

      Reply

  19. Absolutely awesome! I did have issues with ricotta in blender, but I worked it through 3 batches. I added roasted eggplant and coarsest chopped mushrooms. It was out of this world! Thank you.

    Reply

  20. Hi Beth,

    Thanks for the recipe, it was my first try at a vegan lasagna, so of course, I wanted to make TheBest one! My husband, who is not so sure about my vegan New Years resolution, thought it was pretty good, hooray! It was a little dry, and it puffed up over the 13×9 pan, the big expansion was a surprise. Any suggestions on making it more moist?

    Reply

    • Yay!!!! That’s awesome! The cashew cream is a staple in our house. We make it at least two times a week, if not more. I would cry real tears if I couldn’t have cashews any more. So glad you loved it!

      Reply

  22. i made this tonight. overall, my husband and i liked (my three year old didn’t like it but, you know, he is three…) it and i will make a slightly different version of it again soon for sure. somehow i made a mistake and added too many sweet potatoes (read two cups instead of one!) and so the sauce was too sweet and thick. BUT, the spinach cashew “ricotta” was very good and i will be using that recipe a lot! and, the cashew cream sauce looked pretty weird on top of the dish, but was very good in the dish and it is pretty neat how it thickens up after being baked. I will use the cashew cream recipe again too i think.

    so, thanks for the recipe! i am excited to try the cashew cream and ricotta in some lasagna roll ups next!

    *note- the instructions for the overall assembly never say what to do with he 1/2 cup water listed in the ingredients. also, for the cashew ricotta it says use 1oz of tofu. that didnt make sense to me so i was glad there was another link to the original recipe post which clarified the amount to 12oz of tofu.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  23. Your recipe ingredients sound simple enough. I love that there are very few ingredients. The spinach ricotta sounds lovely but I do not eat soy. Would you have any further recommendations other than tofu?

    Thanks

    Reply

  24. Can you clarify the 1 oz tofu in the spinach ricotta recipe ? That amount doesnt make sense to me . Need to know this before I make it. Sounds very tasty.

    Reply

    • Hi Rosemary! I’m so sorry for the confusion, I recently switched the way my recipes are formatted and some of the ingredients were goofed up and I’m still catching those errors. I just updated the recipe to indicate 1 10-12 oz. package of tofu. I hope you’ll let me know how it goes! 🙂

      Reply

      • I am also wondering about the 1/2 cup of water in the assembly part of the recipe. When is it used or is it used at all?

        Reply

  26. I made this last night to bring to a pot luck dinner, and it was a smash! I’m allergic to soy so instead of the ricotta I added one cup of cashews to the “cheese”, browned some garlic and mushrooms, mixed in two thirds of the cheese sauce and layered that in the centre of the lasagna. Because my lasagna dish is so deep, I was able to add a layer of greens. I poured the leftover cheese onto the top, by it looked a little weird so my husband made some cool designs on it with a fork. It was as beautiful as it was delicious!

    A note about goopiness: It’s been my experience that rice noodles tend to absorb liquids even when cold. It’s best to prepare it shortly beforehand. If anybody out there has found a solution to this problem, I’d love to hear it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  27. Had same problems with ricotta, but transferred to food processor. Added onions, fresh rosemary, and thyme to the sauce. Also added onions, nutmeg and chili pepper to spinach ricotta. My husband and I like spicy. Its in the oven. We are waiting. I forgot to reserve the last bit of cashew cream, but not worried.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  28. Hello there, I just made this, smells delish! Haven’t tasted it yet. Now I’ve cooked it, is it ok to freeze?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  29. Hey Beth,

    This looks really great. I am the only vegan in my household and I was wondering if you’ve ever frozen this to be cooked at a later date? I feel like I could get a lot more mileage out of it that way. Any thoughts?

    Reply

  30. Just looking at this recipe and have the same question about freezing the lasagna and cooking later. Any ideas on how well it freezes after it is assembled and how we would change the baking time or temperature?

    Reply

  31. Just made this with my boyfriend and another friend, I’m the only vegan one but everyone liked it. Used prego as the red sauce just to save time and cause I’m picky about my marinara. Had to use frozen spinach and added a bit of dried basil for taste cause we didn’t have fresh, and added a layer of onion, mushroom and garlic. The ricotta was probably more creamy than meant to be because all I had was a shitty blender that I had to split into two separate batches for each of the sauces, so had to add more moisture. Was really surprised at how actually cheesy the ricotta tasted.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  32. I cooked this and my still meat eating husband decided that for the first time ever he could tolerate a vegan meal!! He even said the next night that if I keep cooking like this, he might be able to start eating vegan more and more often. I cooked the zucchini roll-ups the same night also.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • RENEE! THIS is the kind of feedback that makes me want to jump up and down and dance with happiness. I’m thrilled that you made this and even MORE thrilled that it won over your husband! Also, I saw your post about the zucchini roll-ups. LOVED seeing your daughter cooking with you in the kitchen! So great. I appreciate the feedback about the complicated directions, I’ll take a look at that. Let me know if you have any recipe requests!

      Reply

  33. This is a FANTASTIC recipe!

    I used the “vegetable bolognese” sauce, added some extra layers of fresh spinach, and doubled up on the garlic, fresh basil, and spinach in the “ricotta”. Turned out wonderful. My only “gripe” is that it actually took me FOUR hours, start to finish–mainly because I am new to vegan recipes and took extra care to follow all the instructions as closely as possible.

    In the future, I’d prepare the sauce a day or two ahead of time (while doubling the recipe–it would be good on ANYTHING). The two “cheeses” were relatively quick to prepare, the layering was great fun…then it’s just about patience with the cook time in the oven 🙂

    Thanks for this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Diana! I’m so behind on comments, but I just wanted to thank you for this lovely feedback! FOUR HOURS! Wowee kapowee. I’m going to take a look at the recipes and see if there’s something I could do to improve the timing. I certainly don’t want it to be an all-day affair. With that said, I’ve taken to making extra of the components and freezing them so that I can save time when the craving for lasagna hits. I’m getting better at the meal prep thing – one day at a time. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, even with the time commitment. 🙂

      Reply

  34. Hello, not even sure if I’m leaving a comment on the preceding …. anyway.. well here I sit in rural Australia and having made my very first vegan recipe from scratch and so hoping that my dinner guests give it rave reviews. i was inspired to give it a go after all of the wonderful ingredients and reviews. Thank you. I will have some left over so thinking will this freeze for another time??
    Thanks again and yes I’ve joined the email contact option. Bit exciting to think there will be helpful hints and great recipes as we begin a more sustainable way of living and eating or should that be eating and living. Thanks Carol.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Carol! I’m so sorry to be delayed in my response. I’m so excited that you made the lasagna, all the way in Australia! You’re actually the second person from that part of the world who has made it and told me about it. 🙂 I have to know, how did your guests like it? Yes, you can freeze it for later, although it might be slightly dry when reheated, so having some extra sauce on hand is a good idea. I’m so glad that you signed up for the mailing list! I’ve been working hard on a fun project that I’m excited to share more about soon.

      Reply

  35. This recipe sounds so wonderful I am not vegan or even vegetarian but have leanings in those directions. Also I do entertain some vegan/vegetarian family members on occasion and want to serve top drawer fare. Thank you so much for so generously sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  36. This is an excellent recipe. Our family of 5 is converting over to whole, plant-based eating. When I saw Michael Pollan’s quote at the top of your page, I thought I must try something from your site. I’ve bought several well known plant-based cookbooks, and the problem I’m finding with them is that the recipes taste boring and “plantish” :). This lasagna recipe is such a refreshing experience. Every element: sauce, ricotta, and cheese tastes yummy and not “plantish”. Finally, someone who cooks whole foods with flavor! Thank you. What should I try next?…..

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  38. This lasagna is seriously so good! I took about two hours of prep to simmer the sauce while I made the ricotta and cashew creme . A great dish for when I have the afternoon off!

    I doubled the proportions on everything but the sauce and that was enough to fill two pans. I only used a handful of spinach in the ricotta and it’s is totally to die for. I added a small spoon of miso and lots of fresh basil to the marina as well. Everyone I’ve served this to came back for seconds. Thank you for the great recipe, I definitely plan on making this again soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  40. Another one from Australia! This was very tasty and my non vegan teenage sons and husband devoured it. I was amazed at the flavour. I tasted as I went and it was ok but once cooked it really came into its own. The spinach ricotta was excellent. It wasn’t as ‘set’ as it should have been and I will have to experiment with it to work out what I did wrong. It was either the fresh lasagna sheets I used or the tomato puree- I ran out of cans of tomatoes. I followed the timings correctly. Will certainly try again to nail it. I love lasagna and now I am so happy to find a vegan one. Thank you

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Chef AJ sometimes uses garbanzo beans in place of cashews to make a lower fat option. I want to try the cashew sauce with garbanzo beans, since my dad and I are also trying to lose weight. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

    Reply

  42. Hi Beth! Made this the other night and wow, was it delicious!!! Bringing it to a party on Saturday and just found out one of the guests is gluten free…if I switch out the noodles for a gluten free option, is it good to go?

    Reply

    • Hi Jill! SO glad you enjoyed the lasagna. I just made the ricotta today for some crostini. As for the gluten-free option, it should work, but the texture might be slightly different because the gluten-free noodles tend to absorb the liquid differently depending on the brand. Can’t wait to hear how it goes!

      Reply

      • Thank you so much Beth!!! Hopefully I can find some decent noodles to use. And Crostini, Yum…now you just gave me another idea for the ricotta.

        Reply

  44. Hey there!
    I am SO looking forward to making this meal for my family.
    Q re/the spinach ricotta: I am not able to use tofu due to a soy allergy.
    Do you have any recommendations on what I can use as an alternative ingredient?
    Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Hi Jenny! What I would recommend is double up on the cashews and process them with about 1/2 cup of water in addition to the seasonings. You could also use pepitas (raw shelled pumpkin seeds. Hope that helps!! ?

      Reply

  45. Ok! I’m a new vegan and this was my first attempt at a vegan put-together “meal”. And it was very good! The taste is spot-on. I would never have thought that you could recreate ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese with whatever nutritional yeast is.
    My only complaint was the texture. I was craving the grainy texture of the ground beef, so next time I make it, I would cook the lentils separately and NOT blend them, but blend the sweet potato/tomato mixture only. Hopefully the intact lentils will give it the bumpy texture that’s missing. As is, it’s a fantastic taste, but really just a lot of goopy creams and noodles. It needs more body.
    This was a LOT of work!!! But at least I have lunch and dinner all made for me for the next few days. Reheat, eat, repeat!

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • Hey Megan! So sorry for the delayed response on this. I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Totally hear you on the texture thing. I often make it with my vegetable bolognese for the sauce or just add some vegetable meat substitute to whatever sauce I’m using. That really helps give it more of a “ground-beefy” texture. It’s definitely more work, but it’s something you could stretch into other meals too. 🙂 Funny enough, I just made a 5-dinner meal plan that does just that. Just a few options for you! 🙂

      Reply

      • Beth, I agree with you as far as wanting a bit more texture (and substance beyond the delicious sauces!) I ground up some carrots in the food processor, leaving them in very small pieces (pebble-sized or smaller) and then sprinkled in each layer. They didn’t change the flavor but added a bit of color and texture.

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  46. I made this lasagna for a dinner party and it was *perfection*. Truly, one of the best lasagnas I’ve had, vegan or not. Make this lasagna! Its incredible! The vegan ricotta was a winner 100% and the miso in both of the cheeses really perfect it. Thank you so much!

    ★★★★★

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  47. I made this lasagna for my boyfriend (not vegan) and I a month ago. It was so amazing, he loved it and has been requesting I make it again ever since. I’ll be making this again tonight for a few more non vegans and I cannot wait to blow their minds!! Love Love Love this recipe!

    ★★★★★

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  48. Just made this lasagna and it was fantastic! I actually wasn’t expecting it to turn out as tasty as it did, what a delightful surprise! I love when recipes surpass my expectations. The only thing I would be mindful of next time is to cover my top layer of noodles better with sauce as the corners curled up and were too hard to eat. Totally my fault, the recipe is great as is. Thanks for helping me make my first lasagna ever!

    ★★★★★

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  49. I love this lasagna recipe it’s by far my favorite. It freezes well too! I always make extra and freeze for a quick dinner.

    ★★★★★

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  50. Done and tested was a nice meal, didn’t have to purchase nothing. Instead of fresh basil leaves for the spinach ricotta, I replaced with dried basil leaves, instead and replaced the red lentils with green lentils whatever i had in hand, still came out delicious, and also omitted the Nutritional yeast, still came out delicious.

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  51. THANK YOU! I made it for my non-vegan friends and it was a hit!
    I did everything the way you said and it turned out great 🙂

    ★★★★★

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    • Hi Eva! I think you could, although the flavor might be a little odd. I would suggest instead to double the cashews or use 1 cup of raw pepitas in place of the tofu. Good luck! Please keep me posted. 🙂

      Reply

  54. My husband would have me make this every week if I would. I changed the recipe and added thinly sliced zucchini and tomatoes into the layers. I also used my own spaghetti sauce I made and canned when tomatoes where in season. This is by far our favorite dish. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!

    ★★★★★

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  55. I made this lasagna tonight and I must say, I came away being quite impressed with the flavors – both my husband and I enjoyed it. Vegan ‘Ricotta’ was new for me and I’m so glad your recipe for it turned out great. I’ll be sure to be more adventurous with that kind of thing in the future. The one ‘complaint’ I have though is that it was dryer than other lasagnas that I’ve had, which makes me wonder if it’s because of that 1/2 cup of water that I saw included in the main recipe list but didn’t know what to do with.

    What was the water for? If you’ve answered this, I missed it, so if you could please repeat it, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!

    ★★★★

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    • Hi! I didn’t even notice the 1/2 cup of water in the ingredients list, I just follow the directions and then look up to the amount I need. Mine came out creamy and wasn’t dry at all. My only thinking for this is that I used the lasagna noodles that you cook beforehand, so I think using the no boil ones absorb a bit of the liquids to cook. I’m not sure what that 1/2 cup is either though, but I know I didn’t use it! Glad you enjoyed it! I loved it!

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  56. This was absolutely the best Vegan lasagna! The spinach ricotta sets it off! I added mushrooms to for added texture! Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

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  57. This Is Really Good!! Like, delicious! I made it for my family, and everyone loved it–including my reluctant 14 year old son, who is really freaked out by “vegan” foods. It didn’t really even take that long to make. I’ve made it twice now, and will absolutely be making again and again!

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  58. This is a fantastic recipe. I did make a couple of modifications, but I have no doubt the rating would still be 5-star even if I had made it exactly as written.

    ★★★★★

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  59. I made this lasagna and it was wonderful! I’m getting ready to make it again, but in keeping with a max number of calories per day I would like to have the nutritional breakdown, or at least the calories per serving.

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  62. Delicious!!!! I made this to test out the recipe before I go to my grandmother’s for Christmas Eve and was so excited at how amazing it tasted! Excellent job. It is on the laborious side, but the work is worth it!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! It’s sure to be one a make often!

    ★★★★★

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  63. In your main recipe, it says 1/2 cup water, but it’s not used anywhere during your assembly process. Did I miss something important in your recipe?

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  65. I’m giving this recipe 5 stars for results because it’s super delicious but I would dearly love it if you’d fix some issues.

    1. Ingredient lists need to be in order of use to help people avoid leaving something out and to make it easier to set up a mis en place.
    2. Metric weights/volumes would be SO helpful to people who aren’t in the US. You can provide both if you like, but there are plenty of countries where a “cup” is a different size from what the States use, and a teaspoon isn’t even a thing.
    3. I too could not get the ricotta to mix up in the vitamix, had to scoop everything out and into my food processor, which was a mess and made an otherwise very quick recipe into a bit of an ordeal
    4. I don’t know what to make of this direction: 1 cups large sweet potato (diced (about 2 )) 1 cups? Is the number a typo, or is the pluralization a typo. And about 2 what?

    ★★★★

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  66. This lasagna is out of control good. And so are all of your other recipes. I know that I can depend on every single recipe on your blog and it will turn out amazing!!

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  71. This was THE BEST vegan lasagna… I’m so glad I found your site.. i also made the thai peanut sauce. WOW… delicious!!

    ★★★★★

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  72. Hi Beth, I’m excited to try this recipe. But I live in a small town and have always had a hard time finding miso. Any ideas on substitutions or edits?

    Reply

    • Hi Maureen! Oh, that’s a bummer about the miso. It really does add to this recipe, but it will be fine to leave it out. 🙂 I’d add a smidge more salt to taste to both the ricotta and the cashew cream, and maybe a little bit more nutritional yeast. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  73. Ok, I followed this to the letter. The taste was there, but it was a bit dry.
    What I noticed that the recipe lists 1/2 cup of water as well as the sauce, ricotta, lasagne sheets, and cashew cream. But no instruction as to what to do with the 1/2 cup of water.
    Why is that? How can I add moisture, and I ran out of cashew cream.

    ★★★

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    • Hi Christine! Sorry this turned out dry for you. I just updated the recipe post, because it was confusing having all three recipes listed out separately, and I kept forgetting to state what the 1/2 cup water is for. It’s to thin out the cashew cream so it’s a more pourable consistency, and also helps ensure that there’s enough left for the topping. So sorry that was missing! As for adding moisture, using the water to thin the cashew cream will likely help. Did you use the DeLallo whole wheat lasagna noodles or another type? Did you make the protein-packed marinara or a different sauce? Those variables could have had an impact as well. Happy to help troubleshoot it with you!

      Reply

  74. This was a godsend and our new family favorite lasagna recipe! I made it for the in-laws (meat eaters) and they loved it, as well. Thank you for all your hard work and beautiful pictures, Miss Beth!

    ★★★★★

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  75. I made this for a vegan friend so was not super familiar with vegan cooking. But the steps were clear and easy — there are a lot of steps for sure, but they use a lot of the same ingredients so it wasn’t anything too crazy. I added double the basil in the ricotta and really liked that flavor. I would maybe use some extra lasagna noodles next time so it has a little more structure, but the flavor was amazing and the green ricotta makes it beautiful.

    Be sure to get egg-free lasagna noodles — I think the no-boil options often use egg, but I was able to find a box without!

    ★★★★★

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  76. Perfect recipe! My sister and I made this on Christmas Day and we couldn’t get enough! Even my non vegan family requested for me to make this vegan lasagna again! Im making it tonight! The cheesy cashew cream is so delicious! Thank You for sharing this amazing recipe!
    PS: We dont like sweet potato all that much so we left them out but replaced them with some mushrooms!

    ★★★★★

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  77. If you don’t like cashews will you still enjoy this recipe? I’m going to make it for a dinner party next week. Can you substitute almonds or walnuts?

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  78. This was the best lasagna I have ever made. Very easy and absolutely delicious. It was even better the following day. It really tasted so cheesy. I followed the recipe exactly except for adding a bit of tomato paste to the marinara as I love a strong tomato taste. Thank you very much for sharing. I will be making this often from now on.

    ★★★★★

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    • It is a lot of work – but it’s sooo worth it!
      Go bit by bit and start making the cashew cream and ricotta from scratch and use a ready-made tomato sauce – then it’s less hassle. If you double the amount you can freeze it and make the marina sauce from scratch next time.
      Have you had butternut mac and cheese? I can really recommend that.

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  80. This is not the best damn vegan lasagna! This is the best damn lasagna I have ever had! I have only within the past 3 weeks adopted a WFPBD (Whole foods plant based diet), and this is the best lasagna that I have ever had! The cashew cream sauce was good enough to eat by itself. Beth, you take the prize!

    ★★★★★

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  81. Amazing recipe and honestly less work than other vegan lasagnas I’ve attempted. Made it as apology meal and let’s just say, I’m forgiven:D Even better the next day. Thank you!

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  83. I made this for Mother’s Day and it was absolutely amazing!! Thank you so much for this recipe – I will definitely be making it again. My mom is not a vegan and she really enjoyed it 😊 (thank goodness!)

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  84. Made this tonight for dinner and it was AMAZING. So so so so good. Even used jarred marinara and was fantastic. I’d serve this to my omnivore family for sure.

    ★★★★★

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  85. I’m about to try it: I’m baking a trial dish this evening before deciding whether to take it to a dinner party on Thursday. One problem I had was that we don’t use cups and ounces in UK/Europe and I had to convert everything. I’m not sure how accurately I’ve done it as cups are a measure of volume but my conversions are to a weight (a 1/4 cup of basil is ~37 grams in weight).
    I thought the tomato sauce needed some cider vinegar to cut through the sweet potato and tomato puree.. I wonder whether adding olive oil to it may make it more satisfying, from a fat perspective?

    ★★★★★

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  86. I tried this recipe last night and LOVED IT! I’ve been transitioning to a plant-based diet over the last year and this lasagna is like heaven! My 3yo DEVOURED her helping, which was a wonderful miracle (we are eating the leftovers right now and she is climbing in front of my face asking for more bites). I feel like this rich, creamy, filling dish is an answer to my prayers! 😉

    I used store-bought marinara because I was a little short on time, and it was still great! I think that, if I plan ahead a little better next time, this will come together in a snap.

    Thank you thank you!

    Reply

  87. This recipe is amazing. I’m not vegan, but I made this for my girlfriend who is and honestly it is one of the best lasagnas either one us has ever had. Normally, vegan cheese makes me want to gag, but now I’m a believer. This recipie definitely has me second guessing my dairy eating ways.

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi John! Sorry it took me so long to respond to this, but man, it made my day! I’m so with you on the being let down with the commercially available vegan cheeses (although major strides are being made), and I’m thrilled that this recipe has helped you make something you can enjoy with your girlfriend. I know how hard it is to make food that anyone will eat, and feedback like this is EXACTLY why I do this crazy blog thing. Thank you so much for your comment!

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  88. I really want to make this but I hate when lasagna comes out wet, mushy, and sloppy — with this recipe do the noodles and ingredients remain intact and stacked as a whole?

    ★★★★★

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  89. Beth, thank you for this brilliant recipe (and no doubt other recipes which I’m for sure going to try, now that I’ve found your site!) I am making it for the second time this week. Found it when visiting Ohio and tempting my 16 y-o newly vegan nieces into another Cooking with Aunt Becky adventure. Now that I’m back home in Massachusetts I just had to try it again with my 20 something daughter and bestie. It’s just gorgeous — can’t wait to sink into it again!!

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  91. The name says it all! This is truly the BEST. The spinach ricotta is amazing and I will definitely be using it in other recipes. My picky toddler loved this lasagna and that says a lot. So glad I found this thanks for sharing

    ★★★★★

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  92. I went vegan about 6 weeks ago and have been craving a real lasagna. Made this recipe today, and it lived up to its name! Absolutely delicious! Even my cheese-loving wife was impressed. Definitely will make it again.

    ★★★★★

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  93. Delicious!! Made this today and it came out great. I did not add the cashews to the tofu and felt it was fine with out it. Did not have fresh basil on hand so added dried along with oregano. Next time I may add some additional veggies. Thanks so much for a fabulous recipe!!

    ★★★★★

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  94. Dear Beth!
    I stumbled over this recipe and made it last night and it was out of this world!
    I’m currently living in Sweden and it was a bit tricky to get hold of the miso paste. But I got hold of it in a small Chinese shop.
    I am in love with the ricotta and cashew cream – heavenly!!
    My husband hates sweet potatoes and didn’t even notice them!
    I personalized the marinara sauce a bit and also added a splash of balsamic vinegar for colour and taste.
    Also, I will try to cut down the baking time, by 10-15 minutes, because my pasta was really soft.
    Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m off to discover more of your recipes now.

    ★★★★★

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  95. I have just recently switch to eating vegan. I made this last night and WOW. It IS the best damn vegan lasagna! I couldn’t help myself and had two servings! I am a home ec teacher so I am always experimenting with recipes. Thank you for posting this!

    I would like to know the macro nutrients breakdown as I am tracking my intake. Do you know what it is per serving or in total?

    Thank you!

    Reply

  96. I made this last night. Fantastic! It’s my new lasagna recipe. My old one was fine, but had double the tofu. Mixing the tofu and cashews–genius.. Thanks for creating this recipe.

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  97. My meat loving husband LOVED this lasagna, as did my 10 year old who begged me to make a traditional meat ‘n cheese lasagna but I only cook vegan for myself and my family. So delicious! I made half the recipe and we still had leftovers. The only adjustments I made was to add the juice of one lemon to the ricotta, and added a chopped onion when cooking the tomato sauce. I can’t wait to make this for a big family gathering. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Hi Michael! You’re the best for wanting to make this for your daughter. Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make it ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to heat and serve. I would suggest is to make the components and refrigerate them until the day you want to serve it, then assemble and bake. That would make it taste the freshest and avoid the noodles absorbing the moisture too much while in the fridge. I hope that helps! 🙂 I would love to know how it goes. High-five to you, awesome dad!

      Reply

      • Thank you Beth for your lightning-quick response! My son is preparing the recipe with me, could not go it without him and my daughter arrives tonight!!!
        Thanks again!!!

        Michael

        Reply

        • You’re so welcome! I can’t wait to hear how it goes. If you are up for it, I would LOVE to see a pic of you all enjoying the fruits of your labor! You can e-mail it to me at beth@passtheplants.com, if you’re willing. As my three year old son said today, Merry New Year and Happy Christmas! 🙂

          Reply

          • Hey Beth!!!

            My daughter says it was the “Best Damn Vegan Lasagna” she has ever had!!! Her flight arrived and though she had eaten dinner earlier, once she saw the tray she said she wanted some!
            I could not have done it without my son’s patience and improvisation and though we are sworn carnivores, we will be joining my daughter for some and shall send you a photo!!!
            Thanks again!!!
            Merry New Year and Happy Christmas to you and your family!!!

            ★★★★★

  100. OH-flippin’-MG was this good!!! It was my first experience with cashew cream or nutritional yeast or tofu and — to be honest — I was bracing myself. This was so yummy and I say that without qualification!! I made your simple tomato sauce, but sadly didn’t make enough. So next time I’ll have to remember to double the recipe. I also didn’t have pasta water, but I did use the Muir Glen tomatoes and that was a great call on your part. I didn’t have fresh basil so I used dried. I just can’t get over how delicious this lasagna was… and I’m from NY! I know good Italian food!! And this is it!! Thanks for sharing.

    ★★★★★

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    • Hi Amy! Happy New Year! <3 This comment made me so happy! I’m honored that this recipe was your first foray using shall we say, “foreign” ingredients. I still remember making that transition myself and originally being weirded out and suspicious that they could ever taste good. I had to laugh at that because now they’re staples! Funny how it just takes a leap of faith to discover new yumminess. And to get the approval from a New Yorker! I’m stoked. 🙂

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  101. Hi there. This recipe looks amazing but I need a substitution for the cashews (tree nut allergy.) Is there something I can use instead of cashews? Are there any seeds I can use instead?

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    • Hi Megan! I don’t soak the cashews for either of them, but for the cashew cream, if you don’t have a high speed blender, it wouldn’t hurt to soak them for a bit. The fastest way to get them soft is to boil them for 15 minutes and then drain, but if you are a planner, soak them overnight in the fridge, then drain. For the ricotta I don’t recommend soaking because they help add to the texture a bit unsoaked. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

  103. Thank you for the recipe. This was my family’s first vegan lasagna. From a meat/dairy eating family, its satisfying, tasty and healthy. Overall, I think the flavors were good. Everyone ate it including my 3 and 5 year olds. However, I feel like it’s missing something to make it outstanding. I’m going to try the mushrooms that some other reviews mentioned and maybe some more seasoning in the marinara sauce. If I figure it out, I’ll update my reviews, but for any meat and dairy lovers trying to go vegan, this one is a safe bet. Thanks again!

    ★★★★

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    • You’re so welcome, Jennifer! So glad to hear that this went over well with an omni family. I definitely understand what you mean about the texture – often I’ll add some vegan ground meat to the sauce, but as this was already a complicated recipe I wanted to try to pare it down. I make it a little differently each time, and your feedback is helpful! <3

      Reply

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