Even if you have a vegan lasagna recipe, you will want to give this one a try. The Vegan Corner is a vegan blog and YouTube channel run by two Italian chefs, Raoul and Miriam. As delicious as their recipes are, "we have even higher expectations when it comes to recipes belonging to our tradition," they say. "We managed to keep this [lasgna] simple and delicious at the same time. Buon appetito!"
The recipe calls for a rich béchamel sauce infused with herbs in addition to the tomato-based ragù sauce that most Americans are familiar with. Watch the video below for The Vegan Corner's full guided instructions.
Vegan lasagnaPreparation Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Serves: 4
IngredientsBéchamel sauce1/4 cup cornstarch
2 pinches nutmeg or mace
2 pinches black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 cups non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional)
Ragù3.5 ounces (103.5 milliliters) textured vegetable protein such as soy mince, tofu or seitan
1/2 carrot, medium, finely diced
1/2 onion, medium, finely diced
1/2 celery stalk, finely diced
24.5 ounces (724.5 milliliters) tomato passata/tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon miso paste
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
1 pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
OtherLasagna sheets
Vegan cheese
Directions1. Prepare béchamel sauce in a saucepan over medium heat -- add dry ingredients to milk and whisk until blended. Replace whisk with a spatula and stir until milk is warm. If using vegan butter, add now and continue stirring.
2. When sauce is thick and reaches its boiling point, remove from heat. Let it cool completely while preparing the rest of the recipe.
3. In large frying pan over medium heat, add carrot, onion and celery.
4. Add tomato passata/paste. Use the water to rinse the inside of the passata container and add the tomato water to the pan.
5. Add garlic granules, miso paste and baking soda.
6. When sauce bubbles, turn heat to low and cover. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. (Less time may be needed if passata is particularly thick.)
7. Rehydrate TVP if needed and squeeze out extra water.
8. When tomato sauce is ready, add TVP, black pepper and rosemary. Turn heat back to medium.
9. Bring the sauce to a boil again, then return heat to low and cover. Let simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the sauce is the rather thick. Remove from heat to cool completely. (This is a good time to taste the sauce and adjust flavors if needed.)
10. Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
11. Build the lasagna in a 9-inch by 9-inch (23 centimeters by 23 centimeters) baking dish. Start with a layer of cooled ragù and a layer of cooled béchamel, spreading them out to all corners of the dish.
12. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, then spread another layer of ragù and béchamel. Sprinkle a layer of vegan cheese if desired. Keep alternating layers of sauces and noodles until the ingredients are all used.
13. The final layer should be ragù and a generous amount of béchamel topped with lots of vegan cheese.
14. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden. Let lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Raoul recommends using a vegan pizza cheese for this recipe because of its excellent melting capabilities.
Tip: Make extra ragù for future use in tasty pasta or rice dishes!
