The Godfather: Lasagna

The Godfather: Recipe #2

Lasagna is a vital dish in Italian cuisine, and I missed it so much when I became vegan. Little did I know then that tofu “ricotta” is so easy to make and so delicious! I literally cannot tell the difference. And the tofu adds some much needed protein ;)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds - raw

• Two 14-oz blocks (so 28 oz in total) of extra-firm tofu, drained as much as possible!

• 1.5 tsp lemon zest

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 8 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

• 16 oz mushrooms, chopped (I used a mix of button and baby bella)

• 6 cups fresh baby spinach

• One 16-oz box of lasagna noodles, cooked to package instructions

• Vegan mozzerela-style “cheese” (I used Follow Your Heart) - OPTIONAL

• 3 cups marinara or tomato pasta sauce

• 1.5 cups soy crumbles or “beef” crumbles , skillet cooked (I used Gardein’s Beefless Ground) - OPTIONAL

• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a food processor, process sunflower seeds and almonds.

3. Add tofu and continue to process until homogeneous and fluffy

4. Add lemon zest, salt, olive oil, garlic, and nutritional yeast and process until well incorporated. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.

5. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned - about 10 minutes.

6. Add spinach and saute until spinach is just wilted.

7. In a large casserole dish (9x12 pan), ladle about 1/2 an inch of marinara sauce (add beefless ground/soy crumbles to marinara sauce if using). Cover sauce layer with prepared lasagna noodles (see photos).

8. Spread a layer of the tofu “cheese” on top of the noodle layer (it’s hard to actually spread this… I just used a spoon and dolloped the “cheese” and smushed it around..). [Optional - At this point, you can sprinkle a nice layer of vegan “mozzarella” if you like!]

9. Sprinkle a layer of basil and parsley on top of “cheese.”

10. Spread a layer of spinach/mushroom mixture on top of herbs and “cheese” layer.

11. Cover spinach/mushroom layer with marinara and repeat steps 7-9 until ingredients are depleted :)

12. On the top layer, lay down fresh tomato slices and sprinkle with vegan “mozzarella” (if using).

13. Cover casserole dish/baking pan with aluminum foil and place dish/pan on a large cookie sheet (in case it boils over in the over…).

14. Bake for 30 min.

15. Take off foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool a bit, and serve with some nice fresh bread on the side.

16. Enjoy!