Vegetable Lasagna (Vegetarian)

This one is a family favorite that we had not made in a long time, but recently we resurrected it for a dinner party and fell in love with it again.  This version is meatless and much lighter on the cheese than regular versions.  You can use soy based cheese or other subs if you like.

The selling point on this lasagna is that it's extremely quick to make and requires very little prep.  We use one sauté pan on the stove and one lasagna pan.   No boiling noodles and burning your hands during the hot noodle transfer, and you can use any favorite noodle instead of the no-boil ones.

There are two versions of this lasagna, one we make for friends and one for our family.  The family one doubles the amount of the vegetables that are inside the lasagna.  Either version is delicious, and you won't miss the pounds of cheese usually in a lasagna this good.  




Ingredients:

Onion, 1 large, chopped
Garlic, 4 cloves, chopped
Mushrooms, 8 ounces, chopped
Zucchini, 1 large or 2 small, chopped
Basil, 4-5 leaves chopped
1 tsp olive oil

1 cup almond milk
2 heaping tablespoons of flour
1 tsp olive oil or cashew cream
Tomato based pasta sauce (your favorite)

Tofu, 1 pound organic
Spinach, 1 handful
Cheese, 1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Lasagna noodles, white or whole wheat or gluten free (regular, not no-bake, is fine)
Eggplant sliced long and thin

Some of the vegetables above reserved for the top of the lasagna (a few mushrooms, basil, 1/4 zucchini, and a whole tomato)
1/2 cup shredded cheese



Directions:

Saute the chopped vegetables in a teaspoon of olive oil or water until the onions are translucent.  Season with garlic powder, pepper, etc. and remove from the pan.

Using the same pan, heat the olive oil and stir in flour,  then add the almond milk slowly, whisking to prevent lumps.   When mixture is combined, add the pasta sauce (use jarred or your own favorite recipe).   (If using cashew cream, blend the cream with a little of the pasta sauce and add to heated milk/flour mixture).

In a bowl or food processor, mix the tofu, spinach, and shredded parmesan.   Season well with garlic and a pinch of basil, oregano, etc.    (The parmesan is optional, but using even a little of it will make the tofu taste like ricotta cheese after it's cooked).

In a 9x13 dish, spread a tablespoon or two of the tomato sauce in the bottom.
Line with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles and uncooked eggplant noodles (slices)*.
Spread a layer of half of the tofu mixture, some sauce, and half of the cooked vegetables.
**Repeat layers of noodles, tofu, sauce, vegetables, and a last layer of noodles.
Top with the remaining sauce.

Add a thin layer of raw, very finely sliced zucchini, mushrooms, black olives, and tomatoes.
Sprinkle top with a thin layer of parmesan, feta, and/or mozzarella cheese.
Pour 1/2 cup water around the edges of the lasagna and let it drain to the bottom (the extra water helps the noodles soften without pre-boiling).
Cover with foil or parchment paper and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.

Let sit 10 minutes and serve.

* note:  you can eliminate the pasta if desired and just use the eggplant as the noodle layer

** note:  we usually only have two layers of noodles in our lasagna because our pan is a bit larger.  We end up with noodles leftover in the package and make lasagna rollups out of them or just save the leftovers to put together one day.

Our favorite appetizers for this dish are stuffed mushrooms, bruschette, and a caprese salad.

Our favorite side dishes for this lasagna are a simple green salad and steamed green vegetables (asparagus, sno peas, broccoli).