Vegan Homestyle Beefy Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 package lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions (see note)

1 recipe Tomato Sauce (below)

1 recipe “Ricotta” Filling (below)

1 recipe “Beef” Filling (below)

1 package Mozzarella shreds (e.g. Daiya)

1 package Parmesan shreds (e.g. Follow Your Heart)

Tomato Sauce:
1 to 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 4 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (optional, to taste)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
Sugar, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)

“Ricotta” Filling:

1 package vegan ricotta (e.g. Kite Hill)

1 14 oz can chickpeas (or other white beans, drained)

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Salt, to taste

Pepper, taste

1 tsp. dried parsley

“Beef” Filling:
1 pound vegan ground beef (e.g. Beyond Meat)
2 cups spinach
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Make tomato sauce: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté a few minutes until onion is translucent and lightly brown. Add garlic and continue to sauté, being careful not to burn garlic. Add crushed tomato, diced tomato, and tomato paste. Tip: rinse the cans with a little bit of red wine to get all the tomato bits out, then add remainder of wine to the sauce to taste. Stir in nutritional yeast, parsley, basil, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Sugar varies due to the acidity of the tomatoes and your preference. Let sauce simmer while preparing fillings. 

2. Make “ricotta” filling: put chickpeas (or white beans) in a bowl and mash. You could also use a food processor. Add vegan ricotta and seasonings. Mix and set aside.

3. Make “beef” filling: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into skillet and add seasonings. Cook until the beef is brown. Add spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Assemble lasagna: In a 9”x13” casserole dish, put a thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom. Layer in the cooked lasagna noodles. Add the ricotta filling, followed by another, thicker, layer of tomato sauce. Add another layer of noodles. Top with beef filling and more sauce. Add a final layer of noodles. Top with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan. 

5. Bake approximately 40 minutes. Cheese should be melty and sauce should be bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

Note:

If making lasagna ahead to be frozen, I skip cooking the pasta and assemble the lasagna using dry noodles. Let thaw and then bake according to instructions.