this is truly the best vegan lasagna you will ever try! with a homemade vegan meat sauce, homemade tofu ricotta, and lots of vegan cheesy goodness you are going to love this.
*this blog post has been updated on 12/6/24, the recipe has stayed the same since 2018*
the inspiration
I am Italian so lasagna was always a staple, especially around the holidays. However, growing up I hated lasagna. I didn’t want to eat it. I didn’t like it and it didn’t appeal to me.
Around the age of 16 that changed and suddenly I loved it. So when I went vegan, I knew I had to figure out a recipe that tasted like my mom and grandma’s lasagna. And boy oh boy did this deliver. This vegan lasagna it truly the best vegan lasagna. It has been served to so many non-vegans who have all raved about it and is truly the best!
While the recipe has a few homemade components it is overall easy to make and so well worth the effort. I also have a few tricks and shortcuts for you along the way!
the ingredients
- Lasagna Sheets: of course we are making lasagna so we need the proper pasta! I personally like to use ones that you boil first. If you prefer no bake you can use that. I you can find vegan fresh lasagna sheets that would be even more amazing!
- Vegan Beef: I like to use Abbot’s Butcher. You can skip it if you like or add in lentils, eggplant, mushrooms whatever you like.
- Tomato Paste: this helps to build our sauce.
- Tomato Puree: this is the main component of our sauce. You need 2 cans. You can also use a passata.
- Onion: this adds flavor to our sauce.
- Garlic: this will also add flavor to the sauce.
- Olive Oil: we will need this to start our sauce off.
- Sugar: I like to add in sugar to my sauce to help combat the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Firm or Extra Firm Tofu: this is used in our vegan tofu ricotta. If you use firm tofu it will be creamier and extra firm tofu will be a bit chunkier.
- Non-Dairy Milk: we will use this in the vegan tofu ricotta to help blend.
- Salt: used to salt the water for the pasta, in the sauce, and in the tofu ricotta.
- Nutritional Yeast: we will use this in the tofu ricotta to add umami and cheesiness.
- Vegan Mozzarella: I like the brands Good Planet, Follow Your Heart, Violife, and Daiya. In the pictures and video I used mostly Good Planet with a little bit of Daiya.
- Vegan Parmesan: I like to add this on top to add extra flavor. I like Follow Your Heart.
ricotta vs bechamel
If you asked northern Italians vs southern Italians how to make lasagna I guarantee they will tell you different ways. To understand why we need to understand the history of lasagna.
Lasagna is a dish that actually has been around since Ancient Greece! Isn’t that crazy?! When the Ancient Romans conquered Ancient Greece in 146 BC they were introduced to the Greek dish called laganon. So, that is the origin of lasagna.
However, the modern dish we now know and love today stems from northern Italy, in Emilia-Romagna. That version of lasagna is made with a béchamel sauce. So, where did ricotta come from? Hello, Napoli! (which is where my moms side of my family is from).
homemade sauce
I personally think a homemade sauce is just best for the holidays. Making sauce isn’t hard at all just more time consuming. For the sauce to develop a nice flavor you want it to cook for at least 1 hour but ideally 2 to 3 is best.
All you need to do is sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant. Then, you will add in the vegan ground beef, I like Abbot’s Butcher. Then, you will add in tomato paste, tomato puree, organic sugar, and salt. I also like to add in a little water to my can of tomato puree and swirl it around. You need to let the sauce cook for at least a half hour before you even taste it. However, I would encourage you to wait a full hour. Then you can adjust any seasonings to taste.
I also like to add in a ¼ (60ml) of pasta water because it helps to thin the sauce out slightly but it adds in the pasta starch which is important!
SHORTCUT
If you don’t feel like making homemade sauce I would suggest using 2 to 3 jars of Rao’s Marinara.
making tofu ricotta
There is one other homemade element to this vegan lasagna which is making tofu ricotta. This is my favorite way to make vegan ricotta. It is only 4 ingredients and comes together super quickly.
If you need a full in depth blog post I have one for you! It is made with firm or extra firm tofu, salt, nutritional yeast, and non-dairy milk. If you use firm tofu it will be smoother and if use extra firm tofu it will be a little chunkier. Either way is great and you do not need to press the tofu.
assembling the lasagna
After you have cooked your pasta, made the sauce, and made the tofu ricotta it is finally time to assemble. There really is no right or wrong way to layer lasagna but there are a few things I feel you should do.
First, a layer of sauce does always need to go on the bottom of the baking dish. This prevents any sticking of the pasta. Then, I like to do a layer of pasta, a layer of vegan tofu ricotta, and a layer of vegan mozzarella shreds. We will then start all over until we get to the last layer.
However, for the top layer I like to do things slightly differently. First, will go the sauce, then the lasagna, then more sauce, then tofu ricotta, vegan mozzarella, and vegan parmesan cheese. I like all the vegan cheese to be right on top of the vegan lasagna so it comes out looking beautiful.
baking the lasagna
Now, that we are all assembled is time to bake! I place a layer of foil over top and it goes in the oven for 30 minutes covered. Then, you will uncover it and bake for another 15 minutes. I personally don’t love when it gets super crispy on top so I don’t broil mine. However, you can broil if you like!
Everyone’s ovens run differently. This is always important to remember. So feel free to adjust time and temperature to how your oven typically runs. However, most lasagna recipes do need to be cooked at a temperature of 450°F.
lasagna needs to rest
There is one final step the lasagna after it is done baking and that is time to rest. If you cut into the lasagna too soon it will be too hot. The middle will slide all around and everything just falls apart. So, be patient and give it around 20 to 30 minutes.
This is important to factor into your serving time as well! If you cut into it too early it will still be delicious just messier for serving and eating.
make ahead tips
Vegan lasagna is actually a great dish to make ahead. There are a few ways to go about it!
- You can make the sauce and tofu ricotta 1 to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate them and then when you are ready you can prep the lasagna the day of. If you do this I would suggest letting the sauce cook low and slow for 2 to 3 hours.
- You can prep the whole vegan lasagna but don’t bake it. After it is assembled, cover with foil, and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then, bake it before you want to serve.
I personally would recommend prepping the first way but I know that involves more work on the day of, so whatever works for you!
more pasta recipes
the best vegan lasagna faq
- Is this recipe gluten free? I use regular pasta but you can easily use gluten free pasta.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
- Is this recipe soy free? No, we are making a vegan tofu ricotta. However, you can make a nut based vegan ricotta.
- How long do leftovers last? In the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Can I freeze this? Yes definitely.
- Best way to warm it up? If from frozen you can microwave or place in the oven. If from the fridge you can microwave. You may need to serve with additional sauce.
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The Best Vegan Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces vegan ground beef crumbles
- ½ onion (about 4 ounces) chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 28 ounce cans tomato puree
- 2 ounces tomato paste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons organic sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Tofu Ricotta
- 1 block (14 ounces) firm or extra firm tofu
- ¼ cup nondairy milk
- ¼ teaspoon or more to taste salt
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Vegan Cheese
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan
Other
- 12 lasagna sheets
Instructions
- Making the sauce: In a large pan sauté the garlic and onion in oil for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant over medium low heat. Then, add in the vegan ground beef, tomato puree, salt, and sugar cook. I also like to add about ¼ cup of water to the tomato sauce can and pour that in. Cook for 30 minutes over medium low heat, it should be slightly bubbling. Stir occasionally.
- After 30 minutes you can taste the sauce and add in more salt or sugar if you like. Cook for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a high speed blender or food processor add the tofu ricotta ingredients. You do not need to press the tofu for this. Blend until the tofu resembles ricotta. It should be thick.
- Once the sauce has cooked for about 45 minutes preheat your oven to 450F (232C).
- Cook your lasagna sheets in salted water until they are very al dente (about 2 minutes less than the box says). Carefully drain them but leave a little water in the pot so they don't stick.
- Once the sauce has cooked for a while it should be a bright red beautiful color. Give it a taste and make sure you like how it tastes. I also like to add in a ¼ cup (60ml) of pasta water to the sauce.
- You can use either 9×11 or 9×13 one will result in a thicker lasagna. Begin to assemble the lasagna by adding a bit of sauce to the bottom of your pan. This will ensure the pasta does not stick. Then add 3 sheets of pasta to fill the bottom of your pan. Add a layer of the ricotta, the vegan mozzarella, and then repeat until you fill the tray up. It should end with a layer of pasta, a layer of sauce, vegan ricotta, vegan mozzarella, and vegan parmesan sprinkled all over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take it out, uncover it and bake it for another 15 minutes. If you like you can broil on high for a few minutes.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting into it.
Notes
- If you do not want to make a homemade ricotta Kite Hill and Tofutti have vegan store-bought ricotta.
- Vegan mozzarella used was Good Planet and Daiya.
- Non-Dairy milk used was Ripple
- Vegan parmesan is Follow Your Heart.
- The blog post has all instructions for making this ahead and a lot of details so please be sure to read it carefully for any questions you may have.
Nutrition
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I use the YouTube Plantfully Based channel more often for looking up recipes then come to the website for more specifics… I LOVE lasagna; my mother’s [meat] lasagna was my favorite dish growing up. My mother passed away several years ago and making/eating lasagna is one of the ways I re-live memories of her… I haven’t eaten meat in many years and I was so happy to come across this lasagna recipe by Francesca–because her recipes are always awesome! I was feeling a bit lazy so I used jar tomato sauce; also, I used Beyond Beef plant based ground which I added extra seasoning to. Because I like “meatiness,” in the future I might add sautéed mushrooms and double the tofu ricotta recipe to make that layer a bit thicker… Despite all this, I absolutely love this recipe. It was delicious and I thought of my dearly departed mother the whole time. I can’t wait to enjoy leftovers tomorrow. Thanks, Francesca!
Hi TJ awesome to hear you like the youtube channel! aw this comment made me so happy. my best and biggest wish is always to connect people to nostalgia with food and I am so glad this gave you that. food is so important when it comes to our memories and I am glad this made you think of your mom. thank you for the kind words and taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
I have made many many lasagna recipes in my life, from pre-vegan vegetarian ones that included real cheese to a variety of vegan ones with all different variations of plant cheese but this was the absolute best. I made my own meat crumbles from a recipe that included lentils and walnuts and added spinach and mushrooms to the recipe but other than that it was made per the directions. The sauce was so lovely and rich. It was hard to believe it was vegan AND whole food plant based. I have absolutely found my forever lasagna recipe as well as my forever pasta sauce! Thank you!
Hi Julie! oh yay I am so so so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment and review. xoxo
Fantastic recipe thanks
Thank you so much, William!
For us Brits, what’s the difference between tomato paste & tomato puree please? I always thought tomato paste was American for the English tomato puree but this recipe calls for both. Could tomato paste be pasta?
Hi Cathy, the paste is thicker while the puree is just pureed up tomatoes.
This recipe is soooo good! My partner made this for my birthday yesterday and it was so delish. Instead of the sauce he just used raos marinara to make it a bit easier. I ate two pieces for breakfast this morning as leftovers!
Hi Bri!! yay I am so happy you enjoyed it. Happy Birthday!! I do really love Rao’s it is so good!! thank you for the kind words and leaving a comment/review!