Lasagna (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

I whipped up this lasagna last night, and it was so very good. I have the full tutorial on instagram (@vibrantandpure) but I wanted to write the recipe down for you to reference here. This is dairy-free, gluten-free, and entirely vegan…but it is so rich and satisfying.

INGREDIENTS:

CHEESE SAUCE

I used the vegan cheese sauce from my cacio e pepe recipe

MUSHROOM MIXTURE

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 clove of garlic, minced

12 ounces of mushrooms (about 3 cups, minced)

1/2 large yellow onion (or 1 small yellow onion), diced

2 ribs of celery, diced

1 large or 2 small carrots, diced

salt and pepper, to taste

3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (or soy sauce– you could also add some of each)

MARINARA

You will need around 24 ounces of marinara, you could use homemade or store bought. I like Rao’s or Vero Gusto.

NOODLES

I used a mixture of shaved zucchini and brown rice lasagna noodles. If you want this to be grain-free, feel free to use only zucchini as your ‘noodles.’ You will probably need 4-6 zucchinis in this case. For this recipe I used two large zucchinis (shaved into strips or ribbons) and a box of Jovial brand brown rice lasagna noodles.

CASHEW MOZZARELLA 

I used this recipe for homemade cashew mozzarella. It is so easy to make— and you can put it on top of the lasagna at the end and broil it for a browned bubbly ‘cheesy’ topping.

 

DIRECTIONS:

MAKE AHEAD TIP: This lasagna is a great candidate for the type of recipe you can make in stages. I made every component at once but you could totally make some of the layers ahead of time. You could make the cheese sauce earlier in the day or even the night before you plan to make this. You could also make the mushroom mixture earlier in the day or a day before…okay, actually you could make every single component for this lasagna ahead of time, and then have it all ready to go for assembly when you want to make it. You can also make it all at once like I did! Just a little tip if you like to do things in stages.

Make the cheese sauce from the cacio e pepe recipe and set aside. Next, prepare the mushroom mixture.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add garlic and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and translucent, then add in the celery and carrot. Add salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes— you really want to let the hard carrots and celery get soft and release all of their flavor. Finally, add in the minced mushrooms (you can pulse in a food processor or mince by hand.) Add in some balsamic vinegar and/or soy sauce ( you want 3 teaspoons total) you could also add in a splash of red wine if you have it! Cook down the liquid and let the vegetables get soft, fragrant, and nicely browned (about 10 more minutes.) Set aside until assembly.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel your zucchini into large strips and set aside.

To assemble, gather your lasagna noodles, marinara sauce, mushroom mixture, and cheese sauce. To a large baking dish, start with some marinara sauce in the bottom to avoid sticking. Then alternate layers— I did marinara sauce on the bottom, then zucchini, then cheese sauce, then mushroom mixture, then more marinara, then lasagna noodles—then cheese sauce, marinara again— start the cycle over—and so on. Doesn’t have to be in any exact order, I think I switched it up a few times, you just want to make sure the noodles and the zucchini are sandwiched between the liquids so that they cook (marinara and or cheese sauce.)

I made the cashew mozzarella before baking, but I realized this isn’t necessary. You can make this while the lasagna is baking, and then add it on top at the end and broil.

Cover in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for an hour. After an hour, remove it and carefully top with layers of the stretchy blobs of cashew mozzarella. I also added some dried oregano and basil at this point (optional.) Broil, uncovered, for about 5 minutes (make sure you’re nearby to keep an eye on it– broiling can get real intense real quick.) I broiled for about 5 to 7 minutes, and took it out once the cheese on top was bubbly and browned.