Vegan Gluten Free Lasagna (with Tofu Ricotta)

This Vegan Gluten Free Lasagna layers sheets of GF pasta, lentil meat sauce, and creamy tofu ricotta for a comforting dish made with whole food ingredients.

Lasagna can seem like a huge undertaking. But the classic comfort food is for sure worth the effort. The dish is flavorful with soft, velvety texture that's slightly crisp around the edges.

When creating a vegan version of lasagna, I wanted to keep the classic elements. Each layer of this lasagna is a whole food plant-based version of the original.

To cut down on prep time, I coordinated each step so that there is no down time. The sauce simmers while you cook the noodles. And the tofu ricotta comes together in just 5 minutes.

The result is a comforting, satisfying vegan lasagna made from whole foods, without spending endless hours in the kitchen.

Jump to:

• Why I love this Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna
• Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• FAQ & Expert Tips
• Recipe Prayer
• Tried this recipe?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why I love this Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna

• Dietary needs - this lasagna is vegan, whole food plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and sugar-free
• Nutrient dense - with protein from lentils in the sauce, tofu in the ricotta, and nutrients in the spinach, this lasagna is pretty healthy
• Real lasagna texture - lentils are a great meat substitute for beef in a vegan meat sauce because they absorb a lot of liquid and create a meat sauce texture. Pair with a creamy ricotta from tofu and properly cooked lasagna noodles, and you've got a velvety lasagna!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Lasagna Noodles: I tested Jovial Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles and Whole Foods Corn & Rice Lasagna Noodles. Both worked well IF you pre-boil them. Both packages say that they are no-boil if you bake for 30 minutes, but I found that the noodles baked without boiling were crunchy and unappetizing. Even if your package says no boil, I highly recommend a par-boil for about 5 minutes to soften the noodles. If you aren't gluten-free you can use any noodle - I'd still recommend pre-boiling.
• Fresh Spinach: for a bit of green in the lasagna! You can omit the greens if you'd like a "meat & cheese" lasagna
• Vegan Mozzarella: this is an optional topping. In the photos of this post, I added Miyoko's Vegan Mozzarella to the top of the dish and returned it to the oven to broil. I've also made this without the mozzarella on top and it is just as delicious.
• Fresh Basil Leaves: optional, but these add a nice freshness to the ish.
• Vegan Parmesan: also optional, but recommended! The rich cheesiness of the parm is delightful.

Lentil Meat Sauce

• Yellow Onion: a white onion would also work here
• Cremini Mushrooms: mushrooms help create a more meaty, umami flavor. Feel free to omit them if you don't like them
• Garlic
• Canned Crushed Tomatoes: crushed tomatoes are ideal for this recipe because they are more smooth than diced. I don't recommend subbing any other texture of tomato
• Water
• Black Beluga Lentils: many health food stores will carry black lentils or, just order black lentils online. If you can't find black lentils, you can sub brown or green lentils. Do not sub yellow or red lentils.
• Tomato Paste
• Spices: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.

Tofu Ricotta

• Extra Firm Tofu AND Silken Tofu: the combination of a firmer tofu and a softer tofu creates the curd-like, but still soft texture that we need for lasagna, stuffed shells, or dips. I have not tested this, but it's likely that two blocks of medium firm tofu would produce a similar result
• Nutritional Yeast: this wouldn't be a vegan cheese recipe without nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is known for its cheesy flavor and is the main source of cheesy goodness in this recipe.
• White Miso: White Miso adds a briney flavor that is characteristic of cheeses like mozzarella. I know that sometimes it can be hard to find miso, so I've left this as an optional ingredient, but it is highly recommended. If you do omit the miso, you may find you need more salt
• Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV adds acid to create the tang that most cheeses have. You could also use lemon juice
• Garlic Powder
• Salt

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2. Make the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion, mushrooms, and garlic for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, lentils, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer, cover partially, and cook for 30-35 minutes until the lentils are just tender. (It's okay if the lentils aren't *totally* cooked, since they will be baked again in the oven.)

Step 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles until just al dente, or according to the package directions. If your noodles say "no boil" boil the noodles anyway, for 4-5 minutes, until flexible. Drain and set aside on a tray, plate or towel in a single layer.

Step 4. Make the vegan ricotta. Pulse all the ricotta ingredients in a food processor, until combined.

Step 5. Spread 1 ¼ cup of the lentil sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer on three lasagna noodles. Add one third of the tofu ricotta. Then add third of the spinach. Repeat this process twice - sauce, noodles, ricotta, spinach. Finally, add the remaining three noodles and remaining sauce (should be about ½ cup).

Step 6. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Step 7. If desired, remove the foil and pour on the vegan mozzarella. Broil 5-7 minutes, until the cheese sets and is beginning to brown.

Step 8. Let cool 10-15 minutes before slicing. Top with vegan parmesan if desired.

FAQ & Expert Tips

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for this comforting food that nourishes us, body and soul. Let this food fill us and keep us healthy. Amen.

Tried this recipe?

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