This is the BEST vegan lasagna ever! Made with tofu ricotta and other 9 simple ingredients. So delicious, meaty, cheesy, and comforting. Perfect for both the Holidays and regular vegan dinners!
I absolutely LOVE this vegan lasagna. Layered with vegan tofu ricotta, vegan meat sauce, and shredded vegan mozzarella.
It's protein packed with 15 grams per serving, full of flavor, and one of my favorite comfort foods.
This is a filling and tasty dinner that every family should have in their recipe rotation, so you can make a big batch to enjoy it all week long. It's also the perfect main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve dinner.
Serve it with a chunk of homemade vegan garlic bread and garnish it with some fresh basil or chopped parsley. It also pairs really well with a salad like my vegan Caesar salad, or panzanella salad.
Want more yummy dishes with vegan ground beef? Try my tasty Vegan Bolognese, delicious Vegan Spaghetti, and now, the lip-smacking goodness of Vegan Sloppy Joes. Dive into the world of plant-based comfort and enjoy these flavorful options!
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🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is
- Made with only 10 ingredients and is great for meal prep.
- Protein-packed with 15 grams per serving.
- A dairy-free and egg-free alternative to classic lasagna, but it's still incredibly tasty.
- The perfect main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve dinner, but also for everyday cooking.
- Delicious, meaty, cheesy, easy to make, kid-friendly and so comforting!
🧾 Ingredient notes
Extra virgin olive oil: it's my favorite oil for cooking, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
Vegan ground beef: Any brand of vegan ground beef works well, or you can use my tofu ground beef. Other plant-based proteins, such as lentils, legumes, textured vegetable protein, or tofu, are also great alternatives.
Store-Bougth or homemade marinara sauce.
Dried oregano or Italian seasoning: both work great. I used oregano because it was what I had in my pantry.
Ground black pepper: fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find store-bought more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
Lasagna noodles: depending on the size of your lasagna noodles, you may need more or fewer noodles.
Vegan ricotta: homemade or store-bought.
Shredded vegan mozzarella: homemade or store-bought. Shred it yourself or buy it shredded. You could also use any other vegan cheese you have on hand.
Additionally, you can use my recipe for Vegan Parmesan Cheese as a delicious alternative!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC and cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Set aside 2 cups (200 g) of vegan mozzarella cheese for the top layer.
Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, add the oil to a large skillet and when it’s hot, add the garlic and onion. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add the vegan ground beef, stir and cook until golden brown (about 5 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Add marinara sauce, oregano or Italian seasoning, and black pepper, stir, and cook for 5 more minutes, also stirring occasionally.
Step 5: To assemble the vegan lasagna, spread 1 cup (240 ml) of the vegan meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish (about 23x33 cm).
Step 6: Add 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise, overlapping a bit.
Step 7: Add ⅓ of the remaining vegan meat sauce.
Step 8: Add half of the remaining vegan ricotta.
Step 9: Add half of the remaining vegan mozzarella.
Step 10: Add 4 noodles, half of the remaining vegan meat sauce, the remaining vegan ricotta, and the remaining vegan mozzarella.
Step 11: Cover with the last 4 lasagna noodles and add the remaining vegan meat sauce.
Step 12: Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Step 13: Uncover and sprinkle the previously set aside 2 cups of vegan mozzarella (200 g).
Step 14: Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes.
📋 Substitutions & variations
- You can add other veggies in addition to onion and garlic, like carrot or celery, or even substitute them for what you like or have on hand.
- This is also a good option if you have some veggies in your refrigerator that need to be eaten soon.
- Use any brand of vegan ground beef you can find at your grocery store.
- If you can't find vegan ground beef, use the same amount of any other source of plant-based protein, like tofu, textured vegetable protein, or lentils.
- Marinara sauce works great for this recipe, but feel free to use tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
- I didn't add any salt to the vegan meat sauce because both the marinara sauce and the vegan ricotta had salt, but you should try it and add some salt to taste if needed.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagna noodles.
🍽 Equipment
To make this vegan ricotta you'll need:
- Measuring tablespoons and measuring cups (or a scale) to weigh your ingredients.
- A wooden board and a knife for chopping the veggies.
- A large pot for cooking the lasagna noodles and a strainer for draining them.
- A skillet and a wooden spoon for cooking and stirring the vegan meat sauce.
- A 9×13 casserole dish (about 23x33 cm) for cooking the vegan lasagna.
❄️ Storage
- Refrigerator: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- Freezer: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Defrost: thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat in the oven: preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC and then bake until the vegan lasagna is bubbly and warmed through.
- Reheat in the microwave: reheat leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until hot.
💭 Expert tips
- Use no-boil sheets to cut down on a step and save some time.
- If you can find it, use a block of cheese and grate it yourself because it will melt better. However, any shredded cheese will do.
- I only used two types of vegan cheese to keep the recipe simple, but please feel free to add more if you want, like for example shredded vegan cheddar.
- Add more cheese if you want, especially on the top of the lasagna, although I think 2 cups (200 g) is plenty.
- If you're going to freeze the lasagna it can be a good idea to store it in individual servings for quick and easy lunches or dinners.
❓Recipe FAQs
Of course! Just follow the recipe, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to three months. Bake as instructed. Thaw the lasagna overnight before baking if you freeze it.
Yes! They work just fine and will save you time and effort as you won't need to boil the noodles first.
Keep in mind that no-boil noodles can be shorter than regular lasagna noodles, so you may need more of them.
If you cut it straight out of the oven, it will fall apart, so you should let it rest ideally for at least 30 minutes. The lasagna needs time to set and firm up, this happens as it cools.
In addition, it helps the flavors come together, but this is not the main reason.
Many lasagna noodles on the market are vegan but make sure to check the ingredients list.
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below!
BEST Vegan Lasagna (with Tofu Ricotta)
Ingredients
For the vegan meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound vegan ground beef, you can also use my tofu ground beef, or any plant-based protein like lentils, legumes, tofu, or textured vegetable protein as alternatives.4o mini
- 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce, about 3 cups, homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano , or Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the vegan lasagna:
- 12 lasagna sheets or noodles
- 2 cups vegan ricotta, homemade or store-bought
- 4 cups shredded vegan mozzarella, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC and cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Set aside 2 cups (200 g) of vegan mozzarella cheese for the top layer.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the oil to a skillet and when it’s hot, add the garlic and onion. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the vegan ground beef, stir and cook until golden brown (about 5 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add marinara sauce, dried oregano or Italian seasoning, and black pepper, stir and cook for 5 more minutes, also stirring occasionally.
- To assemble the vegan lasagna, spread 1 cup (240 ml) of the vegan meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish (about 23x33 cm).
- Add 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise, overlapping a bit.
- Add ⅓ of the remaining vegan meat sauce.
- Add half of the remaining vegan ricotta.
- Add half of the remaining vegan mozzarella.
- Add 4 noodles, half of the remaining vegan meat sauce, the remaining vegan ricotta, and the remaining vegan mozzarella.
- Cover with the last 4 lasagna noodles and add the remaining vegan meat sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and sprinkle the previously set aside 2 cups of vegan mozzarella (200 g).
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Notes
- You can add other veggies in addition to onion and garlic, like carrot or celery, or even substitute them for what you like or have on hand.
- This is also a good option if you have some veggies in your refrigerator that need to be eaten soon.
- Marinara sauce works great for this recipe, but feel free to use tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
- I didn't add any salt to the vegan meat sauce because both the marinara sauce and the vegan ricotta had salt, but you should try it and add some salt if needed.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Refrigerator: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- Freezer: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Defrost: thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat in the oven: preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC and then bake until the vegan lasagna is bubbly and warmed through.
- Reheat in the microwave: reheat leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until hot.
Mary says
For those interested in Dr. Greger’s information on liquid smoke
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-liquid-smoke-flavoring-carcinogenic/
Iosune says
Hi Mary! Thanks for sharing, but the recipe is free of it now 🙂
Susan says
What could be used in place of mushrooms?
Iosune says
Hi Susan! Maybe another type of vegetable, or even some kind of plant-based protein like tofu, tempeh, TVP, etc. Hope it works!
Ian says
I know it’s optional but Liquid Smoke??
After going or being vegan one should start thinking about reducing the amount of possibly damaging chemicals in the food chain.
Regards
Ian
Iosune Robles says
Hi Ian! For an occasional consumption is fine but, not for day to day 🙂
MARY BETH BARLOW says
I was planning on making this for dinner tonight. Did you really use 3 batches 30oz. Of tofu?
Iosune Robles says
Hi! Yes, 3 batches of vegan ricotta 🙂 Hope you like it!