Name: Plant Based Vegetable Lasagna
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: No Boil Lasagna Noodles: 10; Olive Oil: 2 Tablespoons; Onion: 0.3 cup, diced; Carrot: 1, diced; Celery: 2 stalks, diced; Garlic Cloves: 2, minced; Tomato Paste: 2 Tablespoons; Crushed Tomatoes: 15 ounces; Filtered Water: 1 cup; Red Lentils: 0.5 cup; Meatless Smart Ground: 0.5 cup; Spinach: 2 cups, chopped; Sea Salt: 1.5 teaspoons; Ground Black Pepper: 0.5 teaspoon; Vegan Butter: 3 Tablespoons; All-Purpose Flour: 3 Tablespoons; Non-Dairy Milk: 2 cups; Sea Salt: 1 teaspoon; Ground Black Pepper: 0.25 teaspoon; Nutmeg: 0.25 teaspoon, ground/grated

Ingredients

10 No Boil Lasagna Noodles

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

0.3 cup, diced Onion

1, diced Carrot

2 stalks, diced Celery

2, minced Garlic Cloves

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

15 ounces Crushed Tomatoes

1 cup Filtered Water

0.5 cup Red Lentils

0.5 cup Meatless Smart Ground

2 cups, chopped Spinach

1.5 teaspoons Sea Salt

0.5 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Bechamel Sauce

3 Tablespoons Vegan Butter

3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

2 cups Non-Dairy Milk

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

0.25 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

0.25 teaspoon, ground/grated Nutmeg

Directions

This plant based vegetable lasagna ticks all of the comfort food boxes!

When I ask my husband what he wants for dinner his answer, without fail, will be “lasagna”.

Since ditching meat and mainly eating plant based, I still wanted to create a deliciously savory and filling lasagna. Just like the traditional!

This plant based vegetable lasagna has three layers, lasagna sheets, a tomato base vegetable layer and a creamy white sauce layer.

A tomato base sauce with vegetables and plant protein for that meaty texture.

Instead of the usual ground meat, this lasagna has red lentils and meatless smart ground.

Lentils are often overlooked, even though they’re an inexpensive way of getting a wide range of nutrients!

They are packed with plant protein, fiber, vitamin B6, magnesium, and more.

Red lentils cook fairly quickly and make for a great meat replacement.

For added volume and texture, I add store-bought meatless smart ground but this ingredient is optional.

A bechamel sauce, also known as a white cream sauce, adds richness and creaminess to the lasagna.

The sauce is made with non-dairy milk, a fat, all-purpose flour and seasoning.

When the fat and all-purpose flour are combined, it adds as a thickener for the non-dairy milk.

I season with just salt, black pepper and the traditional freshly grated nutmeg.

Nutmeg is often used in cream sauces for pasta dishes including mac and cheese!

Steps

1 Done	Prep The Vegetables Wash, dry and dice the carrot and celery. I like to keep the carrot skins on for added nutritional value and convenience. Peel and dice the onion, peel and mince the garlic, wash and chop the spinach.
2 Done	Make The Vegetable Sauce Layer Heat a large skillet on medium heat then add the olive oil. To the hot oil, add the diced onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the crushed tomatoes, water, red lentils, and beefless ground. Stir to combine then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Season the mixture with sea salt and black pepper and add the chopped spinach. Stir to combine then remove from the heat. No need to cook the spinach as it will wilt and cook in the oven later on.
3 Done	Make The Bechamel Sauce Heat a sauce pan on medium heat then add the vegan butter (or olive oil) and all-purpose flour. Using a whisk, combine the ingredients and cook for 1-2 minutes. Next, slowly add the non-dairy milk while whisking. Allow the sauce to thicken and whisk occasionally to get rid of any lumps. Lastly, season with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Whisk to combine then remove from the heat.
4 Done	Layer The Lasagna and Bake Preheat your oven to 400°F. Get a medium size baking dish and add a bit of olive oil to the bottom of the dish. Start by adding a layer of lasagna sheets then top with the vegetable sauce, then another layer of lasagna sheets, and the bechamel sauce. Repeat the layering process until you have used up all of the ingredients. The top two layers should be lasagna sheets covered in the bechamel sauce. Be sure to have a thick layer of the bechamel sauce on top as the lasagna needs the moisture in the sauce to cook in the oven. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil then place on a baking sheet. Bake the lasagna at 400°F for 45 minutes then remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes or until the lasagna is fully cooked through.
5 Done	Allow To Cool Then Serve Once the lasagna comes out of the oven, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month!