Tofu Spinach Lasagna

This lasagna is easy and is kid approved!  Last week we hosted two boys ages 10 and 12 at our house for four nights.  I made them this lasagna one night  and they both loved it, they even went back for seconds.  They were both very surprised when I told them there was no cheese in the lasagna.  The tofu ricotta is creamy and flavorful and adding the ground cashews on top of the lasagna contribute  to the rich creamy texture that people associate with cheese.  It is all about texture.

Speaking of texture, I had a conversation with one my favorite chefs, Dave Anderson of Madeline Bistro in LA a few years ago, and he  said that meat is just texture, it really doesn’t have much flavor.  It is what you do to meat, the seasonings that are added that make meat taste good.  The interesting and flavorful foods really are plant based.  Dave is a genius with food, if you are ever in LA, be sure to visit Madeline Bistro on Venture Boulevard in Tarzanna.

Tofu Spinach Lasagna

  • ½ to 1 pound lasagna noodles
  • 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 16oz package of firm tofu
  • ¼ cup non dairy milk
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, about 20 leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 4-6 cups of tomato or pasta sauce
  • 1 handful of raw cashews ground in a food processor

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions or use no boil lasagna noodles. Drain and set aside.

Squeeze as much water as possible from the frozen spinach and set aside.

Place tofu, milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The tofu “ricotta” should be creamy but still have body.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in spinach. Continue tasting until you get the right amount of salt.

Cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with a think layer of sauce, then a layer of the noodles. Follow with half of the tofu filling. End with remaining noodles, covered by remaining sauce. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until hot and bubbling. Top finished lasagna with ground cashews and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

 

From: The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau