Recipe Makeover Vegan Lasagna

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain., In a small bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan and parsley. Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with 3 noodles, half of the cheese mixture, 1-1/3 cups sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce., Cover and bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until bubbly. Top with provolone and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with additional parsley.,

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• For the Tofu Ricotta (see also my recipe #279343):.
• In a large bowl, mush the tofu up with your hands, till it's crumbly.
• Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and basil.
• Mush with hands again, this time you want it to get very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese. May take 2-5 minutes.
• Add olive oil, stir with fork (olive oil is sticky).
• Add nutritional yeast and combine all ingredients well.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the "meat" layer:.
• In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the chopped onions in the olive oil until slightly tender.
• Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
• Add the dried Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper, if using, and stir to coat onions/garlic evenly.
• Next add the dried textured vegetable protein (TVP). It will begin to absorb ALL the liquid in the pan.
• Add a splash or two of the vegetable stock and stir to coat all the TVP with the garlic/onions.
• Next add the tamari, which will give the TVP it's darker color.
• Stir to coat, add the nutritional yeast then slowly add the vegetable broth, and slowly stir as the liquid absorbs.
• Lower the heat and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the chopped spinach and stir to incorporate evenly.
• Keep mixture on low until ready to assemble.
• Layer you lasagna as you wish.
• If using the "no bake" noodles, be sure to use plenty of sauce on each layer to soak into the dry sheets.
• 1-2 cups sauce on the bottom of pan, layer of dry noodles, layer of 1/2 "meat" spinach mixture, layer of sauce.
• Then layer of noodles, layer of vegan ricotta, layer of sauce.
• Layer of noodles, layer of second 1/2 of "meat" spinach mixture, layer of sauce, then top with noodles and sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake in oven for 1 hour.
• Remove and let sit for 20 minutes before serving.
• Can be topped with vegan "parmesan cheese".

Steps:

• Pour 800ml boiling water over the dried porcini and leave for 10 mins until hydrated. Meanwhile pour 1½ tbsp oil into a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring for 10 mins until soft. Remove the porcini from the liquid, keeping the mushroomy stock and roughly chop. Set both aside.
• Add the garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook for 1 min, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a minute more. Pour in the red wine, if using, cook until nearly reduced, then add the lentils, reserved mushroom stock and cans of tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer with the lid on.
• Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan. Add 1½ tbsp oil, then tip all of the mushrooms into the pan, including the rehydrated ones. Fry until all the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are deep golden brown. Pour in the soy sauce. Give everything a good mix, then scrape the mushrooms into the lentil saucepan.
• Stir in the Marmite, then continue to cook the ragu, stirring occasionally, over a lo -medium heat for 30-45 mins until the lentils are cooked and the sauce is thick and reduced, adding extra water if necessary. Remove the thyme sprigs and season to taste.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the white sauce, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan, whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste, then slowly whisk in the soya milk. Cook out until you have a creamy sauce, about 10 mins. Season to taste, adding a good grating of nutmeg.
• Spread a third of the ragu on the bottom of your ovenproof dish, then top with 6 lasagne sheets, followed by another third of the vegan white sauce, then another third of the ragu. Top with the remaining lasagne sheets, then the remaining ragu and finally, spread over the rest of the white sauce. Sprinkle over the nutritional yeast, if using, and bake for 45 mins-1 hr until the pasta is cooked.

Steps:

• Make the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red-pepper flakes, then stir in the diced and crushed tomatoes and sugar, if using. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Add salt to taste. You can leave the sauce textured or purée it with an immersion blender, depending on your preference. Remove from heat.
• Make the ricotta: Add the cashews and garlic to a food processor and process until the cashews form a coarse meal, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the processor, then turn the processor back on. While it's running, drizzle in 1/2 cup water and the lemon juice. Process until completely smooth and the texture resembles hummus, another 2 minutes.
• Crumble the block of tofu into the processor, add the nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper. Continue processing until the mixture is smooth and resembles ricotta, stopping to scrape the sides of the processor as needed, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
• Assemble the lasagna: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Bring a large, salted pot of water to boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions, until they're al dente. (Skip this step if you're using no-boil noodles.)
• Layer 1 scant cup marinara sauce at the bottom of your lasagna dish. Cover it with a layer of 3 to 4 lasagna noodles. Cover the noodles with half the vegan ricotta. Cover the ricotta with another layer of noodles, followed by another cup of marinara and the remaining ricotta. Add a final layer of noodles and the remaining marinara sauce. Bake the lasagna for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the marinara on top is dark and the lasagna is bubbling. Top with torn basil leaves, if desired, and serve.