Vegan Pepper and Spinach Lasagne

Vegan Pepper and Spinach Lasagne

          We used to eat a lot of vegetarian lasgagne, covered in cheese, of course, so I wanted to make a vegan lasagne which was hearty, cheesy, and chock full of vegetables.  After a couple of tries, I hit the jackpot by topping a vegan spinach ricotta with peppers and onions to give a crispy top with soft pasta throughout, reminiscent of the textures I remembered from mozzarella toppings.

          This is a really nice, filling meal for the winter, and can easily be frozen when assembled and baked later - I usually make two lasagnes at once, and freeze one for the next month.  Just line your baking dish with (recycled) aluminium foil, layer your lasagne in it, and cover with foil.  Place the whole dish in the freezer for about half an hour, until it has solidified a bit.  Then, remove the wrapped up lasagne from the dish, stick it in a freezer bag or whatever you use to make sure its air-tight, and stick it back in the freezer until needed.  When you're ready to eat it, just pull out the lasagne, place in the dish you froze it in, and stick in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes.  Be sure to remove the foil lid after the first 15 minutes in the oven or so, to make sure you get some nice browning on the top.  Et voilà, 'instant' vegan ready meal!

          I recommend making the pasta sauce in advance - again, something I usually do in large batches - since you'll already be pretty busy with this recipe.   You can find my recipe for vegan pasta sauce here!

Vegan Pepper and Spinach Lasagne

Total Time: 1 hour

Serves: 4 - 6 (makes one large lasagne)

For the spinach ricotta layer:

250 g spinach

8oz (one pack) silken tofu

2/3 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup unsweetened nondairy milk 

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste 

Drain the tofu, and add all the ingredients to the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Be sure to taste for seasoning!

For the pepper and onion layer:

3 medium onions, sliced

3 red peppers, sliced

2 cloves garlic, diced

pinch of salt

Oil for frying

 Sauté the onions with the salt and oil in a large frying pan until they begin to carmelize.  Then add the peppers and continue to cook until they start to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then remove from the heat before the garlic browns. Set aside.

For the rest:

Lasagne noodles (enough for 3 layers - I used 12)

3 cups pasta sauce

Cook the lasagne noodles in a large pot of salted water until al dente.  Drain and rinse in cold water until ready to assemble the dish.

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. 

Photos of layering follow this text, if that's easier!  

Spoon a half cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of your baking dish (mine is about 10x6in).  Cover with a layer of lasagne noodles.  Spread 1 cup of sauce on top of these noodles, and top with half of the pepper and onion mixture.  Cover with another layer of lasagne noodles.  Spread all of the spinach ricotta on top of these noodles, and top with a half cup of pasta sauce.  Cover with another layer of lasagne noodles.  Spread the remaining cup of pasta sauce on top of these, and cover with the remaining onion and pepper mixture.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the lasagne is hot throughout.

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