Easy Vegan Lasagna

Lasagna is one my go to dishes for dinner parties. You can assemble it the day before and just throw it in the oven before your guests arrive. It’s also delicious and looks impressive. There are a million variations of lasagna. Typically, it is oozing with either white or red sauce and also cheese. Vegan lasagna isn’t low in calories but it’s more nutrient dense. I added fresh spinach and also nutritional yeast to make this healthier vegan version. I skipped the white Bechamel sauce and substituted with healthier red pasta sauce instead. You can find a variety of vegan almond milk ricotta these days. Whole Foods carries Kite Hill brand, which is quite delicious. I am not a fan of Daiya brand cheese. It doesn’t taste good and upsets my stomach unfortunately. I found a new brand of vegan cheese this week, made by the company So Delicious. They also make almond and coconut milk ice cream and yogurt. Their vegan shredded mozzarella is soy and dairy free. It’s actually not bad tasting. I also thought about just skipping the vegan mozzarella altogether – so consider it optional. I used less of it instead, so that it didn’t overpower the other delicious flavors. You can either chop your spinach, basil, and garlic by hand or use a food processor. You could also add an extra layer to your lasagna depending on how many people you are serving and how deep your pan is. I chose to only use three layers of lasagna noodles to keep the calories on the lower side. You can also use half the amount of ricotta if you would like your lasagna to be less heavy. I didn’t need to add any salt or spices to this because I used a really flavorful, ready made pasta sauce from a company called Rao’s. The vegan almond milk ricotta is also quite salty. Feel free to add salt, black pepper, or crushed red pepper to taste.

Lasagna can really please a crowd and makes for a fantastic “desk lunch” the next day. It’s pretty difficult to ruin lasagna! It’s a low stress, make ahead meal that really hits the spot. It’s definitely one of  my favorite classic comfort foods. I added nutritional yeast to substitute for parmesan cheese. The nutritional yeast also adds B vitamins and some extra protein to this hearty dish. You can substitute with thawed frozen spinach (make sure you squeeze out the excess water) or even baby kale. Let me know how it turns out by taking a picture and tagging @thefriendlyepicurean on Facebook and Instagram or by pinning this recipe on Pinterest!