Easy Vegan Lasagna

I've taste tested a LOT of lasagna in my life - and I can tell you this is simply the best vegan lasagna recipe you're going to find. Perfectly cooked lasagna noodles are layered with vegan ricotta cheese, savory marinara sauce and protein-packed fresh spinach. It's simple, delicious, and 100% vegan.

Jump to:

• Key Ingredients & Substitutions
• How to Make Vegan Lasagna
• Helpful Tips
• Variations
• Serving Ideas
• Storing & Freezing
• More Vegan Pasta Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Easy Vegan Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes. It was a special occasion dish in our home growing up, and so it always brings back great memories of cooking with my family.

And so of course, I had to reinvent my own plant-based version loaded with fresh spinach and dairy-free ricotta cheese. I think it might be better than the original.

This vegan lasagna is:

• Quick & Easy
• Healthy
• Dairy-Free
• Loaded with protein-packed fresh spinach
• Delicious
• 100% vegan and vegetarian friendly
• Insanely good comfort food

Let's get cooking.

But first - if you haven't already grabbed it, now would be a good time to snag a copy of my vegan substitution cheat sheet. It's packed with handy tricks to vegan-ize all your favorite recipes!

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Lasagna noodles. Most dried lasagna noodles are made from just durum wheat semolina and water, so they're naturally vegan, but check the label and skip fresh pasta sheets, which usually contain egg. No-boil noodles like these Ronzoni no-boil lasagna sheets save you a step, and gluten-free lasagna noodles work too.
• Vegan ricotta cheese. My 5-minute vegan ricotta is made from tofu, lemon and a few seasonings, and it's nut-free. A tub of store-bought almond or cashew ricotta works just as well if you're short on time.
• Fresh spinach. A 10-ounce bag cooks down to a surprisingly small amount. You can swap in one 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, or use chopped kale or Swiss chard.
• Onion and garlic. These give the spinach layer its savory backbone. Add an extra clove or two of garlic if you love it.
• Marinara sauce. One 24-ounce jar is about 3 cups. Read the label, since some jarred sauces sneak in parmesan or other cheese. For a homemade option, pick one from my list of homemade pasta sauce recipes.
• Vegan mozzarella. Store-bought vegan mozzarella shreds melt nicely on top, or you can make my simple vegan mozzarella. It's optional, but it gives you that bubbly, golden lasagna top.
• Tomatoes. A few thin slices of ripe tomato on top are optional, but they look beautiful and add a little freshness.

How to Make Vegan Lasagna

Lasagna is all about the layers - cooked lasagna noodles layered with spinach, dairy-free ricotta cheese, and tomato sauce. Let's get to it.

Make the Vegan Lasagna Noodles

You'll need to start by cooking your lasagna noodles. Most lasagna noodles are naturally vegan, so you can choose your favorite brand. Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Aim for al dente noodles, as they are going to cook a bit more when the lasagna is baked in the oven. Overcooked pasta turns into mush in the oven!

Tip: Use "no-cook" lasagna noodles if you want to save time and don't want to be bothered with pre-boiling your pasta.

They will be labeled as "no-cook" or "oven-ready" on the package. I like these Ronzoni noodles, which are also vegan-friendly. This trick also turns this recipe into a 30-minute meal!

Make the Vegan Lasagna Filling

Next, we'll pull together our veggie-packed lasagna filling.

Simply sauté the spinach with some chopped onion, garlic, and olive oil until the spinach is wilted.

You can experiment with the filling - incorporating your favorite veggies or whatever ingredients you have in your pantry. I bet this lasagna would be delicious with some mushrooms, zucchini, or even sun-dried tomatoes. Get creative.

I made my own tofu-based vegan ricotta cheese for this recipe, and it turned out really great. I'm generally not a big fan of tofu (with the exception of Burmese tofu), but this is really worth a try. It only takes about five minutes. You can grab the vegan ricotta cheese recipe here.

Of course, if you want to make this even easier, go ahead and use a store-bought vegan ricotta. I won't tell.

If you're really ambitious, you can also make your own marinara sauce. There are plenty of options in my roundup of homemade pasta sauce recipes, or you could try it with this vegan mushroom bolognese. I was feeling a bit lazy however, so just used my favorite jarred tomato sauce for this one.

Assemble the Vegan Lasagna

Now that we have all our pieces and parts ready, we can start layering our vegan lasagna in the baking dish.

First, spread about one cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Next, lay down a single layer of lasagna noodles, overlapping the noodles a bit to fit. You may need to use 3-5 noodles, depending on the size of your pan and how wide your noodles are.

Then, spread about 1 cup of the spinach filling on top of the noodles. Make sure the filling is spread evenly so that each slice of lasagna will have a good helping of the sauteed spinach.

Pour another cup of marinara sauce over top of the spinach filling, and then add another layer of the lasagna noodles.

Next, pile on the creamy vegan ricotta cheese. This is the best part!

And then sprinkle over a layer of vegan mozzarella cheese. This part is optional, but it adds a nice melty quality. The cheesy layer will bubble and thicken as the lasagna bakes. Ohhh, I can't wait to eat this!

Keep repeating the layers until you fill up the pan - or you run out of noodles.

Finish with a layer of marinara sauce, another layer of vegan mozzarella cheese, and a few sliced tomatoes. Then, pop it all in the oven to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

Now it's time for the hard part - waiting for it to cool after it comes out of the oven. 😉

But if you can stand to let it set for a few minutes, it will be much easier to cut and serve.

Helpful Tips

Cook the spinach until it's dry. Spinach releases a lot of water as it wilts. Keep it in the skillet for an extra minute or two until the pan looks mostly dry, or press out the liquid with a spoon before layering. That one step is the difference between neat, sliceable squares and a watery lasagna.

Keep the cooked noodles from sticking. After draining, lay the noodles out in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet or toss them with a drizzle of olive oil. They glue together fast if you leave them piled in a colander while you make the filling.

Season the ricotta boldly. Tofu-based ricotta is only as flavorful as you make it. Taste it before layering and add more salt, lemon juice, garlic or a handful of chopped fresh basil until it tastes great on its own.

Give no-boil noodles extra sauce. Oven-ready noodles soften by soaking up liquid as they bake, so make sure every sheet is completely covered with sauce, and add an extra half cup to cup of marinara. Cover the pan with foil for the first 15 minutes, then uncover so the top can brown.

Let it rest before slicing. Ten minutes on the counter lets the layers set up, so you get clean slices instead of a sauce-and-noodle landslide. The lasagna stays plenty hot.

Variations

• Mushroom and spinach. Sauté 8 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms with the onion until browned before adding the garlic and spinach.
• Hearty lentil lasagna. Swap the plain marinara for a batch of vegan lentil bolognese for a meatier, extra protein-packed lasagna.
• Roasted vegetable lasagna. Layer in thin slices of roasted zucchini, eggplant or red bell pepper along with the spinach.
• Pesto swirl. Stir a few spoonfuls of vegan pesto into the ricotta for a bright, herby layer.
• Gluten-free. Use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles and double-check that your marinara and vegan cheese are certified gluten-free.
• Spicy arrabbiata. Use a spicy arrabbiata sauce or add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the spinach filling for a little heat.

Serving Ideas

This vegan lasagna is more than hearty enough to serve on its own. But if you want to make it a full dinner party menu, you can pair it with a fresh salad (like this green spring salad) and some crusty bread or a pan of vegan focaccia with tomatoes for mopping up the extra sauce.

It also makes a great make-ahead main for holidays and potlucks. It's a crowd-pleaser at Thanksgiving or Christmas for anyone skipping the turkey, and a simple side of roasted broccoli, green beans or garlicky sautéed greens rounds out the plate.

Storing & Freezing

Cover leftover lasagna tightly with foil or transfer slices to an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or warm a larger portion covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, until hot all the way through.

Vegan lasagna freezes really well. Wrap cooled slices or the whole pan in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also assemble it and freeze it unbaked. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake covered at 375°F for about 30 minutes and uncovered for 10-15 minutes more, until bubbly. The tofu ricotta can turn slightly grainier after freezing, but it's hardly noticeable once it's baked in with the sauce.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

If you loved this recipe, here are a few more reader favorites you might enjoy:

• Vegan Stuffed Shells With Spinach Ricotta
• Vegan Lasagna Soup
• Vegan Pasta Bake
• Vegan Mushroom Bolognese
• Vegan Mac and Cheese

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