Vegan Lasagna Recipe with Spinach (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Best meatless vegan lasagna recipe with spinach and mushrooms. Easy to make from scratch and packed to the max with comforting textures from creamy cashew ricotta cheese filling, protein packed no boil pasta baked in the most flavorful and saucy San Marzano tomato sauce. (VIDEO)

Jump to Recipe

Vegan Lasagna

This homemade, dairy-free meatless lasagna recipe checks all the boxes and tastes even better than it looks. Healthy, saucy, creamy, flavorful, comforting, from scratch, gluten-free and packed with nutrients. It’s easy but not super quick to make, however the individual components can be prepped ahead and ready to be baked at the drop of a hat. A classic favorite kid friendly Sunday dinner loved by all vegans and the “not yet ones” with multiple seasonal adaptions. It’s really the best and one of my most knocked off recipes if you know what I mean 😉

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

The magical ingredient in this heavenly lasagna is without a doubt my homemade cashew ricotta cheese. It can be made ahead alongside all the other filling and refrigerated for later. You could even assemble the whole lasagna a day before, cover and refrigerate then pop it in the oven whenever you want to serve it.

No Boil Lasagna Noodles

I used protein packed no boil lentil noodles here which makes this lasagna gluten-free as well. You could go for whole wheat noodles if preferred, whatever you choose stick to the no boil kind. I mean, why make extra work for yourself by precooking noodles..?!

About the Veggies

This recipe is heavy on both sautéed mushrooms and baby spinach to pack as much nutrition in every layer as possible. If mushrooms don’t speak to your taste buds it’s all good, replace them with quartered artichoke hearts for a spinach and artichoke lasagna instead.

Furthermore you could get creative with what’s in season: zucchini, eggplant and yellow squashes in the summer, roasted broccoli, butternut squash in the fall and winter.

The Tomato Sauce

A thick slowly simmered homemade tomato sauce made from San Marzano Tomatoes is the best in my humble opinion. You could try a meaty variation with this fan favorite vegan bolognese sauce or just use your favorite store-bought sauce. Just make sure it’s something you know you’ll love.

How to Layer the Vegan Lasagna

Start with a thick layer of the best tomato sauce spread on the bottom of the pan like a blanket.
Cover with a layer of no boil noodles slightly overlapping each other or tightly packed together, until the whole bottom is covered.
Spread all of the vegan ricotta over the top of the noodles.
Add your veggies, in our case mushrooms and spinach.
Spread another layer of tomato sauce + a layer of noodles.
Cover with the remaining sauce spread evenly over the top.
OPTIONAL but So GOOD: finish by layering few slices of smoked gouda cheese (I used Follow Your Heart) and a few slices of heirloom tomatoes. Cover + Bake! How about a Pesto drizzle too..?!

On Storage

The leftovers of this lasagna both keep and travel well as lunches to go. Easily reheated in the microwave or conventional oven, plus you can also freeze the entire dish before or after baking tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Remember to thaw out overnight before reheating.

Vegan Pasta Recipes

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Avocado Pesto Pasta
Vegan Alfredo
Vegan Pasta Carbonara
Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Vegan Stuffed Shells
Bucatini Pomodoro
Cherry Tomato Basil Pasta.

how to make the best vegan lasagna recipe

5 from 14 votes

Vegan Lasagna with Spinach and Ricotta

Packed with comforting textures from a creamy cashew ricotta cheese filling and lots of flavor from mushrooms, spinach and a homemade San Marzano tomato sauce, this vegan lasagna is the absolute best!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Cook Time:45 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

4.25 cups San Marzano Tomato Sauce
6 cups baby spinach
1 lb mushrooms -sliced ( or canned artichoke hearts)
1/2 onion -diced
12 oz no boil lentil lasagna noodles
6 oz vegan smoked Gouda cheese slices ( Follow Your Heart) - OPTIONAL
1 large heirloom tomato -sliced
1/3 cup basil leaves (for garnish)
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Cashew Ricotta Cheese

2 cups raw cashews
3/4 cups water
1 lemon -juiced
2 cloves garlic -grated
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the tomato sauce in advance.

Make the Cashew Ricotta

Rinse and soak the cashew with hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse again then add them to a powerful blender (or food processor) together with all the ingredients. Process until creamy and smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
2 cups raw cashews, 3/4 cups water, 1 lemon, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 400”F.

Heat up a large skillet over medium flame. Add a splash of water and sautée the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms and cook together another 10 minutes or so until wilted and the water has evaporated. Taste and season with sea salt. Set aside until needed.
1/2 onion, 1 lb mushrooms
In the same skillet add another teaspoon of water and add the spinach. Sautee until wilted then season with a tiny pinch of sea salt. Transfer to a colander to drain. Once cool enough to handle use your hands to squeeze as much of the liquid as possible. Set aside.
6 cups baby spinach
Brig out your lasagna pan ( 8X12 works fine) and spread 1.5 cups of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Layer enough of the lasagna noodles to slightly overlap each other and cover the bottom. You might need to break a couple of them to fill in any gaps on the sides depending on the shape of your pan.
12 oz no boil lentil lasagna noodles, 4.25 cups San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Add the cashew ricotta over the top and spread it across in an even layer. (Sprinkle with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg at this point if desired).
Top with the sautéed spinach and mushrooms then add 1.25 cups of the tomato sauce.
Add another layer of the lasagna noodles slightly overlapping each other and finish with a layer of the remaining sauce.
Finish with a layer of the vegan smoked gouda on top and the sliced heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and red pepper flakes.
6 oz vegan smoked Gouda cheese slices, 1 large heirloom tomato, 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil (or oven proof lid) and transfer it to the preheated oven for 45 - 50 minutes until the noodles have cooked through.
Allow to cool and set for a good 15 minutes before serving with the fresh basil on top.
1/3 cup basil leaves

WFPB + Plantricious

This recipe is actually WFPB (whole food plant based) + Plantricious. However you must omit the top vegan cheese layer to stay compliant.

Video

Notes

If you are using cooked lasagna noodles instead of the no bake lentil or whole wheat noodles, you can cut back on the baking time to about 25 minutes, just enough for the flavors to marry andthe cheese to melt.

If you are on a WFPB oil-free diet simply omit the final smoked gouda cheese layer and your lasagna will be oil-free.

Nutrition

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: vegan lasagna, Vegan Spinach Lasagna

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 516kcal

Author: Florentina