Veggie Lasagna with Vegan Ricotta Made with JOI

Is there really a better feeling than digging into a perfectly layered lasagna? Creamy, saucy, vegetable filled lasagna is what’s on the menu today! It’s a great way to serve up some Italian cuisine with a dairy-free twist.

By making our own vegan ricotta using JOI we are able to create that layer of “cheese” that is most necessary for the perfect lasagna. In between that we have slices of tender zucchini and perfectly cooked lasagna sheets. Other veggies that are incorporated are diced red peppers and mushrooms! 

Use your favorite tomato sauce and a little bit of fresh basil to bring all the layers together. Serve with your favorite salad and a good slice of crusty bread and enJOI!

Yield: 

1 6x8” deep baking dish 

Ingredients:

For the Lasagna:  

• 6 sheets of cooked lasagna noodles
• 1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced 
• 1 green zucchini, thinly sliced 
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups vegan ricotta (recipe below!) 
• 2 cups chopped spinach 
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• Fresh basil for garnish 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 

Creamy Ricotta Ingredients: 

• 1 cup JOI Cashew Plant Base
• ¾  cup water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper 
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast 

How It’s Made:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. First, make the “ricotta”.  In a food processor add all ricotta ingredients and blend for 30 seconds. Season with extra salt or pepper to taste.
3. In a 6x8” baking dish, spread about half of the marinara sauce (on the bottom of the dish), then on top layer 3 lasagna noodles. Next, top the noodles with a layer of ricotta (use about half), followed by a layer of the vegetables (spinach, mushrooms, and sliced zucchinis), using about half of the veggies.  Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper.
4. Repeat the layering 1 more time, beginning with the remaining ingredients:  first the marinara sauce, followed by the noodles, then the ricotta, and ending with layers of vegetables, topped with the zucchini. 
5. Drizzle the top layer with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Enjoy!