Vegan White Lasagna

So there are moments in history where you want to slap your forehead and say, “Seriously?” The OJ Simpson acquittal. . . Lady GagGag’s meat dress . . . the recent attacks on Sesame Street . . . Oh, and the terrible call that cost cost the Green Bay Packers the game against the Seattle Seahawks a couple of weeks ago . . .(that’s for you, Jessie)! I had a moment of forehead-slapping-followed-by-a-REALLY? when I forgot a key ingredient in this meal. Pesto. See . . . I even made it:

But I made it earlier in the day and forgot to use it. Wheresma pesto? In the fridge. For those of you unfamiliar with “wheresma,” let me give you a brief history. My dear and wonderful husband apparently earned the nickname, “Wheresma” because he often asked, “Where’s my (this)?” “Where’s my (that)? Enduring, right? No. Wheresma makes an appearance every once in while . . .

Anyhoo . . . I have to admit, the lasagna just wasn’t the same without the pesto. I highly recommend you don’t forget this ingredient. It was still tasty and leftover-worthy, but it didn’t have the flavor I was hoping for, so don’t forget the pesto!

INGREDIENTS:
Ricotta:
1 12-oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 C vegan mozzarella
Pesto:
4 C basil leaves
1 C Italian leaf parsley
1 C pine nuts
4 cloves garlic cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 C lemon juice
2/3 C olive oil
6 Tbs vegan Parmesan cheese
White sauce:
3 Tbs Earth Balance
1/4 C flour
2 C almond milk
1/2 C white wine
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1/3 C nutritional yeast
The rest:
12 lasagna noodles
5 C kale, chopped
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 C onion, diced
olive oil
Vegan mozzarella, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Save yourself a headache by making the ricotta and pesto a day ahead, or at least earlier in the day. (Just don’t forget about them). For the ricotta, combine everything but the vegan mozzarella in the food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese. To make the pesto, combine everything but the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth. Add the nuts and Parm and blend well.

I like using traditional lasagna noodles, as opposed to the no-boil variety. The trick is to not boil them too long. They’ll cook the rest of the way later on in the oven. I also made a small batch (8″x8″) pan, which meant cutting 2-3″ off the noodles in order to fit the pan. I ended up with 4 layers, but feel free to make 3 layers in a 9×13″ pan. So . . .to begin, start boiling the noodles. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook 5-7 minutes, or until the onions get tender. Add the mushrooms and kale and cook a few more minutes, until the mushrooms soften and the kale wilts.

To make the sauce, melt the Earth Balance. Slowly whisk the flour, a little at a time until you reach a thick paste.

Whisk in the milk a little bit at a time until there aren’t any clumps left. Stir with a whisk over medium-high heat until thickened, about 7 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 350. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Pour about half of the sauce mixture on the bottom of an 8×8″ baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles (you’ll need to cut the noodles to fit) on the bottom of the pan. Spread on about 2 Tbs of ricotta on each noodle, then a layer of the pesto. Top with a thin layer of  the mushroom/kale mixture.

Repeat layers, ending with the final three lasagna noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with some vegan mozzarella if you’d like.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Vegan White Lasagna

 

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Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

• Ricotta:
• 1 12-oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• ⅓ C nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• ¼ C vegan mozzarella
• Pesto:
• 4 C basil leaves
• 1 C Italian leaf parsley
• 1 C pine nuts
• 4 cloves garlic cut into small pieces
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ C lemon juice
• ⅔ C olive oil
• 6 Tbs vegan Parmesan cheese
• White sauce:
• 3 Tbs Earth Balance
• ¼ C flour
• 2 C almond milk
• ½ C white wine
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• Dash of nutmeg
• ⅓ C nutritional yeast
• The rest:
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 5 C kale, chopped
• 2 C mushrooms, sliced
• 1 C onion, diced
• olive oil
• Vegan mozzarella, optional

Directions

1. Save yourself a headache by making the ricotta and pesto a day ahead, or at least earlier in the day. (Just don't forget about them.) For the ricotta, combine everything but the vegan mozzarella in the food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese.
2. To make the pesto, combine everything but the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth. Add the nuts and Parm and blend well.
3. I like using traditional lasagna noodles, as opposed to the no-boil variety. The trick is to not boil them too long. They'll cook the rest of the way later on in the oven. I also made a small batch (8"x8") pan, which meant cutting 2-3" off the noodles in order to fit the pan. I ended up with 4 layers, but feel free to make 3 layers in a 9x13" pan. So . . .to begin, start boiling the noodles. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook 5-7 minutes, or until the onions get tender. Add the mushrooms and kale and cook a few more minutes, until the mushrooms soften and the kale wilts.
4. To make the sauce, melt the Earth Balance. Slowly whisk the flour, a little at a time until you reach a thick paste.
5. Whisk in the milk a little bit at a time until there aren't any clumps left. Stir with a whisk over medium-high heat until thickened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
6. Preheat the oven to 350. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Pour about half of the sauce mixture on the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles (you'll need to cut the noodles to fit) on the bottom of the pan. Spread on about 2 Tbs of ricotta on each noodle, then a layer of the pesto. Top with a thin layer of the mushroom/kale mixture.
7. Repeat layers, ending with the final three lasagna noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with some vegan mozzarella if you'd like.
8. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

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