There are thousands of interpretations of veggie lasagna, and it took me a long time and blending several different recipes to create one we love! After all that trial and error it occurred to me that the difference between a good one and a great one are two things; marinara sauce and the base veggie ingredients.

Start with a good sauce! Personally, I don’t think there is a sauce recipe on this planet that is better than my mom’s stupendous marinara sauce. Normally I make a large batch of sauce and freeze it making it easy to put the vegan portobello veggie lasagna together quickly.

As for the second requirement veggies, I am a Portobello lover. The rich taste and appealing texture make them the perfect base for the filling.

If cooking for non-vegan guests, I usually substitute part-skim mozzarella and traditional parmesan cheese for the vegan cheese. It tends to be more pleasing to my guest’s palate.

Rich and Tasty Vegan Portobello Veggie Lasagna

Veggie Filling

Olive Oil
1 small-med sweet onion chopped
2-3 med to large Portobello’s cleaned and chopped. (I use the stems in this recipe)
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow summer squash

In a large wok or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté until the onion starts to soften and become translucent about 5-7 min. Add remaining veggies and heat until the veggies start to become tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Tofu Ricotta

1 pkg tofu-any style
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp lemon juice

In a food processor blend all of the ingredients for the Tofu Ricotta. Add additional olive oil to achieve your desired consistency.

Lasagna

9 Lasagna noodles-Cooked according to package directions
3 cups Mom’s Stupendous Marinara or pasta sauce of your choice
2 cups vegan mozzarella
1 cup vegan parmesan
Optional chopped fresh tomatoes

To make the lasagna

Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with a thin layer of sauce. Add 3 lasagna noodles. The noodles shouldn’t touch and don’t need to go to the end of the pan. Cover the noodles with 1/3 of the tofu ricotta mixture. Add 1/3 of the Portobello mixture. Cover with more sauce. Add just a little less than 1/3 of the mozzarella and a sprinkling of the parmesan. Repeat with the remaining 6 noodles. On the very top layer, add a little more sauce and cover with the remaining cheese.

Cover and cook at 350 for 1-1.5 hours until you see the cheese bubbling, usually closer to 1.5 hours if it’s been in the refrigerator. Add the fresh tomatoes and cook the last 10 minutes uncovered. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

 

Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna noodles are perfect and save the time of cooking the noodles. If mom is in town, she is gluten free, Hodgson’s Mill Lasagna Noodles cooked Al Dente are a great alternative.

This can be put together a day or so ahead of time covered and refrigerated. Toasted crusty garlic bread is the perfect accompaniment.
If you have guests who don’t normally eat a lot of veggies, it might be best to avoid the salad. Too many veggies when they aren’t a normal part of someone’s diet can have a “gaseous” effect on their digestive system and kill a dinner party quickly!

Like something other than portobello? Post your favorite lasagna veggie in the comments below.

Know someone who is short on time or talent for cooking but loves tasty meals. They will thank you for sharing this with them.