Butternut Squash Vegan Tofu Lasagna
Vegan and lasagna are two contradictory words. Lasagna is supposed to be baked lasagna pasta with layers and layers of cheese, right? Not necessarily! If you’ve never tried vegan lasagna, here’s your inspiration. And we’re making this an easy vegetable lasagna by replacing the pasta with spiralized butternut squash slices.
How do you make a vegan lasagna? You replace the cheese with tofu! Tofu is a healthy vegan source of protein, made from soybeans. Nasoya’s Extra Firm Tofu crumbles perfectly to mimic a ricotta-like filling and when seasoned with Italian herbs, it smells just like an Italian lasagna.
The key to turning tofu into a cheesy consistency is by first mashing it with a fork and then seasoning it with nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a popular food product used in vegan cooking, because it adds a cheesy flavor to everything – pasta, chips, dairy-free sauces, bakes, even popcorn! Nutritional yeast is full of vitamins and antioxidants, so we’re boosting up the nutritional value of this lasagna.
The butternut squash is spiralized to make gratin slices, which are layered to make this lasagna naturally gluten free. The squash gives the lasagna a slightly sweet flavor and butternut squash cooks to an al dente texture in the oven, so you won’t miss those lasagna noodles.
Give this easy vegan lasagna a try, using Nasoya’s Extra Firm Tofu and you won’t believe your eyes when you’re forking this delicious meal. It’s kid-approved too, Luca loved it!
Note: Although this post is sponsored by Nasoya, all opinions are my own, always.
How do you spiralize butternut squash?
Watch our video to learn how to spiralize butternut squash using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Butternut Squash Vegan Tofu Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 14oz package Extra Firm Tofu (Nasoya), drained
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1.5 tablespoons Italian seasoning or 1 tsp each of oregano, basil, parsley
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled
- 3 bell peppers 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, diced
- 1 40oz jar marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and set aside.
- Drain the tofu by wrapping it up in thin kitchen towels (or paper towels) and pressing down firmly. Repeat until the tofu is drained as much as possible. Place the tofu in a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork until crumbled. Add the nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Slice the bulbous end off of the butternut squash and reserve for future use. Take the neck and peel it, first slicing off the top. Slice the squash lengthwise halfway through, careful not to pierce through the center. Spiralize the squash on Blade A. Set aside the squash slices.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the onions, garlic and bell peppers and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and cook another 5 minutes to heat the sauce.
- Spoon the sauce into the baking dish to cover the bottom. Lay out the butternut squash noodles in an even layer. Spread one-third of the tofu mixture over the squash and then add more sauce. Repeat, ending with sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
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