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Spicy Vegan Eggplant Lasagna - Plant-Based Oil-Free

This plant-based recipe for Spicy Vegan Eggplant Lasagna layers pasta with oil-free marinara, eggplant, and tofu ricotta. This healthy take on the Italian classic dish is whole foods and oil-free. The perfect meal for a comforting, weeknight dinner. Also, it's a freezer-friendly recipe that works great for dinner parties.
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Entree
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food, Healthy, Italian, Oil-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods
Keyword: casserole, classic, comfort food, eggplant, feed a crowd, freezer-friendly, Italian, lasagna, oil-free, plant-based, protein, spicy, tofu, wfpb
Servings: 6
Calories: 414kcal

Ingredients

For the Eggplant Filling:

  • 1 medium eggplant about 1 pound, cut into large dice
  • 1 onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon red chili flake
  • Dash of salt

For the Tofu Ricotta:

  • 1 16 ounce package extra firm high protein tofu (like Wildwood brand)
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper

To Assemble the Lasagna:

  • 15 sheets no-boil lasagna pasta noodles about 12 ounces
  • 40 ounces (5 cups) fat-free Marinara like the Whole Foods' 365 brand
  • 2 tablespoons Cashew Parm optional, to garnish after baking

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F. Use a large 9x9 square glass baking dish (or line a metal pan with parchemnt).

To brown the eggplant:

  • Preheat a wide saute pan over medium heat while you dice the eggplant and onion.
  • Saute the eggplant and onion in the pan, stirring often. Cook until both have begun to brown and soften, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the minced garlic, red chili flake, and a splash of water. Use a firm wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and set aside.
  • While the eggplant cooks, you can prepare your tofu ricotta.

To make the Tofu Ricotta:

  • Remove the tofu from its packaging, being sure to drain off any liquid.
  • In a medium bowl, combine to tofu, lemon juice, parsley, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, and a dash of salt and pepper. Use your CLEAN hands to squish up the tofu, crumbling it until it resembles ricotta cheese. Set aside until ready to use.

To Assemble and Bake the Lasagna:

  • Pour 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of your baking dish, enough to cover the bottom. Add a layer of 3 no-boil lasagna noodles.
  • Spread about 1/2 of the eggplant mixture over the the noodles. Pour 1 cup of the marinara over the eggplant, spreading evenly.
  • Add a layer of 3 no-boil lasagna noodles.
  • Spread 1/2 of the Tofu Ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with a layer of 3 no-boil lasagna noodles. Pour 1 cup of marinara over the noodles.
  • Repeat this layering again: eggplant, sauce, noodles, tofu ricotta, noodles, sauce. Finishing with extra sauce on top.
  • If you have leftover sauce, that's okay -- try to pour it into the corners of your baking dish, but try not to overflow. Some baking dishes have more rounded corners and don't hold quite as much sauce.
  • Cover the lasagna loosely with foil. Bake for 60 minutes.
  • Remove the cover and check the doneness of the noodles -- a sharp knife should easily slide in and out.
  • Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.
  • Slice into squares and sprinkle with Cashew Parm, if desired.
  • Enjoy!