What I love about dairy free lasagna
It’s been years since we had a proper lasagna. I had really been avoiding it because I just wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it justice. Could lasagna without ricotta be any good? Turns out, it can. You just need vegan ricotta (we make our own because I have yet to find one I love at the store).
We tried a few different versions, including a traditional béchamel lasagna, before landing on this one, but I really found myself missing the texture of ricotta. So I made a batch of my vegan ricotta and paired it with a super easy ground beef tomato sauce and topped all the layers with a combination of liquid mozzarella and vegan mozzarella shreds.
You can use whatever form of mozzarella you want on top (as long as it’s dairy free), but I found that this combination looks the best. I don’t think one is better than the other when it comes to flavor or texture though, so use what you have or can get at the store.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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Buy Now → Ingredients and substitutions:
- Vegan ricotta – if you want to use store bought vegan ricotta, you definitely can. Keep in mind that it’s quite expensive and you will need about 3 cups of it, which is why I prefer to make my own.
- Lasagna noodles – you could make this recipe with gluten free noodles, but I highly suggest seeking out a recipe that is specifically for gluten free lasagna because this recipe hasn’t been tested using that type of pasta.
- Ground beef – if you want, you can make this recipe without the meat by either omitting the beef or substituting vegan ground beef (prepare just as you would beef). If you leave it out, you may find that you want a little more marinara sauce. Personally, I think the meatiness helps give it a more authentic flavor, but it’s up to you.
How to make dairy free lasagna
Prepare the lasagna noodles. You have two options for preparing your noodles. I like to soak mine in cold water right in the lasagna pan.
It takes about 2 hours, and you the noodles will be lighter in color and soft when they’re ready. One less pot to clean and super easy.
Otherwise, you can boil them according to the package directions for al dente.
Make your vegan ricotta. Combine the ingredients in a food processor bowl and blend until it becomes the texture of ricotta cheese. If you want further, more detailed instructions, read through my dairy free ricotta article. You can do this a day or two in advance if you want.
Cook the ground beef. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. I like to use a meat chopper to help things along, but a wooden spoon will work just fine.
While the meat is cooking, add the minced garlic, herbs and salt. Then, when the meat is no longer pink, stir in the two jars of marinara sauce. Remove the pan from heat and set it aside.
Assemble the layers. Start with a thin layer of meat sauce then top with a layer of noodles. Top that with a thin layer of dairy free ricotta and top with a layer of meat sauce.
Repeat until you run out of ricotta, but make sure you end on a sauce layer. Then add your vegan mozzarella.
Bake your lasagna. Preheat your oven to 375˚F and bake the lasagna for 40 – 45 minutes, or until the sides are bubbling and the mozzarella appears melted. Keep in mind that dairy free cheese don’t melt like regular cheese so it won’t look the same.
Remove the lasagna from your oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. If you want, garnish with fresh parsley before serving to make it pretty.
FAQs and tips for making dairy free lasagna
What can I substitute for cheese in lasagna?
Vegan ricotta is a great substitute for cheese in lasagna. If you don’t want to use vegan ricotta, a béchamel sauce is also a great alternative. Either way, you want something sort of creamy in there to add to your lasagna layers.
More dairy free pasta recipes:
- Rigatoni with pork ragu
More dairy free dinner ideas:
- Shrimp and grits with tomato gravy
Ingredients
- 1 package lasagna - soaked for 2 hours in cold water (or prepared according to package directions)
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 23- ounce jars marinara sauce - or homemade equivalent
- Liquid mozzarella or vegan mozzarella shreds - for topping
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley - for garnish
- 1 1/2 cup slivered almonds - soaked overnight and drained
- 6 ounces firm tofu - pressed*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic - 2 small garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley*
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- Black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Prepare lasagna noodles by soaking in cold water for 2 hours or boiling according to package directions.
- Combine ricotta ingredients in a food processor bowl and blend until the mixture has reached ricotta-like texture. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high and brown the ground beef, breaking the meat up as it cooks. While the meat cooks, season with garlic, basil, parsley and salt. Then, stir in the marinara sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- To layer the lasagna, spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Top with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Then, gently spread 1/3 vegan ricotta mixture on top. Next, add a layer of meat sauce. Repeat 2 more times and top with vegan mozzarella.
- Bake lasagna for 40 – 45 minutes or until the sides are bubbling and the mozzarella has melted. Remove from oven and allow the lasagna to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
- Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
