If you like lasagna, you’ll love this creamy noodle-less zucchini dish. There’s something so wonderful about pairing zucchini and tomatoes. The flavors complement each other nicely and have such a fresh taste. What I love about this recipe, you don’t have to bother with the noodles.
The tofu “ricotta” adds a substantial creaminess. Sometimes tofu can be bland, like the Whole Foods Market vegan noodle rollatini. I tried it recently and it was bland, I mean BLAND! This recipe is NOT far from bland and full of fresh flavors.
The basil and pesto, combined with the artichokes add such depth of flavor and a little earthiness. I recommend using heirloom tomatoes. Since tomatoes are the star of the recipe, you want a high-quality, flavorful tomato!
I suggest you taste the ricotta filling as you’re making it to see if it needs more salt, pepper or fresh basil since it doesn’t have any eggs. If you want to add a kick to the ricotta try adding some lemon zest for tang or red chili flakes for spice.
You can also top the dish with additional fresh basil. Here is a great guide on how to grow your own heirloom tomatoes if you’re feeling inspired.
If you’re buying from the store, this article gives great tips on how to choose the best ripe tomato. Another great tip for this recipe is to make your own pesto if you have time. You can control the oil and salt in homemade pesto, as opposed to store-bought. Here's my recipe for oil-free pesto.
A few more hearty plant-based meals to satisfy your taste buds:
- Easy Chana Masala With Chickpeas &Yams
- Lentil Shepherd's Pie
- Mushroom Burgundy Sauce Over Polenta
- Sheet Pan Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta
- Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa
This dish is so pretty you’ll love serving it for a dinner party, a potluck gathering or even as a welcome to the neighborhood gift for a new neighbor.
I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Creamy Noodle-less Zucchini Tomato Lasagna recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 40 minutes |
| Passive Time | 40 Minutes |
Servings |
people |
- 3 medium zucchini sliced in long 1/4″ pieces.
- 1 package frozen or 1 large jar of artichoke hearts coarsely chopped
- 4 Tbl prepared Basil Pesto or make your own no-added-oil version
- 2-3 large vine ripe tomatoes sliced into ¼” rounds
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 14 oz. package firm organic tofu pressed
- 3 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbl lemon juice
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped (no need to remove the stems)
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped (no need to remove the stems)
- 2 tsp garlic roughed chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/3 tsp sea salt
Ingredients
Tofu “Ricotta”
“Parmesan” Cheese Topping
|
- Preheat Oven to 375° F
- Preheat Oven to 375° F Prepare the zucchini, artichokes and tomatoes
- Place zucchini in a colander in the sink and salt generously. Let sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse the zucchini under water to remove the salt and place in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil. Roast at 400° F until softened and pliable (about 10 minutes). Set aside.
- When cooled, gently toss the zucchini and artichokes with the prepared basil pesto, to coat.
- Slice the tomatoes into ¼” rounds.
- Wrap block of tofu in paper towels and inside several newspaper pages, if you have them. Put on a plate or cutting board with a sauté pan on top along with something heavy to press water out of the tofu. Leave for about 10-20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- After 10 minutes, place tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until the mixture is creamy.
- Add the roughly chopped parsley and basil and pulse a few times to incorporate, but not totally blend so that there are flecks of green. Set aside.
- Place the cashew, nutritional yeast and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until you have fine crumbs. To Assemble the Lasagna
- Lower oven to 350° F
- Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×9″ baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place a single layer of the pesto zucchini in the dish, about 1/2 of the zucchini. Top with a sprinkling of artichokes.
- Place 1/2 of the tofu ricotta filling evenly over the zucchini and flatten with the back of the spoon.
- Top with tomato slices.
- Repeat the layers once.
- Bake the lasagna until it is bubbly and hot, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the “Parmesan” Cashew Cheese, return to the oven for another 4-5 minutes or until very lightly browned.
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