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Vegan zucchini lasagna is a healthy, low-carb, and gluten-free meal that the whole family will love! Using zucchini slices in place of lasagna noodles is a great way to pack in lots of veggies into your vegan lasagna.
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Layer your lasagna with tofu ricotta, vegan sausage crumbles, and vegan mozzarella for a meal that's high in protein, low carb, and bursting with flavor.
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- ❤️ This recipe is
- 🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- 🔪 Helpful tools
- 🥄 How to make zucchini lasagna
- 👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- 🥡 Storage and reheating
- ✨ More recipes that use zucchini
- 🌟 More vegan Italian-style dishes
- 📋 Vegan zucchini lasagna recipe
I started making this lasagna years ago when my son needed to be on a gluten-free diet. He loved lasagna but didn't like the gluten-free noodles, so I tried replacing them with thinly sliced zucchini. To my surprise, the whole family loved it. It is now our preferred way to make gluten-free lasagna.
❤️ This recipe is
- a delicious plant-based meal!
- dairy-free and gluten-free.
- packed with healthy veggies!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - washed and cut into thin slices to be used in place of lasagna noodles.
- Salt- to sprinkle on the zucchini to get the water out of it. Don't skip this step or your lasagna will be too wet. Don't worry, you wash off most of the salt.
- Tomato Sauce- Any jarred spaghetti sauce will work or you can make your ownoven-roasted tomato sauce.
- Vegan Ricotta Cheese- I make my ownvegan ricottafrom tofu, but you can also use cashew ricotta or store-bought vegan ricotta.
- Vegan Mozzarella Cheese- for sprinkling between layers and topping the lasagna. You can use any store-bought brand that you like or make your own with myhomemade vegan mozzarella cheese recipe. You can also swap out the cheese forvegan Bechamel sauceif you like.
- Tomatoes- any medium tomatoes like Roma work well. The fresher and more in season, the better they will taste.
- Spinach- either fresh or frozen will work.
- Vegan Sausage- (optional) I like to use my homemade Italian-flavoredvegan sausage crumblesbut you can use any vegan sausage chopped up into small pieces. You can also use vegan ground beef if you don't want it spicy.
- Vegan Pesto - or fresh basil is optional for more flavor. You can use my homemade vegan pesto, nut-free pesto, or store-bought pesto.
Note:you can also replace the ricotta or the mozzarella withvegan béchamel sauceor vegan pizza cheese sauce if you prefer.
- Mandoline Slicer - for cutting the zucchini into thin even slices.
- Baking Dish- I use an 8" x 8'' pan. The zucchini strips fit well into this size.
🥄 How to make zucchini lasagna
Make zucchini "noodles"
Step 1 - Wash 2 medium zucchini and cut off about a 1/2 inch from both ends. Use a mandoline slicer to make long thin slices the length of the zucchini and about 1/4 inch thick. You can also carefully cut it with a knife if you don't have a mandoline.
Step 2 - Place the sliced zucchini on a long sheet of paper towels (or a very clean tea towel) and sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow the slices to sit for 10 minutes. Then flip them over and sprinkle them with more salt and let them sit for 15 more minutes. (This will extract the excess liquid out of the zucchini so that your lasagna will not be too watery. It is an important step to get the correct texture, so don't skip this.)
Step 3 - After 25 minutes, your zucchini should have released a lot of liquid. At this point wash off the salt and pat the zucchini "noodles" dry with a clean paper towel.
Prep your other ingredients
Step 4 - While the zucchini noodles are sitting, fry up some vegan sausage crumbles, and vegan ground beef, or chop up some vegan Italian sausages into bite-sized pieces. (If you don't want to use vegan "meats," you can use sauteed mushrooms instead.)
Step 5 - Wash and slice 2 medium tomatoes and 2 cups of baby spinach and set aside.
MAKE YOUR TOFU RICOTTA (OR USE STORE-BOUGHT VEGAN RICOTTA IF DESIRED)
Step 6 - Drain and press a container of extra firm tofu getting out as much liquid as possible.
Step 7 - Crumble the tofu into a large food processor.
Step 8 - Add, salt, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and basil.
Step 9 - Blend well for 2 minutes in a food processor. Add a splash of soy milk if needed to thin out the ricotta to a smooth spreadable texture.
ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA
Step 10 - Cover the bottom of your lasagna dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
Step 11 - Then lay down a layer of the washed zucchini "noodles" so that they overlap each other a little.
Step 12 - Spread a layer of vegan ricotta on top of the zucchini "noodles."
Step 13 - Add a second layer of zucchini and pour another cup of spaghetti sauce on it.
Step 14 - Sprinkle with vegan sausage, vegan ground beef, or sauteed mushrooms.
Step 15 - Add another layer of zucchini "noodles" overlapping them slightly.
Step 16 - Spread on a layer of vegan ricotta cheese and sauce, then top it with fresh baby spinach.
Step 17 - Layer again with zucchini and tofu ricotta, and then add a layer of sliced tomatoes.
Step 18 - End with one last layer of zucchini "noodles" and more sauce.
Step 19 - Sprinkle on some shredded vegan mozzarella cheese and vegan pesto.
Step 20 - Cover with foil and bake at 375° F for 40 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until bubbly.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to take to time to salt the zucchini slices to get the excess water out of them or it will make your lasagna too wet.
- You can put as many layers as you want, just be sure to frequently alternate in sauce to keep it moist and vegan ricotta or mozzarella cheese to hold it together.
- Be sure to bake uncovered for the last 25 minutes to allow steam to escape and let it dry out a little.
🥡 Storage and reheating
Refrigerator:The zucchini lasagna will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in a sealed container.
Freezing:Lasagna freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrosting: Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating:Reheat the zucchini lasagna one slice at a time in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. To reheat a large amount, bake in a covered dish at 350° F for about 20-25 minutes until it's hot in the center.
✨ More recipes that use zucchini
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Creamy Vegan Zucchini Soup
- Vegan Zucchini Fries
- Vegan Bolognese with Hidden Veggies
- Healthy Hidden Veggie Muffins
- Veggie Brownies
🌟 More vegan Italian-style dishes
- Traditional Vegan Lasagna
- Easy Vegan Ravioli
- Vegan Stuffed Shells
- American Style Vegan Goulash
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Easy Vegan Lasagna Soup
📌 Be sure tofollow me on Pinterestfor new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan zucchini lasagna recipe
Vegan Zucchini Lasagna
Lasagna that's made with zucchini "noodles" in place of pasta. Packed with vegan ricotta, cheese, and sausage for a hearty and delicious gluten-free vegan meal.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, vegan
Keyword: gluten-free vegan lasagna, vegan zucchini lasagna, veggie lasagna, zucchini lasagna
Servings: 9
Calories: 203kcal
Author: Monica Davis
Equipment
Mandoline Slicer
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (about 8-10 inches long)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup vegan sausage crumbles (or vegan ground beef or vegan sausages chopped small.)
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons vegan pesto or a handful of fresh basil
- 2 cups vegan ricotta (See ingredients and directions below or homemade or use store-bought.)
For the homemade tofu ricotta
- 1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu
- 2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 handful fresh basil
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
MAKE ZUCCHINI "NOODLES"
Wash 2 medium zucchini and cut off about a 1/2 inch from both ends. Use a mandolin to make long thin slices the length of the zucchini and about 1/4 inch thick. You can also carefully cut it with a knife if you don't have a mandoline.
Place the sliced zucchini on a long sheet of paper towels (or a very clean tea towel) and sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow the slices to sit for 10 minutes. Then flip them over and sprinkle with more salt and let them sit for 15 more minutes. (This will extract the excess liquid out of the zucchini so that your lasagna will not be too watery. It is an important step to get the correct texture, so don't skip this.)
PREP YOUR OTHER INGREDIENTS
After 25 minutes, your zucchini should have released a lot of liquid. At this point wash off the salt and pat the zucchini "noodles" dry with a clean paper towel.
While the zucchini noodles are sitting, fry up some vegan sausage crumbles, vegan ground beef, or chop up some vegan Italian sausages into bite-sized pieces. (If you don't want to use vegan "meats," you can use sauteed mushrooms instead.)
Wash and slice 2 medium tomatoes and 2 cups of baby spinach. and set them aside.
MAKE YOUR TOFU RICOTTA: (OR USE STORE-BOUGHT VEGAN RICOTTA IF DESIRED)
Drain and press a container of extra firm tofu getting out as much liquid as possible.
Crumble the tofu into a large food processor.
Add, 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast,1 teaspoon salt, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a handful of fresh basil.
Blend well for 2 minutes in a food processor. Add a splash of soy milk or water if needed to thin out the ricotta to a smooth spreadable texture.
ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA:
Cover the bottom of your lasagna dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
Then lay down a layer of the washed zucchini "noodles" so that they overlap each other a little.
Spread a layer of vegan ricotta on top of the zucchini "noodles."
Add a second layer of zucchini and pour another cup of spaghetti sauce on it.
Sprinkle with vegan sausage, vegan ground beef, or sauteed mushrooms.
Add another layer of zucchini "noodles" overlapping them slightly.
Spread on a layer of vegan ricotta cheese, sauce, and top it with fresh baby spinach.
Layer again with zucchini and tofu ricotta, and then add a layer of sliced tomatoes.
End with one last layer of zucchini "noodles" and more sauce.
Sprinkle on some shredded vegan mozzarella cheese and vegan pesto.
Cover with foil and bake at 375° F for 40 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
- Be sure to take to time to salt the zucchini slices to get the excess water out of it or it will make your lasagna too wet.
- You can put as many layers as you want, just be sure to frequently alternate in sauce to keep it moist and ricotta or mozzarella cheese to hold it together.
- Be sure to bake uncovered for the last 25 minutes to allow steam to escape and let it dry out a little.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1279IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 8mg
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