This vegan lasagna bolognese is bound to earn the praises of meat-lovers and vegans alike. Hearty walnut bolognese is layered with creamy cashew mozzarella sauce and gluten-free noodles (or regular if you prefer) and baked until hot and bubbly.
Did you see that hearty, meatlessly meaty bolognese sauce recipe I shared last week? If not, pop on over quick to take a look.
It’s destined to become your household red sauce.
But beyond tossing it with a pile of tangly warm spaghetti, I wanted to offer you another way to serve it.
And so, my friends, here you have it: Vegan Lasagna Bolognese.
This one’s a comforting classic and a total keeper. I have a feeling it’ll find its way into your weekly recipes many times in the coming months.
It’s easy to make. It can be prepared ahead of time, frozen, and reheated. And it’s satisfying to all eaters, from meat-lovers to plant-based vegans.
Would you know this 👆🏻lasagna is totally meatless and cheese-less based solely on look?
Nope.
More importantly, would you know it based on taste? I certainly don’t think so. But you be the judge.
To make it, you’ll start by preparing that savory walnut bolognese sauce. Don’t fret if you or your loved ones can’t have nuts—I’ve included nut-free options for the sauce and for the “cheese”.
While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven, lightly grease a baking dish, and prepare the cashew mozzarella sauce and vegan parmesan (if using).
The cashew mozzarella sauce is made by blending together cashews (or hemp seeds for nut-free), water, nutritional yeast flakes, arrowroot starch (for thickening), vinegar, and sea salt until completely smooth.
The parmesan is made by pulsing together either nuts or seeds with nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt until ground into a grated cheese texture.
Once all of the individual elements are prepared, you’ll assemble the vegan lasagna.
Spread a bit of the bolognese into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of gluten-free (or regular) lasagna noodles. Pour about half of the mozzarella sauce over the lasagna noodles, and top with a bit more bolognese.
Repeat until you have three full layers of noodles, topping the final layer with bolognese sauce only.
Tip: As you layer, use any broken lasagna noodles to fill in the gaps around the edges of the pan.
Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil, sprinkle with the vegan parmesan (if using), and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. If you’re wanting a pop of color and freshness, top with chopped parsley.
Then, slice and serve.
This lasagna can be made ahead of time and reheated as needed for quick meals throughout the week.
For a pot-luck or party, prepare and assemble the lasagna ahead of time and bake upon your arrival or your guests’ arrival.
Also, feel free to get creative.
Add sautéed greens or other veggies (e.g., peppers, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, etc.) in between the layers of this vegan meat lasagna for a vedged-up version of this classic.
If you make this vegan lasagna bolognese, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #blissfulbasil on Instagram.
Vegan Lasagna Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vegan Walnut Bolognese Sauce , divided
- 1 recipe Cashew Mozzarella Sauce (recipe below)
- recipe Vegan Parmesan Cheese (optional but recommended)
- 10 ounces regular or gluten-free lasagna noodles, prepared according to package instructions**
- Chopped Italian parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegan Bolognese Sauce. You'll need 3 to 4 cups for layering in the lasagna (depending on how saucy you like it). Measure out that amount and reserve the remainder for serving the baked lasagna.
- While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8" x 11" baking dish with olive oil. Prepare the Cashew Mozzarella Sauce (recipe below) and Vegan Parmesan Cheese (if using).
- Spread about one-quarter (i.e., 3/4 to 1 cup, depending on how saucy you prefer your lasagna) of the bolognese into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles (I like to use any broken bits in the box to fill in the gaps at the edges of the pan/dish). Cover the noodles with about half of the mozzarella sauce. Top with another 3/4 to 1 cup of the bolognese.
- Add another layer of lasagna noodles. Top with another 3/4 to 1 cup of the bolognese.
- Finally, add the last layer of lasagna noodles and cover with the remaining bolognese, and top with the remaining mozzarella sauce.
- Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and sprinkle with as much of the vegan parmesan (if using) as desired and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley (if using) for a pop of color and herbaceous freshness.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
Vegan Cashew Mozzarella Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours or boiled for 10 minutes*
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender, and blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside. It should be liquidy and runny at this stage (it will thicken as it bakes in the oven).
I thought the flavor was outstanding. The Bolognese sauce with the vegan crumbles makes it. One question though: what is the consistency of the cashew mozzarella cheese supposed to be like? Mine was pretty thin (pourable versus spreadable) and I wondered if I did something wrong?
Also I added sautéed mushrooms and zucchini which I liked. And I believe the extra 5-10 min to make the vegan parmesan is well worth it.
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Ellen! And nope, you didn’t do anything wrong for the mozzarella sauce. It should be totally pourable when you layer the lasagna but the arrowroot thickens it as it bakes. This allows you to skip the extra step of thickening in a pan and then spreading. Plus, arrowroot can lose its thickening power if over-heated, so this approach protects you from that, too.
Love the idea of adding mushrooms and zucchini! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts and rating. Means a lot to me and is helpful for those considering making the recipe, too! :)
This was a big hit at a recent gathering we hosted. Even hardcore meat lovers really enjoyed it. The cashew mozzarella was so easy to make. It’s a new favorite in our household.
Glad you enjoyed it, mom! :)
It took me some time to make but it is absolutely delicious. Thanks!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Christina! And that you found it to be a worthwhile investment of time. Thanks for coming back to share your feedback and rating—means a lot. :)