All this time spent at home has me craving cozy comfort foods, especially now that it’s getting colder here in Melbourne. This vegan autumn lasagna, with layers of pumpkin, zucchini, spinach & tofu ricotta, tomato sauce, and pumpkin cashew cream, is the food of my quarantine dreams.

This lasagna is creamy, comforting, and packed with seasonal flavours. It’s extremely satisfying, but doesn’t leave you feeling gross like a traditional cheesy lasagna might. Don’t worry about missing the cheese though. The spinach and tofu ricotta + the pumpkin cashew cream = creamy, cheesy, goodness!

Making lasagna may seem like a daunting task. I certainly felt that way before I tried making it from scratch for the first time. Luckily, most of the ingredients in this autumn lasagna are simple things you likely already have in your pantry. Yes, there are quite a few steps, BUT it’s a fun challenge to assemble, and the final product is SO worth it!

Try making this on a cold autumn day when you have a little extra time on your hands (or possibly a lot of extra time during this period of social distancing). Or when you want to wow your friends and family with a nice meal. Or when you’re just craving some nourishing comfort food to warm you up. Actually…I can’t think of a bad time to make this lasagna.

P.s. hope everyone is staying healthy and safe at home during this period of craziness/uncertainty! Thinking of all of you going through difficult times, and sending hugs x

Vegan Autumn Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta & Pumpkin Cashew Cream

This lasagna is creamy, comforting, and packed with seasonal flavours. Perfect to make on cold autumn days when you have a little extra time on your hands, or as a nice meal to wow your friends and family. Tastes great hot out of the oven, and as leftovers heated up the next day.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 6 servings

Calories 548 kcal

Ingredients

Lasagna Layers

~6 oven-ready lasagna sheets
1 zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 kent/jap pumpkin (some of which will be used in pumpkin cashew cream below)

Spinach & Tofu Ricotta

1 450g block extra-firm tofu, crumbled
2 large handfuls spinach, chopped
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper

Tomato Sauce*

1 400g tin unsalted diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Pumpkin Cashew Cream

2 1/2 cups water
2 cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked in boiling water for at least 15 minutes, then drained
1 cup roasted pumpkin (see step 1 under method below)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

Prepare the Fillings

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Use a spoon to remove all of the seeds and stringy bits from the center of the pumpkin. Place pumpkin cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until soft through when poked with a fork. (Prepare the spinach & tofu ricotta (step 2), and the tomato sauce (step 3) while the pumpkin is roasting). Let cool. Once cooled, peel away the skin. Seperate 1 cup of the roasted pumpkin for the pumpkin cashew cream. Slice the remaining roasted pumpkin into 1 cm thick slices, and set aside.
To make the spinach & tofu ricotta, add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to combine all ingredients while mashing into small uniform crumbles. Set aside.
To make the tomato sauce, add all of the ingredients to a bowl and combine well. Set aside.
To make the pumpkin cashew cream, add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend for one minute, or until creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Assemble the Lasagna

To a deep 20x20cm (or slighly larger) baking dish, add half of the tomato sauce in an even layer.
Add a layer of lasagna sheets (I used 2) to completly cover the base of the dish. It is good if the two sheets have a bit of overlap, but if you feel there is too much overlap, feel free to break a sheet in half.
Next, add half of the spinach & tofu ricotta. Use a the back of a spoon or spatula to gently press it down into an even layer.
Spoon or pour 1/3 of the pumpkin cashew cream in an even layer on top of the spinach & tofu ricotta.
Add another layer of lasagna sheets going the oppostie direction of the previous layer.
Spoon or pour the remaining half of the tomato sauce in an even layer on top of the pasta.
Make the next layer using all of the thinly sliced zucchini, followed by all of the sliced pumpkin.
Top zucchini and pumpkin with the remaining half of the spinach & tofu ricotta. Gently press down.
Spoon or pour 1/3 of the pumpkin cashew cream in an even layer on top of the spinach & tofu ricotta.
Add one last layer of lasagna sheets going the opposite direction of the second layer.
Top with the remaining third of the pumpkin cashew cream. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to even out this top layer. Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven at 200C(400F) for 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the consistency of the top layer is to your liking. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

You could also use a small jar of your favourite store-bought marinara sauce to save time.
Keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Tastes wonderful heated up as leftovers.
Nutritional information is approximate.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Comment, share it with your friends, and don’t forget to snap a picture for Instagram and tag #plantifuleating so I can see your creations!

Other pumpkin recipes you’ll love: healthy pumpkin carrot muffins, vegan pumpkin pie, and turmeric sweet potato pumpkin soup!