This vegetarian lasagna is a lighter, heathier take on lasagna. Its loaded with layers of wholesome, nutritious foods like spinach, pumpkin and tofu “ricotta”. And if you thought it couldn’t get any healthier, in between each layer is a creamy “bechamel” sauce made with cauliflower to boost the nutrition even more!
When you eat this lasagna, you’ll be surprised at how tasty healthy can be. When I conceptualized this dish, I thought it would taste good for something healthy. But I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this dish just as much as a regular lasagna. The flavours of the sweet pumpkin, spinach, tofu “ricotta” and cauliflower “bechamel” go very well together. The best part is, its much lighter than a regular lasagna so you won’t feel heavy or fall into a food coma immediately after!
There’s so many good-for-you ingredients in this vegetarian lasagna recipe its hard to know where to start waxing poetic. So perhaps, I do it layer by layer.
The first layer is pumpkin . If you have time, you can roast fresh pumpkin with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. The roasting intensifies the flavours of the pumpkin. If you’re short on time, canned pumpkin is a good choice.
Health benefits of pumpkin
- Packed with immunity boosting vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin E.
- Contains iron and folate which may help strengthen immunity.
- High in antioxidants which may help reduce the chance of chronic diseases.
- Source of vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin which is essential for eye health.
The second layer is tofu “ricotta”. Tofu is a great substitution for ricotta because of its colour and texture when you mash it. I like to flavour my tofu with some nutritional yeast and parmesan to give it a cheesy taste. Overall, you’re still using less cheese and you’re getting the health benefits of tofu.
Health benefits of tofu
- Excellent source of protein to help maintain muscle mass and promote muscle growth if you’re doing strength training.
- Good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc.
- Contains isoflavones that may help in preventing some cancers, heart disease and osteoporosis.
The third layer is spinach. Gotta fit in a daily dose of superfood greens in this lasagna! It also adds a nice contrast in colour to have a layer of green superpower.
Health benefits of spinach
- Contains calcium, manganese, and vitamin K, which are important for healthy bones.
- High in iron to help prevent anemia.
- High in vitamin E and magnesium to boost the immune system.
The next component is the cauliflower “béchamel” which is the sauce that’s throughout all the layers of the pasta. Béchamel is a silky creamy sauce typically made with flour, butter and milk. This healthier version is made with cauliflower, garlic, milk and just a touch of butter. Its surprisingly very delicious and creamy. You won’t taste cauliflower and you won’t miss the traditional béchamel!
Health benefits of cauliflowers
- Low in carbohydrates and calories.
- Rich in nutrients, including dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and folate.
- Promotes digestive and cardiac health.
For more healthy pasta recipes, check out:
- Lasagna with Tofu and Spinach
- Pesto pasta with hidden tofu
- Healthy mac and cheese with hidden parsnips
- Tuna noodle casserole with hidden cauliflower
- Healthy mac and cheese with zucchini and cauliflower
- Penne ala vodka with hidden tofu
Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach, Pumpkin and Tofu “Ricotta”
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the cauliflower “béchamel”
- 1 cup cauliflower chopped and steamed
- 3 cloves garlic leave whole and steam with cauliflower
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
For the tofu “ricotta”
- 1 pack 340g of firm tofu
- 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch of pepper
For the rest of the lasagna
- 200 grams frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 1 cup pumpkin roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper then mashed or canned pumpkin for convenience
- 250 grams lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup cheddar
- 1/2 cup parmesan
Instructions
For the cauliflower “béchamel”
- Chop cauliflower. Steam with garlic until soft.
- In a high-powered blender, blend steamed cauliflower, garlic, milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg until smooth.
For the tofu “ricotta”
- In a medium sized bowl, add tofu, nutritional yeast, parmesan, salt and pepper. Mash the tofu with a fork while mixing in the other ingredients.
For the rest of the lasagna layers
- Squeeze the thawed spinach to remove excess moisture.
- For the pumpkin layer, you can roast and mash fresh pumpkin. Or use canned pumpkin for convenience. Mix with a pinch of salt and pepper.
To assemble the layers
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- In an 8" x 8" baking pan, spread 1 cup of cauliflower "béchamel" on the bottom.
- Layer uncooked lasagna sheets on top. I prefer to not precook the sheets to save a step and a pot in the kitchen. Instead, I make sure there is extra sauce because the uncooked noodles will need it to rehydrate while cooking.
- Then layer cauliflower "béchamel", pumpkin, lasagna sheets, cauliflower béchamel, tofu "ricotta", lasagna sheets, cauliflower béchamel, spinach, lasagna sheets and cauliflower "béchamel".
- Mix cheddar and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of lasagna.
- Cover in foil and bake in the oven for 35 mins. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15mins to allow the cheese to brown. Enjoy!
