On the first day of the month, I send out a newsletter with both a “best of” and “what to watch for” feature. I promised a turmeric latte and a zucchini lasagna in February, and you guys, this month almost got away from me before getting the lasagna up. But I DID IT! It’s live before midnight, so the way I see it, it’s Adi: 1 / Procrastination: 0. Hashtag winning, right?

Anyway, this is another simple one to throw together, and though the ingredients list looks long and the directions even longer, the hands-on time is relatively minimal. You will need a mandolin (or surgeon-steady hands) for the zucchini ribbons, and I use a food processor for the ricotta, but you can just as easily use a fork and some elbow grease. The first time I made this, I assembled it with raw zucchini, but it’s a pretty watery vegetable that resulted in a sort-of watery lasagna. That was easily fixed by laying the ribbons in a single layer on two parchment-lined cookie sheets and roasting them at 375˚ for about ten minutes. Also, because you simmer the marinara for so long, you’ll have to add a bit of water to it, periodically, to end up with a pourable consistency. I usually end up adding around 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water over the course of the cooking time, but I’d recommend starting with 1/2 cup and working in 1/4 cup increments to avoid adding too much. This recipe makes a double-layer lasagna in an 8x8 inch baking dish and yields about six servings. It can easily be doubled for a larger crowd (or delicious leftovers), though! Just double the ingredients, use a 9x13 inch baking dish, and keep the cooking time the same. If you try it, let us know what you think!

vegan zucchini lasagna with tofu ricotta
serves 6

for the marinara
1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic (leave whole)
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
water, as needed

for the cashew parmesan
1/3 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 1/2 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt, generously measured

for the tofu ricotta
1 14 oz package firm tofu, pressed at least 15 minutes
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
3 Tbs cashew parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

for the lasagna
3 large or 4 medium zucchini
full batch marinara as written
full batch parmesan as written, divided
full batch ricotta as written

1) In a large skillet, bring all of the marinara ingredients to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water 1/4 cup at a time, as necessary, to keep the consistency pourable. After 20 minutes, smash the garlic into the sauce. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, and adding water, as necessary, for another 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
2) While the marinara is cooking, place all of the cashew parmesan ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it’s slightly more coarse than sand. It will look like the stuff in the green can we knew as parmesan back in the day. Scrape into a small bowl, and set aside.
3) Next, put all of the tofu ricotta ingredients in the food processor, and blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.

4) Preheat the oven to 375˚, and slice the zucchini long-ways, using a mandolin. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and place the zucchini ribbons in a single layer on the sheets. Bake at 375˚ for ten minutes.* Remove from oven and set aside.

5) Spread 1/3 cup of the finished marinara along the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish. Then place a single layer of the zucchini ribbons on top, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta on top of the zucchini layer, and with slightly damp fingertips, gently spread the ricotta on top of the zucchini ribbons. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Spread another 1/3 cup of marinara on top. Keep repeating until you use up the ingredients. The top two layers should be zucchini and then marinara.

6) Sprinkle the remaining cashew parmesan on top, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes at 375˚. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy!

notes: You can skip pre-baking the zucchini ribbons, but you’ll end up with excess moisture in your lasagna.

vegan zucchini lasagna with tofu ricotta
serves 6

for the marinara
1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic (leave whole)
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
water, as needed

for the cashew parmesan
1/3 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 1/2 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt, generously measured

for the tofu ricotta
1 14 oz package firm tofu, pressed at least 15 minutes
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
3 Tbs cashew parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

for the lasagna
3 large or 4 medium zucchini
full batch marinara as written
full batch parmesan as written, divided
full batch ricotta as written

1) In a large skillet, bring all of the marinara ingredients to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water 1/4 cup at a time, as necessary, to keep the consistency pourable. After 20 minutes, smash the garlic into the sauce. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, and adding water, as necessary, for another 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
2) While the marinara is cooking, place all of the cashew parmesan ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it’s slightly more coarse than sand. It will look like the stuff in the green can we knew as parmesan back in the day. Scrape into a small bowl, and set aside.
3) Next, put all of the tofu ricotta ingredients in the food processor, and blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
4) Preheat the oven to 375˚, and slice the zucchini long-ways, using a mandolin. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and place the zucchini ribbons in a single layer on the sheets. Bake at 375˚ for ten minutes.* Remove from oven and set aside.
5) Spread 1/3 cup of the finished marinara along the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish. Then place a single layer of the zucchini ribbons on top, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta on top of the zucchini layer, and with slightly damp fingertips, gently spread the ricotta on top of the zucchini ribbons. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Spread another 1/3 cup of marinara on top. Keep repeating until you use up the ingredients. The top two layers should be zucchini and then marinara.
6) Sprinkle the remaining cashew parmesan on top, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes at 375˚. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy!

notes: You can skip pre-baking the zucchini ribbons, but you’ll end up with excess moisture in your lasagna.