Who doesn’t like a good lasagna? I haven’t made it in quite a while, and after weeks of my parents asking me to do so, I gladly gave in. I’m actually eating leftovers right now! This recipe could easily serve 8 people (of if you’re like me, this could easily be lunches and dinners for a week).

Lasagna with Spinach, takes about an hour and a half.

1-pound box of Lasagna noodles

2 bunches of Spinach (you can mix and match greens, like 1 bunch spinach, 1 bunch of swiss chard, etc)

Marinara Sauce (recipe below)

• 1 large yellow Onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 1 box Pomi chopped Tomatoes (45 oz box)
• 1 box Pomi strained Tomatoes (45 oz box)
• handful of Basil, chopped
• handful of Oregano
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• Salt, Pepper, Sugar, to taste

Tofu Ricotta: my own take on the Ricotta from Veganomicon (recipe below)

• 1-pound firm tofu
• 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
• handful of Basil, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Sun dried Tomatoes, chopped (optional) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 Package of Upton’s Italian style Seitan (optional)

Daiya Jack or Havarti style block cheeze (optional)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Start by making the Marinara Sauce and the Ricotta.

Marinara Sauce:

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until the union is transparent, then add the garlic and continue sautéing for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add both boxes of Pomi*, basil, oregano, bay leaves, rice vinegar, and spices, and cook over medium heat.

*Pomi is a boxed tomato brand found in my local grocery store. Any boxed/canned tomato will do. Just make sure you have about the same amount as the recipe calls for. Each box of Pomi is 45 oz.

Cook sauce until desired thickness. I usually cook it for 30-45 minutes.

Tofu Ricotta:

Mash up the tofu in a large bowl, using your hands, until the tofu is crumbly similar to a ricotta cheese texture. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing. Throw in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, have a 9x13 inch deep baking pan ready.

You can use the spinach (and other veggies) raw, if desired. I like to quickly cook my spinach before baking. To cook, clean your spinach and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the spinach in the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain the spinach from the water, and set aside for baking.

Cook your lasagna noodles according to the instructions on your package. Lasagna noodles usually cook in about 8 minutes.

Now comes the layering!

Ladle a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking pan and layer with about 5-6 noodles. Then layer on about half the ricotta mixture, a hefty layer of marinara, half the spinach, and as much seitan as desired*.

*My parents are meat eaters, so when I cook for them, I sometimes include seitan in their meals to give them a “meatiness” without using mock-meats. The seitan is completely optional and not super necessary.

Layer another 5-6 noodles, and repeat the same layer: half the ricotta, marinara, rest of the spinach, and seitan. Layer the rest of the noodles, and ladle on another thin layer of marinara sauce. Then to top it off, place slices of the Daiya cheeze* and maybe sprinkle with some nutritional yeast.

*Not necessary, but the little bite of Daiya on this lasagna is really super excellent.

Place two layers of aluminum foil on top of your baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Then, take out and remove the aluminum and bake for additional 20-25 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes before devouring!

AND! To make this recipe Gluten Free:

• Substitute regular noodles for gluten free noodles, such as a quinoa noodle.
• Leave out the Seitan
• That’s it!