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Lasagna with Lentil Ragu and Cauliflower Bechamel

Photo and recipe reprinted with permission from Vegan For Good by Rita Serano; Kyle Books.

Course Main Dishes
Servings 6 servings
Author Rita Serano

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces dried lasagna noodles of your choice spelt, whole-grain, gluten-free, etc.

For the lentil ragù:

  • 2 carrots grated
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 9 ounces mushrooms roughly chopped
  • 1 zucchini grated
  • 5 garlic cloves chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ground chile or more to taste
  • 3 cups tomato puree
  • 1 tablespoon mushroom powder
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional
  • 1 pound drained cooked lentils or from two 14-ounce cans
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 bunch of basil roughly chopped
  • 1 ¼ cups vegetable stock or water 
 plus more for cooking
  • salt

For the béchamel:

  • 14 ounces cauliflower florets
  • 1 ¾ cups cashews soaked and drained
  • ¾ cup vegetable stock or hot water
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Make the ragù. Heat a large nonstick skillet and add the carrots, onion, mushrooms, and zucchini. Water-fry them with 2 tablespoons of stock or water until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and chile and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomato puree, mushroom powder, maple syrup, lentils, oregano, basil, stock, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the cauliflower florets, and cook until they are soft and you can easily pierce one with a sharp knife. Drain the florets and transfer them to a blender. Add the cashews, stock, nutritional yeast, salt, and nutmeg. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
  4. When the ragù is ready, assemble the lasagna. Spread a little ragù over the bottom of a large (mine is 8 x 12 inches), high-sided baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, then a layer of ragù. Continue to layer the lasagna noodles and ragù until the baking dish is almost full and you have used up all the ragù. Top the lasagna with the béchamel and transfer the dish to the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.