[This post is sponsored by my Pittsburgh-based friends, DeLallo! We’re using their No-Boil Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles and their Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic in this Vegan Fall Lasagna recipe.]
Oh me oh my! It’s Thanksgiving Pasta Week!
I’ve talked about this a lot on the blog, but it’s worth saying again: I’m so not a fan of traditional Thanksgiving food.
It’s weird, you know? Being a food blogger and all. Like, Thanksgiving is our Super Bowl. And here I am, all “Meh” about gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
I know, I know. Don’t hate. I’m just being truthful over here.
That said, I’m totally into the flavors of fall. Especially when pasta is involved.
That’s why I’m so excited to share two vegan pasta recipes, full of festive flavors, packed with veg, and just as indulgent as you want Thanksgiving dishes to be.
And we’re starting with a doozy. Vegan Fall Lasagna! Never thought I’d actually write those words on this blog.
I always thought lasagna was so intimidating. Those layers! The flavors! It really is a sight to behold.
But. I think we nailed it. Nay. We totally nailed it. I mean look at this thing!! I’m such a proud lasagna mama.
I’m not gonna lie to you, this recipe is a bit…involved. It’s probably the most involved recipe on the blog. That said, Thanksgiving is the day you go all-out. You can do this. Here are the deets!
Pumpkin Lentil Sauce: Yay! Pumpkin, but savory. It’s creamy, it’s tasty, and it’s made in one pot. Cook your onion, garlic, broth, pumpkin, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, blend it in a blender, and you’re ready to go.
Garlic Thyme Mushrooms: Perhaps my favorite filling ingredient of the bunch! We’re starting with a ton of mushrooms here (24oz.!), but we’re cooking them down until they’re caramelized and water-free. Water is the enemy of veggie lasagna, and pre-cooking the dickens out of the mushrooms is the way to avoid any water issues!
DeLallo Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic: Yum. These peppers are amazing. Roasted red peppers but elevated with a bit of garlic flavor. Love them so much! We’re not cooking this filling ingredient, so just make sure to press out any extra liquid before chopping and adding to your lasagna.
Fooduzzi Vegan Ricotta (with Spinach): Ahhh! I’m so tickled that this recipe works in lasagna. It’s pretty much indistinguishable from regular ricotta in lasagna, so that’s why we’re doubling the recipe. It requires just a handful of ingredients, and it comes together in the blender. So good. And for color, we’re adding just a bit of blanched spinach. Again, drained really well.
Caramelized Onions: The best way to treat an onion. Guaranteed.
DeLallo No-Boil Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles: I mean…this is pretty incredible, right? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a whole wheat lasagna noodle before. Let alone one that requires no cooking ahead of time and one that’s organic! I love DeLallo for many many reasons, but these are at the tippy top of that list. They. Rock.
Fried Sage & Pumpkin Seed Crumble: You know how a coffee cake gets a crumble on top? This lasagna does too! But it’s savory and made of only two ingredients. I wanted to steer clear of any store-bought vegan cheese products for this recipe, and the top was looking a little…sad without that typical melty layer of cheese. The crumble solves that problem by giving us one more kick of fall flavor. So yum.
You can do this. If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly main for Thanksgiving, look no further. You’ve found it.
You can prep a lot of it ahead of time (more on that in the instructions), and you’ll be left with a delicious-smelling house, a crowd-pleasing meal, and a big ol’ smile on your face.
Be sure to cut yourself an extra big slice, k?
PrintVegan Fall Lasagna
A vegan fall lasagna full of festive flavors and layers of garlicky mushrooms, pumpkin sauce, caramelized onion, roasted red peppers, whole wheat noodles, and vegan ricotta!
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
RICOTTA
2 batches of my Vegan Cashew Ricotta (without the basil)
4 oz. spinach
ONIONS
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 and 1/2 sweet onions, sliced thin
salt + pepper
SAUCE
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 15-oz. cans pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
salt + pepper
1 cup green lentils, cooked
MUSHROOMS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
24 oz. baby bellas, sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt + pepper
PEPPERS
1 jar DeLallo Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic
NOODLES
1 box DeLallo No-Boil Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
TOPPING
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 container (.75oz) sage, leaves removed
3/4 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
salt
Instructions
- RICOTTA: Make your vegan ricotta first, once it’s made, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water standing by. Add your spinach and boil for 20 seconds, then remove the spinach with a slotted spoon and place it straight into your ice water.
- Once the blanched spinach is cool, remove it from the ice water and squeeze out any excess moisture. Add it to your vegan ricotta and set aside.
- ONIONS: Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Once hot, add your onions. Cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. You may need to add some water during the cook-time to make sure the onions aren’t burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once caramelized, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- SAUCE: Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add your onion and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add your broth, pumpkin puree, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg, and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
- Once boiling, carefully transfer your mixture to a blender and blend until smooth (cover the lid of your blender with a towel to protect your hand; alternatively, you can use an immersion blender). Season generously with salt and pepper, add your cooked lentils, and mix to combine. Set aside.
- MUSHROOMS: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add your sliced mushrooms and thyme sprigs (you’ll remove them later), and cook until all of the water is evaporated and the mushrooms start to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add your garlic when the mushrooms are almost done, and mix to combine. When all of the water has evaporated, then you can season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- PEPPERS: Remove the peppers from the jar, and squeeze out all excess water/liquid. Chop the peppers, and set aside.
- ASSEMBLE & BAKE: Now you’re ready to assemble! Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grab a 13×9-inch baking pan, and spread 2 cups of your sauce on the bottom. Now add a few dry noodles, breaking the noodles to make them fit if necessary. Add half of your onions, mushrooms, and peppers across the top. Dollop a third of your ricotta mixture on top of that.
- Then add another 2 cups of sauce evenly across the top. Layer on more noodles. Add the rest of your onions, mushrooms, and pepper, and then dollop on another third of your ricotta.
- Finally, top the mixture with the rest of your sauce, and then dollops of the ricotta. You won’t use all the lasagna noodles–that’s okay!
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly. I covered mine for half the time with aluminum foil to make sure the top didn’t get too crispy.
- TOPPING: While the lasagna is baking, make the topping. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add your sage leaves, and fry until dark green and crispy. About 30 seconds before you’re ready to remove your sage leaves, add your pumpkin seeds, and mix to combine.
- Remove the mixture from the skillet and allow to cool slightly. Chop fine and season with salt. Set aside.
- When the lasagna is done, sprinkle the topping evenly across the top. Cut and serve!
Notes
You can make the ricotta, onions, sauce (without the lentils), and mushrooms ahead of time. Just stick them in separate air-tight containers, and store them in the fridge. No need to heat them before assembling the lasagna.
If you dislike mushrooms, what would recommend as a vegan/vegetarian substitute?
You can totally skip them if you want! And sub them for some caramelized cauliflower? I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would be yummy!
I made this for dinner today, and it turned out great! Yes, there were quite a few steps involved, and lots of pots and pans going at the same time. But nothing advanced, so still an easy meal to put together, just a bit time consuming. The great flavors and comforting feel of lasagna made it more than worth it though!
Thanks for a great recipe
Yayyyy! So glad you enjoyed it! For sure is time consuming, but I just love the flavors together :)