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    Home > Vegan Entrees

    Vegan Spinach Lasagna (Tofu Ricotta)

    By Emese Maczko on 04/25/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    This easy vegan spinach lasagna recipe features a savory marinara sauce and a rich spinach tofu ricotta filling. It will surely satisfy you and leave you feeling full and content. So why wait? Layer it up, bake it to perfection, and enjoy this delicious meal today!

    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.

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    If you love casserole-type dishes, check out our vegan shepherd’s pie recipe, our vegan eggplant parmesan recipe, or our vegan moussaka recipe. If you are looking for more spinach recipes, browse through our vegan spinach recipes gallery.

    Jump to:
    • What to expect?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storing tips
    • FAQs
    • More vegan spinach recipes
    • More vegan casserole recipes
    • Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta

    What to expect?

    Lasagna or “lasagne” is a popular casserole-type Italian pasta dish where there are 3 alternating layers baked with melted cheese on top. The traditional recipe consists of ground beef cooked in a bolognese ragú sauce, Béchamel sauce, and dry or fresh lasagna pasta sheets.

    Spinach lasagna is actually a vegetarian version of the classic, where ground beef is substituted with a spinach ricotta filling. It is meatless by default, but contains dairy.

    If you make our vegan spinach lasagna recipe, you’ll get a crumbly juicy vegan ricotta mixed with fresh spinach leaves baked in between a hearty marinara sauce and lasagna noodles.

    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.
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    Ingredients

    Spinach lasagna is already a vegetarian recipe so we are one step closer to making it vegan. We have a classic vegan lentil lasagna recipe, from which we pulled some inspiration. So what do we need to make this yummy vegan spinach lasagna in the below photo beside the pasta sheets?

    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.

    Marinara sauce

    We made our vegan marinara sauce recipe and cooked it without adding any vegan ground beef alternative. The difference between Pomodoro sauce and marinara sauce is that the latter is chunky, while the other one is smooth.

    • Olive oil
    • Red onion → You can use purple onion, but red onion looks better in this sauce
    • Garlic
    • Basil → You can use fresh basil leaves or dried ground basil.
    • Oregano → Same goes here. You either have fresh leaves or use dried ground oregano instead.
    • Canned chopped tomatoes → We used this one since ripe, sweet tomatoes are not always available in the produce section.
    • Sieved tomato puree → You can probably find several types of tomato sauces in the stores. We recommend choosing sieved tomato puree, which is thicker and unseasoned.

    Spinach tofu ricotta

    We kind of combined our 5-ingredient vegan cashew alfredo sauce with crumbled tofu, so the vegan ricotta, in the end, is juicy and not dry. If you need a nut-free version, make our vegan Bechamel sauce recipe instead.

    • Firm tofu
    • Spinach leaves → If you use frozen leaves, make sure to thaw them and squeeze the water before adding it to the lasagna.
    • Soaked cashews
    • Dairy-free milk → We usually use homemade cashew milk, but use any unsweetened plant-based milk.
    • Garlic
    • Nutritional yeast → This brings a cheezy, Parmesan cheese-like flavor.
    • Nutmeg → If I have to pick one spice to elevate the flavor of spinach, I would choose nutmeg. You should try it, it fits perfectly just like in our spinach soup recipe.

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    Making marinara sauce

    1. Heat a frying pan or a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, chopped onion, and garlic and sauté them for 2-3 minutes until the onion turns tender and opaque.
    2. When the onion and the garlic are cooked, add canned chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
    White frying pan with chopped onion, garlic, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes and dried herbs.
    1. On low-medium heat, bring the sauce to a boil so that the herbs and spices are activated. In the end, you will have a sauce just like the one in the below photo.
    A chunky red sauce in a white frying pan.

    Pressing tofu

    Use firm tofu and press it. I used my trusted TofuBud*, but you can choose any DIY method or tofu press. For more information, tips, and steps, read my complete guide on how to press tofu and my honest review of TofuBud.

    Making spinach tofu ricotta

    1. To make the cashew white sauce, boil water in a kettle and soak cashews in hot water for 5-10 minutes. You can boil water on the stove and cook the cashews for 5 minutes. When the time is up, drain it. 
    2. Add all ingredients: soaked cashews, one clove of garlic in whole, dairy-free milk, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper to your blender or food processor. Blend them until creamy.
    1. After pressing the tofu, take a large mixing bowl and crumble it with your fingers.
    A hand is crumbling a block of tofu into a glass mixing bowl.
    1. Add the cashew white sauce. Stir and mix well.
    Crumbled tofu in a glass mixing bowl covered with a thick light brown sauce.
    1. Wash the fresh spinach leaves and chop them in a food processor. Add it to your mixing bowl.
    Crumbled tofu in a glass mixing bowl covered with finely chopped spinach leaves.

    Baking vegan spinach lasagna

    This recipe yields 4 servings. We used a 9×7×2-inch large oven-safe dish. We made 3 layers of noodles, 4 layers of marinara sauce, and 3 layers of spinach tofu ricotta filling.

    1. Start with a thin layer of red sauce.
    2. The next layer should be the lasagna pasta noodles.
    3. Then marinara sauce again.
    4. Next up is the vegan spinach ricotta mixture.
    5. Then pasta again, marinara next, and spinach ricotta again, and so on.
    6. The last layer should be marinara sauce. You can sprinkle it with grated vegan mozzarella, vegan Parmesan, or nutritional yeast. 
    7. Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit (ca. 204 °C) and bake your vegan spinach lasagna for 30 minutes. 
    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.

    Variations

    • Make it nut-free: Use our vegan Bechamel sauce recipe instead of the white cashew sauce.
    • Skip lasagna noodles: Think of zucchini or eggplant instead of pasta or our vegan cabbage lasagna.
    • Add other veggies: What goes well with spinach and ricotta? Mushroom, artichoke, or roasted red peppers all sound like lovely choices.
    • Add pesto: Take your vegan spinach lasagna to the next level by adding a swirl of vegan spinach pesto or vegan sun-dried tomato pesto on top of each pasta layer. You will thank us for this tip.
    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.

    Equipment

    • Tofu press – We use our trusted TofuBud*, but you can choose any DIY method or tofu press. Read our guide to pressing tofu for more information, tips, and steps.
    • Oven-safe glass baking dish – I especially like glass or ceramic dishes to bake lasagna.

    Storing tips

    All casseroles are great for batch cooking, and this vegan spinach lasagna is no exception. You can easily store it in the fridge for 3-4 days without any problem.

    Store any leftovers per serving (in an airtight container) in a freezer and thaw whenever you need it. 

    Reheat it in a microwave, or if you made it ahead of time, pop the whole lasagna back in the oven for 5-10 minutes on lower heat.

    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.

    FAQs

    Can you use frozen spinach to make lasagna?

    Let frozen spinach thaw before adding them to your filling. It is important to squeeze any excess water out of it. Otherwise, it will thin your filling significantly. Usually, a bag of frozen spinach of 10 oz (0.38 kg) equals to 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fresh leaves. In this recipe, we used 4 oz (0.15 kg) fresh spinach leaves so that you can substitute it with 2 oz (75.6 g) frozen spinach.

    Do you need to precook pasta for lasagna?

    We used dry lasagna pasta sheets to make this spinach lasagna, and they softened during baking. There was no need to do any initial prep step.

    More vegan spinach recipes

    You can browse through our vegan spinach recipes or check out these.

    • White bowl with fettuccine pasta covered in green sauces sprinkled with yellow flakes and a pair of basil leaves. A fork is next to the bowl.
      Creamy Spinach Pasta Sauce
    • White bowl with tortiglioni pasta covered in green pesto topped with cherry tomato halves and sprinkled with yellow flakes.
      Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta
    • Small white bowl with a chunky green paste and a fresh basil leaf on the side.
      Vegan Spinach Pesto (Nut-free)
    • A bowl of green soup sprinkled with vegetable crisps and white swirls.
      The Easiest Cream of Spinach Soup (Vegan)
    • One portion of green red lasagna with cabbage leaves served on a white plate.
      Vegan Cabbage Lasagna

    More vegan casserole recipes

    You can browse through our vegan entrees or check out

    • Red sauce topped with stacks of thick white paste sprinkled with freshly chopped green herbs.
      Lighter Vegan Eggplant Parmesan (No breadcrumbs!)
    • The corner of a glass dish with a serving spoon. The dish is full of yellow-red-brown food topped with chopped parsley.
      Meaty Vegan Moussaka
    • 4 white ceramic pots with shepherd's pie from above but only the lovely yellow mashed potato topping is visible.
      Vegan Shepherd’s Pie (No Lentils!)
    • Cast iron skillet with veggie stew topped with puff pastry in a lattice pattern.
      Vegan Pot Pie
    • A white casserole dish from above showing orange mash topped with grated crumbles and thyme twigs. A serving spoon is dipped within.
      Savory Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

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    A white plate with a slice of lasagna where you can see the layers of red sauce, pasta sheets and a white ricotto and chopped spinach leaves.

    Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta

    Emese Maczko
    This easy vegan spinach lasagna recipe features a savory marinara sauce and a rich spinach tofu ricotta filling. It will surely satisfy you and leave you feeling full and content. So why wait? Layer it up, bake it to perfection, and enjoy this delicious meal today!
    4.8 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Baking 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 530kcal

    Equipment

    • Immersion hand blender with 20 fl oz container
    • our Vitamix A2300
    • Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)
    • Oven-safe glass baking dish (8-inch / 20 cm)
    • TofuBud (pressing tofu in 15 minutes)

    Ingredients
     
     

    Marinara sauce

    • 1 Onion (medium)
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 14 oz Chopped tomatoes 1 can
    • 5 oz Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce
    • 1 tsp Sweet paprika powder
    • 2 tsp Oregano
    • 2 tsp Basil
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    Vegan white sauce

    • ½ cup Cashew
    • ½ cup Dairy-free milk (homemade cashew milk)
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
    • ½ tsp Nutmeg optional
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    Spinach tofu ricotta filling

    • 1 Vegan white sauce from above
    • 4 oz Fresh spinach leaves
    • 10 oz Firm tofu

    Other ingredients for the layers

    • 6 Lasagna pasta sheets
    • 7 oz Dairy-free cheese or vegan parmesan or more nutritional yeast
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    Instructions
     

    Making marinara sauce

    • Peel and chop the onion and cook it lightly in olive oil until it turns glossy. Add peeled and chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. 
    • Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning (sweet paprika powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper) and cook for 5 minutes.

    Making vegan white sauce

    • Use a regular blender, a hand blender, or a food processor, whichever gives you a creamier result. 
    • Add the soaked cashews, garlic clove, dairy-free milk, and seasoning (nutmeg, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper) and blend them until creamy.

    Making spinach tofu ricotta filling

    • Use firm tofu and press it. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
    • Take a large mixing bowl and crumble tofu with your fingers.
    • Add cashew white sauce. Stir and mix well.
    • Wash the fresh spinach leaves and chop them in a food processor. Add it to your mixing bowl.

    Baking vegan spinach lasagna

    • Start with a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom.
    • After that, the layers should look like pasta sheets, marinara sauce, and spinach ricotta filling. We needed the above combination 3 times to fill a 9×7×2-inch (23×18×5 cm) oven-safe dish.
    • The last layer should be marinara sauce, which you can sprinkle with vegan grated cheese, vegan Parmesan, or more nutritional yeast.
    • Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit (ca. 204 °C) and bake your lasagna for 30 minutes.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    Can you use frozen spinach?

    Absolutely. Let frozen spinach thaw before adding them to your filling. It is important to squeeze any excess water out of it otherwise it will thin your filling significantly. Usually on bag of frozen spinach is 10 oz (280g), which is equal to 1 pound (450g) of fresh leaves. In this recipe we used 4 oz (120g) fresh spinach leaves, so you can substitute it with 2.5 oz (75g) frozen spinach.

    Video

    [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”bKIOhYu5″ upload-date=”2021-06-03T08:10:41.000Z” name=”Vegan Spinach Lasagna” description=”It is a super easy spinach lasagna recipe with a hearty marinara sauce and a spinach ricotta filling. Layer them up, ready, set, and bake! You won’t miss any vegan ground beef substitutes here. This veggie lasagna recipe will be just as delicious and hearty as any meaty vegan lasagna would be.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”true”]

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 530 Calories from Fat 207
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 23g35%
    Saturated Fat 5g31%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
    Monounsaturated Fat 5g
    Sodium 868mg38%
    Potassium 722mg21%
    Carbohydrates 66g22%
    Fiber 7g29%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 18g36%
    Vitamin A 3311IU66%
    Vitamin C 25mg30%
    Calcium 263mg26%
    Iron 6mg33%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in June 2021. More tips, info, and details have been added and republished in April 2023.

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    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

    More about us →

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