Having experimented with vegan artichoke ricotta for the recipe for Carrot Artichoke Tortellini, I decided it might be worthwhile to whip up a summer lasagna that incorporated it, as well. As such, this is a recipe for vegan lasagna without tofu and without cashews.
Garden tomatoes, fresh basil, and a tasty, zesty pesto. The pesto’s secret ingredient, a jalapeño! It brings the perfect amount of heat to this light, delicious meal. Artichokes are whipped to perfection in a food processor with garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, and a touch of shredded vegan cheese (in my case, Daiya Mozzerella Shreds). Not only that, it’s incredibly easy to make!
For a variation, add some white beans to the spinach and artichoke layer of this basil pesto vegan lasagna recipe. And of course, if you want to make this gluten free, swap out the lasagna noodles for gluten free lasagna noodles.
Zesty Pesto and Artichoke Ricotta Lasagna
Zesty Pesto:
3 cups (OR a 4 ounce package) of fresh basil (stems and leaves)
½ cup flat leaf parsley (stems and leaves)
¼ cup raw pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
½-1 jalapeño (if you are sensitive to heat, remove the seeds)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup water
Salt
Black pepper
Artichoke Ricotta:
3 14.1 ounce cans of artichoke quarters in water, drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
½ cup shredded vegan cheese (I used Daiya Mozzerella Shreds)
Lasagna:
7-8 lasagna noodles (use a gluten free variety to make this recipe gluten free)
1 cup fresh spinach, packed
1 very large heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded vegan cheese
Flat leaf parsley, to top
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8″ X 11″ pan, and set aside. Add everything listed under “Zesty Pesto” to a food processor, and blend until 90% smooth. Taste, and make any adjustments, if needed (more salt? more lemon juice? more nutritional yeast?). Spoon into a mixing bowl and set aside. Rinse out the food processor.
2. Add everything listed under “Artichoke Ricotta” to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning (salt? nutritional yeast? more vegan cheese?). Set aside.
3. Add ½ cup zesty pesto and 1 Tbsp water to the bottom of the 8″ X 11″ pan. Spread it evenly across the bottom.
4. Layer 3-4 lasagna noodles over the pesto sauce and top with fresh spinach.
5. Spread artichoke ricotta over the spinach.
6. Layer 3-4 lasagna noodles over the artichoke ricotta.
7. Layer 1 cup zesty pesto over the lasagna noodles.
8. Layer with sliced heirloom tomatoes and cover with remaining zesty pesto. Top with shredded vegan cheese. Bake covered with aluminum foil at 350 F for 45 minutes. If you prefer a crisped top, remove the foil at 45 minutes, and BROIL on HIGH until it reaches your desired level of crispness. Keep an eye on it closely to make sure it does not burn. Remove from the oven and top with flat leaf parsley. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, and then, serve.
