Healthy Vegetarian Tofu Lasagna
Healthy Vegetarian Tofu Lasagna
Lasagna can be a lot of work. I should know. I love pasta, so I've made my fair share of different kinds of lasagna. But while it can be a lot of work, it is definitely worth the effort. This is a recipe for my newest attempt at lasagna, and replaces ground beef with crumbled tofu. Since the tofu is cooked with garlic, onions, vegetables, pasta sauce, and a whole lot of spices, and then baked in the lasagna, it has plenty of time to soak up all kinds of delicious flavors.
By replacing the meat with tofu, and using low fat cheeses and whole wheat noodles, this healthy recipe becomes even more nutritious without sacrificing the flavor. And it's cheap! I can get a block of tofu for less than a quarter the price of the same amount of ground beef. Pack the whole recipe with veggies, some eggplant, mushroom, and you've got yourself a dish jam packed with nutrients and only a fraction of the fat of a regular lasagna.
Replacing regular cheese with low fat will help lower the fat content as well, and because of all the vegetables and spices, you won't even notice the difference!
So, without further ado, here is my healthy and delicious tofu and vegetable lasagna recipe! Enjoy!
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 420g block (1 package) firm tofu, crumbled
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 eggplant, sliced
- 1 cup fresh spinach, torn
- 1 can pasta sauce
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 300g (1 small tub) ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 12 lasagna noodles, (oven ready)
- 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, etc), grated
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Add onion and garlic to oiled pan on medium-low heat. Cook until translucent.
- Add crumbled tofu, salt, pepper. Cook for a few minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add chopped red pepper, carrot, and mushroom. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add pasta sauce. Cook for five minutes, until flavours begin to blend and sauce is simmering. Add torn spinach, stir and cook until wilted.
- In a separate mix two beaten eggs with ricotta cheese until well blended. Set aside.
- Oil the inside of a 13 x 9 inch pan. Layer eggplant slices, making sure to overlap the edges to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Add a thin layer of the tofu sauce, followed by four noodles. Layer four more noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Add four more noodles, 1/3 of sauce, and remainder of the ricotta mixture.
- Top with last four noodles, remaining sauce, followed by grated cheese and Parmesan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool for ten minutes before serving.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Would you suggest making any changes? Let us know in the comments!