Pasta in holidays? Well, pasta has always been a great idea, but we tend to worry about the carbs. Fortunately, we’ve got a recipe that will allow you to enjoy pasta without having the guilt. This Gluten-Free and Vegan Eggplant Lasagne Recipe is here to save the day!
Instead of the traditional, carbohydrate-laden lasagna noodle, we are going to use ribbons of zucchini and eggplant as the “lasagna noodle”. We are also making a rich yet all-natural marinara sauce to go along with these vegetable noodles. All in all, they make a totally gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan dish!
Here are some things to take note of as we create this dish. First and foremost, it’s very important to roast the zucchini and eggplant before assembling the lasagna because they gotta be cooked properly, and yet, there shouldn’t be a lot of liquid oozing out. Please take note that zucchini and eggplant are both very watery vegetables. When you roast them, it’s not only good for the integrity of the vegetable strips but their caramel flavor also intensifies.
Anyhow, we highly recommend Japanese eggplants because they’re close to the shape of zucchini. As you buy produce, it’s best to purchase similar sized Japanese eggplants and zucchini for uniformity and so that they cook at the same amount of time.
The richness of taste and nutrients make this holiday dish an absolute winner!
Gluten-Free and Vegan Eggplant Lasagne
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the Marinara Sauce:
- ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ piece yellow onion minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 pound fresh tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Lasagne:
- 5 medium zucchinis sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick
- 4 Japanese eggplants sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup vegan ricotta cheese see notes for recipe
- 1/4 cup grated vegan mozzarella cheese see notes
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Start making the marinara sauce. In a saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in EVOO over medium-high heat. Add in the tomatoes and water, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Set aside.
- Start making the lasagne. Toss zucchini and eggplant with EVOO and salt. Lay them on two baking sheets and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.
- Assemble the lasagne. Spread ¼ cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of an 8×8’’ baking dish. Lay some slices of eggplant until the bottom of the dish is covered. Then, pour in ¼ cup of marinara sauce and spread evenly. Finish the eggplant layer with dots of ricotta cheese. For the second layer, arrange the zucchini slices crosswise on top of the eggplant. Likewise, pour in ¼ cup of marinara sauce, spreading evenly, and finishing the zucchini layer with dots of ricotta cheese. Repeat the same process, alternating eggplant and zucchini layers, finishing up with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and become bubbly. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool down. Sprinkle with fresh basil, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- To make a vegan ricotta cheese, simply combine 10 ounces of drained firm tofu, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a food processor until smooth. This process only takes less than 5 minutes so it’s definitely worth making at home. Plus, you can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. However, although you can substitute lemon juice with lime juice and you could add some other herbs and spices, it’s important to remember to use only firm or extra firm tofu and not silken or soft tofu.
- To make a vegan mozzarella cheese, watch this video:
- Otherwise, feel free to use equal amounts of regular ricotta and mozzarella cheese. Happy eating!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Share with us your experience through the comments section down below.
