Ingredients

*makes 8 servings

• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the tofu ricotta:

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 14 oz package silken tofu (the refrigerated kind, NOT the vacuumed sealed, shelf-stable variety. If you can’t find this, soft tofu should be fine.)
• 1 14 oz package firm tofu
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the cashew cream topping:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ cups water
• pinch of salt

For the spinach mixture:

• 16 oz frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• pinch of salt

For the tomato mixture:

• 28 oz can of whole or diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted tomatoes)
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ cup tomato paste (I used sundried tomato paste, but regular tomato paste should be fine)
• ½ cup fresh basil
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Boil a large pot of water and cook your lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain and rise with cold water.

To make the tofu ricotta:

1. In your food processor, chop the garlic. Then add the rest of the ricotta ingredients and pulse until all of the ingredients are well mixed.
2. Put the ricotta mixture in a bowl and set aside. Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

To make the cashew cream:

1. Drain the cashews. Mix the cashews with the other cashew cream ingredients in your blender until very smooth. This could take several minutes.
2. Set aside. Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

To make the spinach mixture:

1. Thaw the frozen spinach on your counter or in the microwave. Using a clean dish towel, squeeze as much of the moisture as you can out of the spinach. Place into a mixing bowl.
2. In a pan over medium heat, sauté the onions in olive oil until golden brown, for about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute more. Then add the onions to the bowl with the spinach. Add salt.

To make the tomato mixture:

1. In your food processor, chop all of the tomato mixture ingredients together until they form a chunky sauce. Do not over process; you want the sauce to have chunks of tomato in it.

To make the red and green purées for the marble topping:

1. Before assembling the lasagna, take 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture and ¼ cup of the cashew cream and ¼ cup of fresh basil leaves, and blend them together in the blender until very smooth.
2. Put this mixture in a pastry bag, or in a plastic freezer bag. If using a freezer bag, cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. You will be piping this mixture in stripes over the lasagna to make the red and green marbled pattern.
3. Rinse out your blender. Take 1/3 cup of the tomato mixture and blend it in the blender with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very smooth.
4. Put this mixture in a pastry bag, or in a plastic freezer bag (with a small hole cut in the corner of the bag). Set aside to use for making the marbling pattern on top of the lasagna.

To assemble the lasagna:

1. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, put a layer of tofu ricotta across the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Cut the noodles if necessary to get them to fit evenly in the pan.
2. Next, you’ll make a spinach layer. Add another ricotta layer on top of the noodles. Then, top the ricotta with half the spinach mixture, spreading the spinach evenly over the pan with the back of a spoon or spatula. Add another layer of noodles.
3. Now for the tomato layer. Add a layer of ricotta on top of the noodles, then top with half the tomato mixture, spreading evenly over the noodles. Add another later of noodles.
4. Repeat the spinach layer step and the tomato later step, ending with a layer of noodles.
5. Now for the cashew cream marbled topping. Evenly spread the cashew cream over the final layer of noodles. Using your pastry bag or plastic bag, take the spinach purée and pipe 3 vertical stripes evenly across the top of the lasagna. Then, using the tomato puree, pipe 2 vertical stripes in between the green stripes. You should have five stripes, alternating red-green-red-green. Take a chopstick or skewer and drag it along the top of the lasagna, horizontally, from left to right. Move down the lasagna an inch or so, and drag the chopstick along the lasagna horizontally, but this time from right to left. Continue to repeat this pattern until you get to the bottom of your lasagna. At the end, you’ll have a pretty marbled pattern on top of your lasagna. If you don’t, don’t worry. You’re lasagna will still be delicious.
6. Bake, covered (but be careful not to smoosh aluminum foil into your pretty marbled lasagna!) for 40-45 minutes at 350 F. Then uncover and bake for 3-5 more minutes.
7. Remove from the oven. Take pictures. Serve.