Name: Almost-Vegan Lasagna
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion , chopped fine; ½ green bell pepper , chopped fine; 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley; 1½ teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; ¼ cup dry red wine; 1 teaspoon vegetable broth base (optional); 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce; 1 ripe avocado , halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch pieces; ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; ½ cup panko bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ⅛ teaspoon table salt; 2 zucchini (10 to 12 ounces each), trimmed

Almost-Vegan Lasagna

By Antoinette Johnson

Published on January 9, 2023

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

“Meaty” Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped fine½ green bell pepper, chopped fine1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1½ teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon tomato paste ¼ cup dry red wine 1 teaspoon vegetable broth base (optional)1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce

Avocado “Ricotta”

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch pieces½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper

Bread Crumb Topping

½ cup panko bread crumbs 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ⅛ teaspoon table salt 2 zucchini (10 to 12 ounces each), trimmed

Before You Begin

Use a good-quality marinara sauce such as the test kitchen’s favorite, Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce. If you have vegetable broth base on hand (we like Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Flavored Broth Base and Seasoning), add a little to the tomato sauce. Slicing the zucchini 1/16 inch thick is important for the success of this dish; a mandoline makes easy work of this, but a vegetable peeler can also be used. Use coconut or almond milk yogurt to make this dish vegan.

Instructions

tomato sauce

FOR THE “MEATY” Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, pepper, and walnuts and cook until onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste; wine; and vegetable base, if using, and cook until wine is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in marinara; bring to simmer; and cook until flavors meld, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE AVOCADO “RICOTTA”: Pulse all ingredients in food processor until mixture is cohesive but not completely smooth, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

for the bread crumb topping

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Using mandoline, slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/16-inch-thick noodles. Cut noodles in half crosswise. Grease four shallow 6-ounce gratin dishes. Spread ¼ cup tomato sauce in bottom of each dish. Shingle 4 zucchini noodles on top of sauce on slight diagonal. Shingle 4 more zucchini noodles over first layer on slight diagonal in opposite direction. Spread 2 tablespoons “ricotta” over noodles. Repeat layering in each dish as follows: ¼ cup sauce, 8 noodles, 2 tablespoons ricotta, and ¼ cup sauce. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over each dish.

Place dishes on 2 rimmed baking sheets (2 dishes per sheet) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and heat broiler. Place one sheet on lower rack and broil until crumbs are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Repeat with second sheet. Serve.