Name: Zucchini Lasagna (Vegan!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Ingredients: 1 14 oz block of tofu; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp ground pepper; 4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise (about 4mm in width); 16 no-boil lasagna sheets; 32 oz marinara sauce; tofu ricotta mixture from above; (optional) fresh basil leaves for decoration.; A large rectangular casserole dish (I used this 13-by-9 baking dish); Cheesecloth (optional, I like this unbleached cheesecloth); A mandolin (optional, I use this handheld mandolin)

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Vegan Zucchini Lasagna – Light but comforting, this low-carb and low-fat dish can be made with just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes active time!

What is zucchini lasagna?

Zucchini lasagna is a low-carb alternative to conventional lasagna where some or all of the lasagna pasta are replaced with thinly sliced zucchini.

In this recipe, I still used sheets of no-boil lasagna, but the amount used is reduced because I alternate the sliced zucchini and the pasta. In addition, this lasagna is completely vegan! I used a block of extra firm tofu mixed with nutritional yeast to create a ricotta cheese like filling.

As a result, this dish is low-carb and low-fat, making it a lighter alternative to traditional lasagna.

You can make this recipe with just 5 main ingredients and 10 minutes of active time.

What do you need to make this vegan zucchini lasagna?

You only need these 5 main ingredients for this recipe!

Tofu
Nutritional yeast
Zucchini
No-boil lasagna sheets
Marinara sauce

You will also need the following equipment:

A large rectangular casserole dish (I used this 13-by-9 baking dish)
Cheesecloth (optional, I like this unbleached cheesecloth)
A mandolin (optional, I use this handheld mandolin)

How do you make this vegan zucchini lasagna?

Making this vegan zucchini lasagna is really straightforward, and you just need 10 minutes of active time!

How to make tofu "ricotta" filling

Place the tofu block inside a large bowl with a clean cheesecloth under it. Break up the tofu into smaller pieces using a fork.
Drain the water out of the tofu by wrapping it in the cheesecloth and wringing it. You don't need to get all of the moisture out but you should find at least ⅓ cup comes out.
Throw out the water from the tofu and place the dryer mashed tofu inside the bowl. Add the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
Mix the tofu ricotta mixture until the nutritional yeast is well incorporated and the texture is crumbly.

If you do not have cheesecloth, you can simply mash the tofu with the fork and then use your hands to squeeze out the moisture. However, you will end up with a tofu mixture with more water.

How to layer the zucchini lasagna:

Slice the zucchini lengthwise using a mandolin or a knife. They should be around 4mm in thickness.
Grab a large rectangular casserole pan and layer the zucchini at the bottom.
Add 4 sheets of no-boil lasagna on top of the zucchini.
Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on top of the no-boil lasagna sheets.
Top the marinara sauce with a thin layer of tofu mixture.
Repeat steps 2 to 5 twice more. At this point you should have three layers of each, with tofu being on top. Add a final layer of zucchini, lasagna and marinara sauce. Take the leftover marinara sauce and fill the gaps on the sides until your final product look like the above.
Bake uncovered at 350F for 40 minutes.

Tips and tricks...

Use a cheesecloth to squeeze the tofu. Using a cheesecloth will allow you to extract a lot of water from the tofu. Not properly straining the tofu will result in a soggy lasagna where the layers fall apart easier. Avoid this by extracting at least ⅓ cup of water from the tofu.
Use a mandolin. Using a mandolin will give you zucchini strips of uniform width, resulting in even layers!
Add mushroom. I've minced mushroom and mixed in with the tofu filling before to add more volume to this dish. However this is totally optional!
Add vegan cheese. I'm not a huge fan of vegan cheese alternatives, but if you would like to have them you can layer it on top of the final marinara layer.
Decorate with fresh basil leaves. After baking and portioning out the lasagna into desired number of slices, top them with a fresh basil leaf just before serving for decoration. Totally optional.

This vegan zucchini lasagna is:

Made with just 5 ingredients!
Only requires 10 minutes of active time.
Light but comforting.
Low-carb and low-fat.

Frequently asked questions:

Can I freeze it? You can freeze it but you might find that the zucchini layer can get more soggy when you reheat the frozen lasagna. I recommend that you cut the lasagna into small servings before freezing it in a freezer safe airtight container. It will keep for a month but I recommend just refrigerating and eating it for leftovers in the following day or two.
Can I make it gluten-free? I have used no-boil lasagna sheets made from semolina flour. However, you can find no-boil lasagna sheets made from brown rice flour! I have not used them myself but please let me know how it turned out if you make this recipe using gluten-free lasagna sheets!
How many servings is this? This recipe makes 12 small slices of lasagna, and 2-3 slices should be enough for a serving. So serving size would range from 4-6. Bear in mind that this dish is lighter than a traditional lasagna so you may end up eating more.

If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,