Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Vegan Lasagna al Forno
Layers of silky pasta, slow-simmered lentil-tomato ragù and velvety cashew bechamel — the Sunday classic, made without a single animal.
Prep
30 min
Cook
75 min
Serves
8
Level
Medium
Flavor
Rich · herby · comforting
The Story
Why this dish — and how it became plant-based
Lasagna alla bolognese is one of those dishes where you assume the meat is doing all the work. It isn't. The actual flavor comes from the long, slow Maillard of soffritto — onion, carrot and celery — caramelising in olive oil for half an hour, then drinking up tomato and wine. Swap the meat for brown or green lentils and the dish doesn't lose a single decibel of savouriness.
The bechamel does require a small magic trick: blended cashews and oat milk, thickened over heat with a hint of nutmeg, produce a sauce indistinguishable from the dairy version. The two layers — ragù and bechamel — were always the soul of the dish. The cheese on top is, frankly, optional. Most Italian nonnas would call it American.
Ingredients
What you'll need
Lentil ragù
- •3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- •1 large onion, finely diced
- •2 carrots, finely diced
- •2 celery stalks, finely diced
- •4 garlic cloves, minced
- •250g (1¼ cups) brown or green lentils, rinsed
- •1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
- •2 tbsp tomato paste
- •1 cup dry red wine (or vegetable broth)
- •2 cups vegetable broth
- •2 bay leaves, fresh thyme, oregano
- •Salt, black pepper
Cashew bechamel
- •1½ cups raw cashews (soaked 4 hrs or boiled 15 min)
- •2½ cups oat or soy milk (unsweetened)
- •3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- •2 tbsp lemon juice
- •1 tsp fine salt
- •Generous pinch of nutmeg
To assemble
- •250–300g dried lasagna sheets (no-boil works)
- •Fresh basil leaves
- •Optional: vegan parmesan or breadcrumbs for the top
Method
Step by step
- 1
Heat olive oil over medium-low. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook patiently for 15–20 minutes until deeply soft and barely golden — this is the flavor base. Don't rush it.
- 2
Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and toast for 2 minutes until it darkens.
- 3
Pour in wine, scrape the pan, let it reduce by half. Add lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth, herbs and a generous pinch of salt.
- 4
Simmer uncovered 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and the ragù is thick. Taste and season aggressively — under-salted ragù makes flat lasagna.
- 5
Meanwhile, blend all bechamel ingredients on high until completely smooth (1–2 minutes). Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a coatable sauce (5–8 minutes).
- 6
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. In a deep baking dish, spread a thin layer of bechamel on the bottom. Layer: pasta sheets → ragù → bechamel → pasta → repeat. Finish with bechamel on top.
- 7
Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with breadcrumbs or vegan parmesan if using, and bake another 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- 8
Rest 15 minutes before slicing — this is non-negotiable. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
The Veganisation
Traditional → Plant-Based, swap by swap
Original
Ground beef ragù
Plant-based
Lentil ragù (same simmer)
Original
Dairy bechamel
Plant-based
Cashew + oat milk bechamel
Original
Parmesan
Plant-based
Nutritional yeast or vegan parm
Chef Notes
Get it right the first time
- →The soffritto is the dish. If you only have 10 minutes, halve the recipe; do not halve the soffritto time.
- →Lentils should be cooked to soft but not mushy. Brown or green hold shape better than red.
- →If you can't soak cashews, boil them for 15 minutes — blend works just as well.
- →Lasagna tastes better the next day. Make it a day ahead and reheat covered at 160°C / 320°F.
- →Don't skip the rest. Sliced too soon, the layers slide. Ten minutes is the bare minimum.
Serve with
Garlic-rubbed bruschetta · Bitter green salad with lemon · Chianti or Sangiovese
One Plate, Two Wins
Delicious tonight. Kind every night.
Every traditional dish has a plant-based soul waiting to be uncovered — you just have to listen to the spices, not the meat.
Hungry for more world flavors?
Explore another dish from our global vegan kitchen.