This vegan white lasagna has layers of sautéed mushrooms and spinach, as well as a creamy cashew béchamel sauce.
The star of a classic white lasagna is, undoubtedly, all that dairy. The ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and/or béchamel, and in some cases even heavy cream, are what make the dish so rich and delicious – and, let’s face it, heavy.
For those of us avoiding dairy – or who simply want a lighter option – this vegan white lasagna with cashew béchamel, spinach, and mushrooms is a dream come true.
This recipe does require a sizable time investment and the dirtying of multiple pots, but if you’re craving a creamy, indulgent, yet totally dairy-free lasagna, it’s 100% worth it.
The Recipe at a Glance
This impressive plant-based lasagna features layers of sautéed mushrooms and spinach, held together by creamy béchamel (i.e. white sauce) made from cashews. Instead of processed vegan cheese on top, it has a simple breadcrumb-parsley topping, which also adds a bit of crunch.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Cashews: The hero ingredient of this vegan lasagna is raw cashews. When soaked and blended with boiling water, the nuts turn into a creamy “milk”, which you then use to make the white sauce. I do not recommend substituting with store-bought cashew milk because it’s not nearly as creamy and contains a bunch of undesirable additives.
- Miso + Nutritional Yeast: Together, these umami powerhouse ingredients give the sauce a savory, salty, “cheesy” taste.
- Lasagna Noodles: For the best results, use traditional pasta that needs to be boiled. I’ve tested this recipe with no-boil lasagna sheets and it turns out dry.
- Mushrooms: I like classic cremini mushrooms here, but you can also try oyster, maitake, or chanterelles.
- Spinach: This recipe works best with mature (i.e. not “baby”) spinach.
- Breadcrumbs: A thin breadcrumb topping adds a delicious crunchy contrast to this lasagna. You can use Italian or panko.
How to Make Vegan White Lasagna
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Soak the Cashews
Combine cashews and boiling water in a blender, and set aside for 30 minutes. This will soften the nuts and allow them to blend into a smooth cream.
Step 2: Start the Vegetable Filling
In a large high-sided pan (or Dutch oven), sauté the onion and mushrooms until they’re soft, about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Wilt in the Spinach
Add chopped spinach to the skillet (it will look like a lot at first, but it’ll cook down to a fraction of its original size). Cover with a lid and cook until it’s wilted, about 5 minutes. Then uncover and continue cooking until most of the moisture in the skillet has evaporated, about 2 minutes more.
Step 4: Make the Sauce
Blend the soaking cashew mixture into “milk”. Then cook flour and oil together in a pot for a few minutes, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the milk, continuing to whisk often. Then bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Turn the heat off and add the sauce seasonings.
Step 5: Assemble the Lasagna
Boil the lasagna sheets until they’re just short of al dente. Then assemble the ingredients into layers in a 9×13” casserole dish.
Step 6: Bake the Lasagna
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. While the lasagna is in the oven, mix up the topping in a small bowl.
Step 7: Finish the Lasagna
Uncover the dish and sprinkle on the breadcrumb topping. Bake for another 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
Although this spinach-mushroom lasagna is certainly a complete meal on its own, if you’d like to add a side dish (like, say, for a dinner party!), check out this kale-beet salad, cast iron skillet asparagus, or lemony sautéed cauliflower.
FAQ’s
Yes! Use gluten-free lasagna sheets (I love Jovial brand) and swap the flour in the sauce for an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix, like Bob’s Red Mill.
This lasagna is best eaten fresh, preferably right away, or within a few hours of coming out of the oven. If you’d like to get a head start, make the sauce, and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also make the vegetable mixture and store it the same way. Alternatively, you can assemble the lasagna a few hours in advance and bake it right before serving.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes…
- Pasta with Beans and Greens
- Vegetable Lasagna with Cashew “Ricotta”
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Pasta
- Dried Porcini Mushroom Pasta
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
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Vegan White Lasagna
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan white lasagna does require a sizable time investment and the dirtying of multiple pots, but if you’re craving an impressive, creamy, yet totally dairy-free lasagna, it’s 100% worth it.
Ingredients
For the Cashew Béchamel Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons white miso (“shiro” miso)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane, crushed, or very finely minced
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
For the Filling and Assembly
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bunches fresh spinach (about 1 pound)
- 15 lasagna sheets*
- 3 tablespoons plain or panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place 1 cup cashews in a blender and add 3 cups boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a high-sided 12-inch skillet (if you don’t have one this big, use a Dutch oven) over medium heat and add the mushrooms, onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few turns of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and the onions translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Trim a few inches off the spinach stems. Roughly chop the leaves and add to the mushrooms. Cover with a lid and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Then uncover and continue cooking until the spinach is completely wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 2 minutes more. Turn the heat off and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the lasagna sheets.
- Make the sauce. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt to the blender, and purée until the cashew mixture turns into milk and the nuts are completely pulverized, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, whisking almost constantly, until the paste is pale blonde and smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly add the cashew milk and whisk until no lumps remain. Bring to a simmer while whisking frequently to prevent burning on the bottom. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, still whisking often, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and add 2 tablespoons each nutritional yeast and miso, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (if using), and lots of black pepper. (It’s okay if the sauce tastes too salty at this point because it will flavor the other ingredients.)
- Boil 15 lasagna sheets according to package directions until just shy of al dente, usually 8 minutes (it should still have a bite in the center). Drain and leave to cool in the colander.
- To assemble, spread a few tablespoons of white sauce across the bottom of a 9×13” dish. Place 3 lasagna sheets in the dish and scatter a quarter of the spinach mixture on top. Drizzle with a layer of sauce and top with another 3 lasagna sheets. Repeat the layers until you’ve completed 4 layers of spinach filling. Spread the last bit of sauce across the bare lasagna sheets on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and make for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the topping by combining 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon each of nutritional yeast, parsley, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and rub the mixture with your fingers to incorporate.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle on the topping. Continue baking uncovered until golden, about 15 minutes more.
- Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
I strongly advise using traditional lasagna sheets as opposed to oven-ready [no-boil] ones. I’ve tested this recipe with the latter and the lasagna turns out quite dry.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
- Calories: 420
- Sodium: 291 mg
- Fat: 17.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 52.1 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
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