We’re at the beach and I wanted to make something everyone would like. My parents started eating the Beyond Meat burgers and really enjoy them, so we decided to make a lasagna from the Beyond Meat crumbles to make a faux Meaty Lasagna. Yum! The crumbles gave it the same texture as a meat sauce would have and I made my tofu ricotta as the cheesy ricotta like filling. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles to be a little bit healthier, but it does have a little chewier texture. I don’t cook the noodles ahead of time, so I use extra sauce because they cook in that. I added spinach for some extra nutrition and used tomatoes and basil on top as added flavor and decoration. We had a salad on the side and everyone really enjoyed it!

Vegan “Meaty” Lasagna

1 bag Beyond Meat crumbles

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Pepper

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 jars Rao’s Marinara Sauce

2 cups frozen spinach, defrosted

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil

Tofu Ricotta–

1 block firm tofu, drained and cubed

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Pulse in food processor until smooth.

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. In a large skillet, add the crumbles and sauté with the next 4 spices until they are brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.

3. Add 1 1/2 jars of marinara to the crumbles and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.

4. Make the tofu ricotta and then stir in the drained and defrosted spinach. I squeeze out the liquid in paper towels before adding. Stir to combine.

5. Spray a 9×13 baking dish and add the leftover 1/2 bottle of Rao’s to the bottom, then a layer of noodles, ricotta, meaty sauce, noodles, ricotta, noodles, and the rest of the meaty sauce.

6. Add sliced tomatoes and basil to the top then cover with foil.

7. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover for another 10 minutes.