What makes this vegan lasagna the best? How about layers of roasted veggies, zesty marinara sauce and creamy dairy-free basil ricotta! You won't miss the dairy in this hearty veganized version of an Italian classic.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions.
Drain the noodles into a colander, return them to the pot, and toss them with a few dashes of olive oil to prevent sticking.
While the noodles boil, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini on the baking sheet.
Drizzle the mushrooms with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and drizzle the zucchini and pepper each with 1 teaspoon. Gently use your hands to rub the oil into the veggies, distributing it evenly, then sprinkle the veggies with salt and pepper.
Roast the veggies until tender and browned in spots, for about 25 minutes. Leave the oven on when you remove the veggies.
While the veggies roast, place the cashews, milk, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.
Blend the ingredients to a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the tofu, basil, lemon juice and salt to the food processor bowl.
Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped and the mixture has a chunky, ricotta cheese-like consistency.
Taste-test and adjust the amount of salt and/or lemon juice if you like.
Check to make sure the oven is still heated to 400°F.
Ladle about 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Arrange 3 or 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, to cover the bottom.
Spread half of the ricotta over the noodles.
Distribute half of the veggies over the ricotta.
Repeat the layers of sauce, noodles, ricotta, and veggies one time.
Top the veggies with another layer of sauce, followed by another layer of noodles, and then a final layer of sauce.
Cover the lasagna and bake it for 30 minutes, until the sauce is very bubbly.
Uncover the lasagna and bake it for 10 minutes more.
Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice and serve.