By Nikita 44 Comments
360 Shares
When we first discovered this recipe, we made it two days in a row; the first day for ourselves, and the second so we could bring it to Dan’s parentsand share with them how amazing it was.It is a little too labor intensive to be a regular option on our menu at home, but it has become the standard dish we make and bring to family holidays. We’ve made it every Thanksgiving for our family gathering, and have even made a double-batch for ourselves on two Christmas days in a row spent home, just the two of us.
All of this is an indication of just how much we love this recipe, and how perfect it is for the holidays!
This recipe comes from Rip Esselstyn, Caldwell Esselstyn’s son, both of whom are amazing in the low-fat, plant-based food world. I’ll dive into more detail about them both at some point, but Rip Esselstyn was a firefighter and he got his whole squad to switch to a whole foods, plant-based, low-fat diet. The results were awesome and from that experience, along with his food background with his father, he developed the Engine 2 diet. There are a bunch of good recipes on the Plant Strong by Engine 2 website, so I recommend you take a look if you’re interested.
We’ve made quite a few alterations over the years:
- Removing the tofu – This gets rid of excess moisture and eliminates a kind of difficult step in the process (especially if you’re trying make this recipe zero waste – I suffered through towels covered in tofu attempting to make it by the original recipe directions to avoid paper towels)
- Eliminating the corn – I found the corn doesn’t add much to the recipe and again, removed moisture that can cause a soggy bottom
- Adding more spices to the vegetable mixture – I use what we call the “crack spice mix” (because it’s just that good) which takes the flavor in the recipe to the next level!
- Enhancing the topping – the original recipe just calls for blended raw cashews; I’ve added a spice mix to the topping, as well as another trick (detailed in the recipe) that makes them easier to blend into a crumble and adds even more flavor
It’s pretty amazing how good this lasagna comes out. It has a ton of vegetables in it, and sweet potato might seem like an odd base, but it replaces the ricotta texture you’d typically find in a lasagna recipe, and the vegetables, sweet potato and spice come together to create a fabulously unique and delicious flavor.
This recipe is:
- Filling
- Flavorful
- Balanced
- Packed full of veggies
- Perfect for special occasions
I really hope you try this one out and love it as much as we do; of all the recipes I’ve shared before (perhaps my banana bread aside) it’s been the most life-changing for us.
If you try out this recipe, please share it with me by commenting or tagging me in a photo on Instagram @plantsnotplastic. Enjoy!
Amazing Sweet Potato Lasagna
Plants Not Plastic
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 slices
Calories 168.7 kcal
Equipment
9x13 casserole dish
second casserole dish or aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled, chopped, boiled & mashed (1)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head broccoli diced stem, bite-size piece crown
- 2 medium carrots sliced/diced
- 2 medium red bell peppers diced
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms cubed/diced/sliced (2)
- 16 ounces spinach whole leaves (3)
- 30 oz tomato sauce canned or homemade
- 1-2 boxes lasagna noodles sub rice noodles for gluten free
- 6 medium Roma tomatoes finely sliced
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
Topping
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tbsp oat flour (4)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Boil sweet potato for 12 minutes or until soft, then drain and mash
Saute onion, garlic, carrots & broccoli stems in a large pan for 5-7 minutes, or until they've just begun to caramelize (5)
Add bell pepper, broccoli crowns & mushrooms and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until water has just cooked off
Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl
Add all spices and mix thoroughly
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with a layer of sauce
Add a layer of noodles and cover them with another layer of sauce
Add the vegetable and spices mixture and spread evenly
Cover with another layer of noodles and then another layer of sauce
Add the sweet potato and spread evenly, then cover with spinach and another layer of sauce
Add a final layer of noodles and cover with sauce
Cover the top of the lasagna with an even layer of sliced tomatoes
Cover the lasagna (6) and bake for 45 minutes
Make your topping while lasagna is baking by combining all ingredients in a blender and pulsing/blending into a fine powder
Remove the cover, sprinkle the topping evenly over the lasagna and cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes
Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving
Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- White or orange sweet potatoes will work fine in this recipe.
- Pop the stems out of your mushrooms, then cut the heads in halves or thirds and sliced to cube.
- The original recipe calls for 16oz (it cooks down quite a bit when cooked) but this is a lot of spinach so I always just do an unmeasured but generous layer.
- You can make oat flour yourself by blending rolled oats in your blender.
- Use the layer saute method for cooking your vegetables - the water naturally in your next round of vegetables will deglaze the pan for you, without oil, vegetable broth, or additional water.
- Use a second casserole dish for a zero waste cover instead of aluminum foil.
360 Shares
Previous Post: « Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Next Post: Vegan Stuffed Bell Pepper with Mexican Rice »
Reader Interactions
Comments
Charlotte saysBy tomato sauce do you mean a spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce from a can?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
I use canned tomato sauce for this recipe 🙂
Reply
- Lisa says
Any substitute for the cashews in the topping?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Walnuts or hemp seed hearts will work great! If you use walnuts, put the topping on 10 minutes before rather than 15 so they don’t overcook.
Reply
- Nichole says
We’re a no cashew house, so I subbed them with sunflower seed and it got rave reviews! Thanks!Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
That’s great to hear! I hadn’t thought of sunflower seeds before; great substitution idea!
Reply
- Dulce says
How much sunflower seeds did you use as a substitute for the cashews?
Reply
- Jill penny says
Did you pre cook the lasagna noodles or use no bake noodles?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
I don’t precook the lasagna noodles or use no bake – layering the noodles between sauce lets you put uncooked noodles into the lasagna raw rather than having to precook them.
Reply
- Shannon says
My family isn’t a huge fan of mushrooms – can you suggest a different veggie to sub in please?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Definitely. There are enough veggies in the mix that you could probably skip it altogether, or add something like zucchini or eggplant in its place.
Reply
- Elly says
Hi! Is there a reasonable substitute for oat flour? We don’t have any, and I guess I wouldn’t buy it for just 1 Tbsp worth… Would typical flour give a raw taste? Would almond flour be too nutty? Thanks!
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
I believe you could use regular, or just leave it out. The oat flour helps to keep the oil that’s naturally in the cashews from clumping as much but it’s not necessary if you don’t want to risk raw white flour.
Reply
- Jo says
Oat flour is blended up oats you make oatmeal with. . Just blend til a flour consistency
Reply
See Also| Food Allergy Parents- Elly says
Thanks for these replies! We do have actual oats!
Reply
- Elizabeth says
Thank you for this recipe. Do you cook the noodles before using them, or do they soften as they bake?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
They will soften as they bake, no need to precook them 🙂
Reply
- Linda says
Hi there, I would love to make this tonight. Do I precook regular lasagna noodles? Or use the kind that say
pre cooked? Thank you Lina.Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
No need to precook the noodles, they came out great put raw into the lasagna raw.
Reply
- Malini says
Do you have a recipe for the tomato sauce so we can avoid using can foods?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
If you check out my tomato basil sauce recipe you can get a good sense of how to make a good homecooked sauce – I would just skip the basil and use an mix of Italian spices (or an Italian spice mix from the store) – the conversion for fresh to cooked tomatoes is about 5-6oz for every medium tomato, so if you’re using Romas you’d need about 5-6 tomatoes for this recipe, cooked down into a sauce. May not be perfect because I’ve never done homemade sauce for this recipe, but I hope this helps!
Reply
- Frances says
Can you use Canneloni/white beans instead?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Instead of sweet potato? I’ve never tried but it sounds like it could work! I’ve also used Russet potatoes instead of sweet potatoes and the recipe turns out well, just slightly more savory.
Reply
- Dulce says
This recipe was delicious and I am planning on making it for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, a couple of my guests have nut allergies 🙁 I was planning on making a smaller version of the lasagna for them without the cashew topping but was wondering what to top it with instead…any ideas??? Thanks for your help!Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
I’ve used hemp heart seeds before as a substitute and someone else here in the comments used sunflower seeds and said it turned out great 🙂
Reply
- Dulce says
Thank you so much for responding! hHw much of the hemp hearts do you use to substitute for the cashews?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Hemp heart seeds are higher in fat (so they’ll be richer) – I would use a heavy 1/2 cup. If you use sunflower seeds it would just be a 1:1 swap.
Reply
- Dulce says
Thanks! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
- Debbie says
I’m eating this right now. It’s delicious! I used hemp seeds due to nut allergies. I’m hoping leftovers stay well in the fridge, because I’m hoping to enjoy it for lunch this week.
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
It stores great in the fridge!
Reply
- Debbie says
Thanks for the reply! I”ll be enjoying it for lunch and as my next holiday meal.
Reply
- Pam says
I ended up with one sweet potato…..one was boiled and mashed. What about the other one?
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Both should be boiled and mashed. Are you referring to the (1)? That is to reference the first bulleted item in the notes!
Reply
- Tory says
Hi—I just made this but we’re instructions to cook the spinach omitted or is the amount incorrect? 16 oz spinach is a large shoe box full snd there was no way that was going to fit. Maybe it was 6 oz? Anyway just wanted to pass it on. It looks & smells great though, haven’t tried it yet—still lava from the oven, lol!
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Thanks! It’s not a typo, but I totally understand it’s a ton of spinach. The original recipe (from Engine 2) calls for 16oz so I’ve left it the same in mine – you can pack it in if you really try, but I typically don’t add that much. I just do a generous, unmeasured layer of whole, washed spinach leaves. I’ve updated the recipe card with a note saying this also!
Reply
- Monika says
Such a great dish! I made it today for my family of 4, including 20 month old and 3.5 year old. It was amazing! Thank you for sharing!!!Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
So glad you and your family loved it 💛
Reply
- Sheree says
is there any reason I can’t make this a day ahead and cook the day of? I’m thinking not but kind of wanted affirmation of that fact. Thanks
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
The noodles will get soggy unfortunately if it’s not cooked right away and it won’t turn out nearly as good 😕
Reply
- Launie says
This is one of our favorites! Making it tonight! YummmmReply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
💕💕
Reply
- plantsnotplastic@gmail.com says
Love this Mary, thank you! I’m so happy you like my alterations and will be making the lasagna for Thanksgiving this year. I’ve got a few more coming between now and Thanksgiving as well, so keep any eye out for anything else you might enjoy 🙂
Reply
Trackbacks
[…] It will also give me time to make the side dishes the day of the holiday. Plants Not Plastic: Amazing Sweet Potato Lasagne It is full of vegetables & she has taken out the tofu & corn which make casseroles very […]
Reply
[…] Not Plastic:Amazing Sweet Potato Lasagne This is the recipe that I am making for our Thanksgiving dinner this […]
Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
