The best vegan lasagna bolognese recipe with béchamel sauce! Tastes as delicious as the original Italian Lasagna al Forno yet is made without meat!
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Learn how to make an incredibly delicious meatless lasagna at home. This vegan lasagna bolognese is as delicious as the original recipe, yet meat-free and dairy-free.
Lasagna Bolognese, also known as Lasagne al Forno in Italy, is one of the most popular ways to make a traditional Italian lasagna. It comes with a rich minced beef sauce and white sauce. It’s flavorful, creamy, cheesy, and every bite is a delight.
With this recipe, you will learn how to make the most delicious vegan version of it. And it’s not only for vegans, even meat-eaters are going to love this pasta dish. Perfect for a meatless Monday with the entire family.
Vegan ground beef alternatives are largely available in grocery stores and mimic the look and taste of ground beef extraordinary well.
For me, this vegan bolognese lasagna with white sauce has everything I wish for in a hearty Italian pasta dish. Serve it with this quick green salad, some red wine, and the evening is perfect!
More Vegan Lasagna Filling Ideas
If you don’t like to use plant-based meat alternatives, I’ve got you covered with two more delicious vegan lasagna recipe filling ideas:
Lentil Bolognese Filling: With carrots & green French lentils. Lentil Bolognese is healthy, rich in vitamins, protein, and fiber. It is a popular vegan alternative to classic bolognese. Lentils have a wonderful bite and an earthy taste, and are, therefore, an excellent meatless alternative.
Vegetable Filling: With carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini! Healthy and delicious.
Vegan Béchamel Sauce For Lasagna
Yes, béchamel sauce is a MUST when it comes to lasagna. Trust me, this creamy white sauce makes all the difference! It’s how I always cooked lasagna and how the Italian’s cook it. Sure, some recipes call for vegan ricotta cheese, which is way quicker to prepare, but oh my goodness, béchamel makes everything better! It gives you this extra creamy texture between the lasagna layers!
Unsweetened soy milk and plant-based butter do the trick for a dairy-free béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Plant-Based Ground → A protein-rich vegan minced beef substitute! There are plenty of different brands that offer plant-based ground in the supermarket. The most known is Beyond Beef from Beyond Meat.
- Carrots, Onion, Garlic, Chili Pepper → These veggies are the basic ingredients of every decent tomato sauce!
- Bay Leave & Fresh Basil → Provide additional flavor!
- Canned Diced Tomatoes → Can be substituted with whole canned tomatoes.
- Red Wine → Deglazing your vegan meat with a sip of red wine enhances the flavor of the whole dish.
- Vegan Cheese →For an extra creamy and cheesy lasagna! Preferably, use a vegan cheese that melts easily.
- Vegan Béchamel Sauce → Also known as white sauce. Responsible for the creamy texture in between the lasagna layers!
Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way on how to make vegan lasagna – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner!
Vegan Bolognese Sauce
- Heat a large pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, chili pepper, and bay leaves, sauté for 5 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the plant-based ground and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the red wine, leave to bubble, and cook away (2-3 minutes).
- Stir in canned tomatoes, water, and fresh basil. Pop on the lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Dairy-Free Béchamel Sauce
- Melt the dairy-free butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour in soy milk and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Reduce heat and let it simmer for approximately 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
How To Layer Lasagna
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce in a baking dish (at least 11×7 inches or a little larger), followed by 3 sheets lasagna noodles. Spread about ⅓ of the vegan bolognese on top, followed by a layer of béchamel, and ⅓ of vegan cheese.
- Repeat layering two more times (pasta, vegan bolognese, béchamel sauce, vegan cheese).
- Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting & serving.
Recipe FAQ & Tips
How long does lasagna stay fresh? Leftovers can be stored for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container, or simply wrap the cold baking dish with plastic wrap (easiest to reheat).
How do I reheat lasagna? Reheat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven at 395°F (200°C).
Make-Ahead: Prepare lasagna (but do not bake) up to one day in advance and store it wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Bake per recipe timings when you are ready!
Gluten-Free: Go for gluten-free lasagna sheets and use gluten-free flour to make the béchamel sauce.
Should I presoak the lasagna noodles? Not for this recipe. The tomato sauce is watery enough so that your no-boil lasagna noodles will cook through perfectly. Soaking the noodles in hot or boiling water beforehand would likely end up in overcooked pasta noodles.
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegan Lentil Lasagna
- Vegetarian Lasagna
- Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Vegan Lentil Bolognese
- Spaghetti Pomodoro
- Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
