Tricky Traditional Lasagna, Simplified :)

I simplified this recipe, so now it is easier to make with fewer ingredients, and still DELICIOUS!

Loads of Dr Greger Daily Dozen Check Marks: 1) grain, 2) flax, 3 and 4) lentils and tofu, 5) spices, 6) tomato sauce, especially if you make it yourself.

OMGosh - this is the bomb! My 11 and 12 year-old niece and nephew LOVED this dish! These are the children of a Sicilian-born restaurant owner and chef at delicious Alessandro's. One said "I love this meat!" and the other said "This is really good! If you would have offered me tofu and lentil lasagna, I would have probably said NO".

Let's get to it!

Tricky Traditional Lasagna

The 'Meat'
1.5 c lentils
1.5 c water
1 clove garlic (tsp)
3 Tbsp Italian seasoning (make your own!)
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
Optional: you can get away with adding 1/2 inch of fresh turmeric without anyone noticing!

The 'Cheese'
2 packages firm tofu (smooth works too)
2 Tbsp onion powder
Tbsp lemon juice
Tbsp Italian seasoning (make your own!)

Whole wheat lasagna noodles

6-8 cups spaghetti sauce (2-2.5 jars)

For meat, simmer lentils in 1.5 water covered for 20 min. Add spices and flax and blend in food processor until it looks like ground beef (few min)!

For cheese, drain tofu, and combine with other 'cheese' ingredients in food processor, and process until smooth. Taste test and add spices as you like!

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover bottom of a 9x13" pan with sauce (~1c), then lasagna noodles, then 'meat', then 'cheese', and repeat until pan is full, ending with a layer of pasta covered in sauce. If you have extra ingredients, you can make an extra small lasagna, and share with a friend! Bake for an 45-60 min, and enjoy!

Plant-Based Traditional Lasagna
(with vegan ground meat and vegan ricotta cheese)

This recipe makes me so happy! I love making this basic, traditional meal with no meat or cheese! It's also fun that you really don't need any veggies on the side because it is made entirely of veggies! I've made the Plant-Strong Lasagna (check it out here), and it's a great veggie meal. On the other hand, Tricky Traditional Lasagna provides the familiarity of a meal you've probably eaten many times before, as you try potentially unfamiliar tofu and lentils. I hope you love it as much as we do!

COMMENTS: What vegan Italian food do you like to eat?