Author Notes
This is the perfect summer lasagna: light, fragrant, and full of the season's best vegetables, which are roasted to bring out all of their sweet and savory flavor. Extra tip: If you're gluten-free (or preparing this dish for GF friends), simply substitute brown-rice or quinoa lasagna noodles for traditional noodles. —Gena Hamshaw
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Ingredients
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1 1/2 pounds
eggplant (about 1 large or 2 small eggplants), sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
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3/4 pound
zucchini or yellow squash (about 2 zucchini), sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
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Olive oil
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Salt and black pepper
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10 ounces
lasagna noodles (about 10 to 12 noodles)
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2
packages extra-firm tofu (about 28 ounces), drained of liquid
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1/3 cup
nutritional yeast
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1
clove garlic, minced
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1 1/2 tablespoons
lemon juice
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1 tablespoon
fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
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2 1/2 cups
marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
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12 to 15
torn basil leaves (optional)
Directions
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Preheat your oven to 400° F. Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with coarse salt. Allow them to sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
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Pat the eggplant slices dry to remove any moisture that has collected. Arrange the zucchini slices on another baking sheet. Brush all of the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and just browning. Remove them from the oven and reduce oven heat to 350° F.
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While the vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles until they're just al dente. Drain them and set aside. Next, use your hands to crumble the tofu finely in a large mixing bowl. Add in the nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. Continue crumbling the mixture with your hands until it resembles ricotta. Check for seasoning and add lemon, dried herbs (if desired), and salt and pepper to taste.
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Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, and top the noodles with half of the roasted vegetables. Spread half of the tofu mixture over the vegetables.
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Arrange 4 noodles and 1 cup of marinara sauce over the tofu. Cover the marinara sauce with the remaining roasted vegetables and tofu. Cover this layer with the 4 remaining lasagna noodles and a final cup of marinara sauce.
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Bake the lasagna for 40 minutes, or until noodles are crisping at the edges and everything is bubbling gently. Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange the basil leaves, if you like, over the top of the lasagna. Cut and serve.
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