This recipe was created by Kali Hamm, a veg scheme member and plant-powered chef. You can follow her on twitter and facebook
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A different take on classic lasagne using fresh summer vegetables, grilled for extra texture and smoky flavour. The tofu makes a surprisingly good substitution for traditional ricotta. Nourishing and deliciously satisfying.
Serves 4
Pre- heat oven 190c.
To make the sauce. Heat a large pan, add your oil and onions and bay leaves, sauté on a medium heat until softened but before they go brown about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, then the capers, olives and tomato, a pinch of sugar.
Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add your oregano, taste for seasoning and remove the bay leaves.
Thinly slice the courgette and aubergine. Heat a grill pan and grill the vegetables until charred doing a single layer at a time. Season the slices and set aside.
For the tofu, add all the ingredients except the oil to a blender, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning, you don’t need the ricotta to be too salty as the rest of the dish is well seasoned.
Oil the bottom of a medium lasagna tray to stop the pasta sticking. Layer first lasagna sheets, then tomato sauce, aubergine and courgette, ricotta, then repeat until your sauce and veggies are used up. Finishing off your top layer with tomato and some dollops of the ricotta. I also added a few dollops of pesto as I had some in the fridge, it was delicious but not essential. Just make sure that you have enough sauce on your top layer so the dish isn’t too dry.
Bake for about 45 minutes until bubbling and browned on top.
Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes out of the oven before serving with a fresh salad or lightly cooked greens.
Tomato base
660g chunky passata or tinned plum tomato
1 onion, finely chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbsp capers
10 black olives
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
pinch unrefined sugar
pinch – 10g fresh oregano, picked & chopped
salt & pepper
Tofu ricotta
280g firm tofu
1 clove garlic
juice & zest 1 lemon
100ml olive oil
pinch salt
For the pesto
100g basil
1-2 clove garlic, to taste
100g walnuts, roasted
juice half lemon
175ml olive oil
pinch salt
Blitz ingredients in a food processor or grind in pestle and mortar.
To assemble
1 courgette
1 aubergine
150g lasagne sheets of choice