My favorite recipes are the ones that are quick and easy. Even though cooking is one of my great loves,  I can’t spend the whole morning or afternoon in the kitchen. So whenever I share a recipe with my cooking club, I look for ones that are easy and will match our busy lives. This lasagna fits the bill. It doesn’t call for specialty ingredients and it’s easy to make. Believe it or not, it only takes 15 minutes to put together.

This is one of my favorites because it has portobello mushrooms–these are my favorites because of their flavor and the meaty chew they give to this dish. It’s called umami flavor–the “fifth taste” (other than sweet, sour, salty and bitter) that has been described as being deeply savory with a pleasant feeling in the mouth. Because of that, portobello mushrooms can take center stage in any meaty-texture dish. That’s because these mushrooms contain a similar structure to meat even though they do not have loads of protein.

And it’s all about the flavor when it comes to making lasagna. I use portobellos over others because their flavor just hits the spot for me. And coupled with some tomatoes and the Italian seasonings we love so much, this dish will be “delizioso!”

Quick-n-Easy Lasagna

Saute’ the mushrooms and garlic over a medium heat, adding 2 tablespoons of water as you stir. This is just enough to keep them from sticking. Cook them for a few minutes until tender. Then take them off the burner and add your favorite spaghetti sauce (or try the Creamy Mushroom Tomato Sauce below).

In a mixing bowl, lightly mash a pound of extra-firm tofu. Add in a 10 ounce package of chopped spinach that you have thawed and drained. I use a fork to blend the two together. It work best in separating the spinach leaves so they don’t clump together. Then you can stir in the seasonings–oregano, garlic powder, basil, crushed rosemary, salt and some nutritional yeast flakes to give it a cheesy flavor.

Once the tomato sauce and tofu mixture is done, I’m ready to start putting the lasagna together.

Preheat the oven so it’s a warm 375 degrees. I use a 9×12 pyrex baking dish since the lasagna noodles fit in this size the best. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using three dry noodles and leaving a little space in between them. Spread half of the tofu mixture on the noodles (you can drop it by spoonfuls and then spread it or hold each noodle in the palm of your hand and spread the tofu on it before placing it in the pan). Cover with another layer of 3 noodles and then spread the remaining tofu mixture over them. Top with a final layer of noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over this.

Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle in some sliced black olives if you want. The lasagna will cut better if you allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

If you’d like to go for an easy-cheesy version of the lasagna, you could top the last layer of noodles with this tasty cheez sauce.

Print Recipe

Quick-n-Easy Lasagna

An easy lasagna that is low in fat but high in Italian flavor.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main

Servings: 8

Author: Sue Gilmore

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 24- oz jars spaghetti sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles whole wheat or brown rice lasagna noodles
• 1 cup sliced black olives optional
• FILLING
• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
• 1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon salt optional
• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary crushed

Instructions

• Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat in the 2 tbsp. water until tender.
• Remove from heat and add the spaghetti sauce.
• Mash the tofu and thawed spinach in a mixing bowl.
• Add the seasonings to the tofu/spinach mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Spread half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×12-inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using three dry noodles and leaving a little space in between them.
• Spread half of the tofu mixture on the noodles (you can drop it by spoonfuls and then spread it or hold each noodle in the palm of your hand and spread the tofu on it before placing it in the pan). Cover with another layer of 3 noodles and then spread the remaining tofu mixture over them.
• Top the lasagna with a final layer of noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over this. Or you can use our Lasagna Cheez Sauce.
• Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes.
• Take the dish from the oven and add sliced black olives if you want.
• Allow the lasagna to sit for 15 minutes. It will be easier to cut into pieces this way.

Lasagna Cheez Sauce

• 2 c. water
• 1/4 c. raw cashews or blanched almonds
• 2 oz. jar pimientos
• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder or 1 shallot
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

It’s hard to believe, but this is a sauce that will remind you of cheese – and without the cholesterol and animal fat to boot! A delicious sauce to be used anywhere you need melted cheese. It makes 2 1/2 cups of delicious sauce.

1. Process all ingredients in a blender until very smooth.
2. Add remaining water and process.
3. Pour into saucepan and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently.

Creamy Mushroom Tomato Sauce

• 1 pound baby bella mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup of unflavored soy or almond milk
• 2 tablespoons dried basil or 1 cup of fresh basil
• salt and basil to taste

Saute’ the mushrooms and onions over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add water 1-2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to a pan. Continue cooking until the onions become translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Combine with a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of unflavored plant-based milk and 1 cup fresh basil (you can substitute 2 tablespoons of dried basil for fresh basil if not available). Season with salt and basil to taste and toss til well coated. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Then cook 1 more minute. This is a very delicious sauce and is great with any pasta. You can even use it to make a main dish by adding some spinach and some Italian-style beans. Plus, it only  takes 20 minutes to make.