World’s Best (Now Vegetarian!) Lasagna

Directions

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 ounces plant-based hot Italian-style sausage (such as Beyond Meat®), chopped

6 ounces cooked and crumbled ground meat substitute (such as BOCA)

1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 tablespoon white sugar

¾ teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 lasagna noodles

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

cooking spray

Methods :

Step 1

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in plant-based sausage, meat substitute crumbles, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, 1 tablespoon parsley, sugar, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 1/2 hours.

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles; cook 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles with cold water.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 4

Meanwhile, stir together egg, ricotta, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl.

Step 5

To assemble lasagna, spread 1/3 of the sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Step 6

Bake, covered with cooking spray-coated foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes more. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 12 equal servings.