Lasagna can totally revolutionize a day, even if it started off on a wrong foot; it’s the best way to indulge in goodness and forget everything else. What I propose today is one of the recipes that I love to prepare (and taste), but that, of course, I reserve only for important occasions, so as to make it twice as much special. The last time, for example, I prepared these lasagne for dinner with friends; however, they are perfect at any time, for example during Christmas lunch, which is just around the corner.
A vegan dish that will win you over…
What I propose is a very simple recipe, prepared with totally vegan and genuine ingredients, perfect if you like to spend some time in the kitchen, and it requires a lot of passion in its preparation. The pasta of lasagna, in fact, is homemade and needs a pinch of sweetness, which in the kitchen can make everything better. The irresistible thing about this dish is, of course, the tempeh: a food obtained from the fermentation of soybeans, an excellent substitute for meat and, for this reason, is also called “soybean meat”. This ingredient makes lasagne particularly nutritious, because it has an excellent protein content, low fat, zero cholesterol and contains fiber.
Let’s treat ourselves to a plate of vegan lasagna every now and then, and our lives will certainly be more serene!
Prep 30 mins | Cook 80 mins | Total 110 mins | Portion 6
Ingredients:
For the pasta
- 450 g of durum wheat flour
- 225 ml of water at room temperature
- 1 pinch of salt
For the Ragù
- about 200 g of Tempeh, crushed with the hands
- 2 L of Tomato Sauce
- ½ Golden onion
- 1 Carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 10 g of Fennel Seeds
- 5 g of fresh oregano
- Water q.b.
- Basil to taste
- Evo Oil q.b.
- Salt to taste
- 100 g of spinach
For the Béchamel
- 300 ml of unsweetened Soy milk
- 1 tablespoon of potato flour
- 1 tablespoon of Evo Oil
- 1 pinch of pepper
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- Salt to taste.
- *Vegan cheese slices (optional)
Method:
For the homemade lasagna
On a clean surface, place the flour in the shape of a fountain and create a small cavity in the center. In the cavity, add the salt and start pouring the water along the edge, kneading the ingredients with your hands and kneading until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Form a ball and let it rest for 30 minutes, covered with a bowl or a layer of transparent film. After the necessary time, take the dough and divide it into several pieces. Roll out each piece with a rolling pin, so as to form thin rectangles, about 2 mm thick. Cut each rectangle into smaller rectangles, so as to obtain a lasagna, creating the right size for the baking sheet you will use. (To facilitate this step, you can use a pasta machine).
For the Ragout
Chop the cleaned onion, carrot and celery. In a saucepan, heat a little oil and cook the tempeh over medium-low heat, for about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery and fennel seeds, then mix well and cook for about 10 minutes or until all ingredients have softened. At this point, incorporate the tomato sauce and salt to taste, then mix. Add about ½ glass of water and cook over low heat for another 30 minutes, with a lid while stirring occasionally, until you get a thick and tasty sauce. Add the basil leaves, chopped spinach and oregano, season with salt and then set aside.
For the Béchamel
In a pot, mix the potato starch with a tablespoon of oil, then begin to pour the milk and mix with a whisk, avoiding lumps. Cook over a low to medium heat until the béchamel sauce begins to thicken (about 10 minutes). Add the nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste.
Assembly
Place a generous layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a baking sheet, then place a first layer of lasagna. On the lasagna, add the sauce and a layer of béchamel, without exaggerating, so as to completely cover the dough. *Then, add the slices of cheese, if you have decided to use them. Repeat the process ( Lasagna, ragout, béchamel), until the ingredients are exhausted and, at the last surface layer, add plenty of ragout and a little béchamel. Bake in a preheated oven at 200° for about 30 minutes or until the surface becomes golden. Finally, cool slightly and serve.
Notes
- You can replace the tempeh ragout with the mushroom ragout
- To make the surface crunchier, you can add breadcrumbs or vegan grated cheese.
- You can store it in the fridge, in a hermetically sealed container, for 3-4 days.
