Extreme Lasagna Makeover: From Christa's Kitchen

By Christa Parsons, P.H.Ö.D. Eat Well, Live Well, Tucson, AZ

So you've adopted a plant-based diet, but you miss lasagna. Perhaps you are simply trying to eat healthier and want to increase your fiber and decrease your fat intake. So lasagna is out the window again. Not so fast!

Below is a traditional family recipe that is up for renovation:

 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best-Lasagna

While with this recipe I’m sure taste isn’t an issue. This recipe is loaded with FAT! It is very calorie dense with almost no fiber and little micronutrients. And where are the calories lurking? The meat and cheese have got to go! So, I’m going to replace the meat in this recipe with lentils, the ricotta cheese with a tofu blend, parmesan with a brazil nut blend*, and skip the mozzarella altogether.   Below is the remodeled recipe, but before we start I want to share just the calorie and fat of each recipe. I use the USDA nutrient database for these figures. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov This is a very good estimate but not exact. The results actually surprised me!

Traditional Lasagna

Mozzarella= 1010 calories with 63g fat

Ricotta= 856 calories with 64g fat

Parmesan= 315 calories with 21g fat

Both meats= 2125 calories with 151g fat

Totaling a whopping 4,306 calories and 299g fat and no fiber

 

This is for 1- 9x13 pan.

Remodeled Lasagna: we replaced all cheese for tofu ricotta and lentils for both meats.

Tofu Ricotta= 800 calories with 80g fat

Lentils= 1150 calories with 4g

Totaling: 1950 calories and 84g fat

REMEMBER THIS IS FOR 2- 9X13 PANS!

If you’re worried about protein…DON’T! The lentils alone offer 90g and the tofu ricotta offers another 80g! PLUS almost 95g FIBER for both pans.

So you can basically make about 4 pans of the remodeled lasagna to only 1 pan of the traditional lasagna for about the same calories and fat.

 Note: Using organic ingredients total cost for The Remodeled Lasagna is about

$10-15 for 2 pans! The traditional lasagna costs about $20-25 for only 1 pan.

Lets get started!

Prep time: 20min            

Baking time: 55-65min

Things you’ll need:

Oven preheated to 400

2- 9x13 baking pans

16- oven ready lasagna noodles
Tofu Ricotta*
Sauce*
Lentils

*See below for additional ingredients:

Some of the things I used for this recipe

Nutritional yeast gives the cheesy flavor

“Ricotta Cheese”

2- 14oz packs of firm tofu (drained)

2/3-cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp- Italian seasoning blend

2 tsp- salt

1 tsp- granulated garlic

1tsp-granulated onion

1 tsp- black pepper

2-3 tbsp- water

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and blend with immersion blender until smooth. A food processor or blender will work if you don’t have the immersion blender.  

Prep time 5min

Tofu Ricotta

Sauce:

1- 28oz can of diced tomatoes

4-5 cups- tomato sauce

1 tsp- salt

1 tsp- granulated garlic

1 tsp- granulated onion

1-2 tsp- Italian seasoning blend

Add all ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and stir. The salt, garlic, onion, and Italian blend can be increased or decreased depending on taste. Another option is buy your favorite jar of pasta sauce. You will need about 60-68oz of sauce. (more or less depending on how saucy you like it.) I like to save some sauce to top off the lasagna when serving. 

Prep time 1-2 min

“The Meat”

4-5 cups- cooked green lentils

I choose to boil my own but there are other options. You could use canned, it would be about 4 cans. Another option is 2 packages of steamed lentils from Trader Joes. It is a great time saver! They are located in the refrigerated produce case. 

So now you have 3 bowls of stuff. Grab your baking dish. You’re ready for assembly!

1^st begin with a sauce base (1 cup)* spread around evenly this will help from sticking.  

2^nd place 4 lasagna noodles on sauce. They should be slightly overlapping.

3^rd spread “ricotta cheese” (about ¾ cup)* on noodles

4^th sprinkle “the meat” (1 cup)* on “ricotta cheese” and layer more sauce on “meat”.

*Use your best judgment with the amounts when layering. 

Repeat steps 2-4

I made 2 layers. They will be thick and I think 2 layers is enough. This will make 2 lasagnas! I figure why not make 2 at a time and save one for later. Prep time 10min

Bake at 400 covered for 40-45min and uncovered for another 15-20min. The lasagna should be hot and bubbly.
Allow to cool 10-15 min before serving.

This will easily feed a family of 6. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. As for the other lasagna cover and freeze for another dinner.  It’s best if thawed completely before baking. Cooking times might be a bit longer. 

Served with green salad and topped with "parmesan cheese"

*Optional: "Parmesan Cheese"
Place 1/2 cup Brazil nuts, 1 garlic clove, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp salt in blender. Pulse until nuts are crumbly. I didn't include this in the calculations from above.

About P.H.Ö.D. 
At P.H.Ö.D. (pronounced "food") we have created products that don't sacrifice taste and flavor to achieve health. And we have created products that don't give up health to achieve great taste. Our wonderfully delicious and nutritious products are made from simple and all natural ingredients. Each bite is loaded with protein, omega-3, and fiber. Our products are superior for building great health and great bodies. We are also getting ready to launch our version of take and bake dishes. Great for on the go people who want to eat healthy but need a quick option. Additional information is available at www.eatphod.com