Vegan Cashew Ricotta Zucchini Lasagna
Vegan Cashew Ricotta Zucchini Lasagna- a light and healthy take on classic Italian lasagna made with cashew ricotta, marinara and fresh basil. Just as delicious and satisfying as the original! (gluten-free)
If you’re not vegan, please don’t let that word scare you away from this recipe! When I said in the description above that it’s just as good as the original, I meant it. In fact I’d feel confident serving it to the biggest cheese-lovers out there. Because I’m one of them. :)
This recipe is based off my Cashew Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells. They’re easily one of my favorite recipes on here because: a) they’re so simple to make and b) they’re a prime example of how amazing vegan food can be without the need for any funky ingredients or faux-meat.
I knew I wanted to create something else using that incredible cashew ricotta but I have to thank Kelli for inspiring this recipe. She wrote to me after trying my stuffed shells and suggested using the ricotta to make a zucchini lasagna. I loved that idea and immediately added it to my list.
In addition to the cashew ricotta, I incorporated the lentil mushroom marinara from my Spaghetti Squash Bowls. It adds more work to the recipe but I promise it’s worth it. Not just for nutrition, but also for flavor. However, you can always substitute your favorite marinara in it’s place.
Once you have the ricotta and the marinara made, it comes together super quick. All you have to do is slice the zucchini and layer it in a baking dish. There’s no boiling required!
The cashew ricotta gets spread on top of the zucchini then layered with marinara. You repeat that step three times, top with breadcrumbs mixed with nutritional yeast, then cover and bake for 30 minutes.
I was worried that it would be really watery or not hold together well but it turned out to be just the opposite. The cashew ricotta does a great job binding everything together and, surprisingly, there’s only a minimal amount of water produced by the zucchini.
If you’re new to plant-based eating or want to impress someone that’s skeptical about it, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! It’s one of our favorites and I have a good feeling you’re going to love it too. :)
Vegan Cashew Ricotta Zucchini Lasagna
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For the Cashew Ricotta
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water*
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted
For the Lentil Mushroom Marinara**
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms (such as cremini), chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 2 cups cooked brown lentils (about 3/4 cup dry)
- 1 (15 ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounces) can diced tomatoes with herbs
- 1/4 cup dry red wine (optional)
For the Lasagna
- 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8″ thick
- 1/2 cup whole grain or gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- fresh basil for topping
Directions:
- To make the cashew ricotta: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews then transfer them to a blender or a food processor, along with lemon juice and one teaspoon of salt. Blend on high until smooth with a texture similar to ricotta cheese. You will probably need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides in between blending. Spoon the cashew cheese out into a large bowl and set aside. Once the frozen spinach has defrosted, place it in a strainer. Fold a few paper towels together and use them to press on top of the spinach so that the excess water strains out of the bottom. Repeat this step until the spinach is mostly dry. Add it to the bowl with cashew cheese and a dash of salt & pepper then stir everything together until well-combined.
- To make the lentil mushroom marinara: warm one tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan/skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt & pepper, stir together and cook for another 3 minutes. If you have red wine on hand, pour in 1/4 cup and turn the heat up slightly so that the wine simmers for about 5 minutes. Next add the dried herbs, both cans of tomatoes and their juices and the tomato paste. Cover the pan and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Then stir in the cooked lentils and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Assemble the Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400°F then lightly grease an 8 x 8″ baking dish. Arrange 4 zucchini slices along the bottom. Depending on the width of your zucchini, you may have to cut one piece in half lengthwise to make them fit. Spread 1/3 of the cashew cheese mixture on top of the zucchini then top with 1/3 of the lentil mushroom marinara. Layer another 4 slices of zucchini on top and repeat the same steps twice more, until you have three layers total. Combine the breadcrumbs and the nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Sprinkle it on top of the lasagna, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into separate pieces. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
*Place 2 cups raw cashews in a large bowl and cover with water by a few inches. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
**I prefer to make this with lentil mushroom marinara for extra protein and flavor but feel free to substitute your favorite marinara if you prefer. Depending on how flavorful your sauce is, you may want to add garlic and herbs to the cashew ricotta mixture. Also, please note that the recipe for the lentil mushroom marinara will make more than you need. I like to freeze the leftover sauce to add to pasta or zucchini noodles later on. If you don’t want leftovers, you can halve the recipe for the marinara.
Nutrition Facts are for 1/6th of recipe
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by rating the recipe, leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
I had vegan lasagna at a vegan restaurant in Charlotte one time and I was super skeptical, but it was amazing! I think they did a cashew ricotta deal too. I need to figure out how to do zucchini noodles correctly because every time I make some they’re too watery :-(
I wonder if you might be cooking them for too long?
YAY! I’m so glad you created this. I can’t wait to make it with our fresh zucchini and basil. It looks wonderful.
Thanks for the idea, Kelli! <3
This was fantastic!! It took a bit of work to make but it was so worth it. My 8×8 pan is really small so I used a 9×13 and just made it two layers. It worked great and held up together really well. It wasn’t watery from the zucchini either! I only used 1 can of diced tomatoes and used all of the sauce. I opted out of the breadcrumbs and used vegan parmesan cheese from Minimalist Baker to top it with. Worked wonderfully! Anyway, thanks so much for creating this because I’m totally going to make it again.
I’m so glad to hear you loved it, Kelli! Especially considering it was your idea. ;)
This lasagna is blowing my freaking mind. I love how fresh and summery it is and I’m itching to try that cahsew ricotta! Plus the mushroom marinara sounds like absolute perfection. I’m basically speachless…bravo, sister!
Thanks lady! xo
This looks incredible! Love the breadcrumbs + nutritional yeast and everything else about this :) Pinning!
Thanks Medha! :)
I have been on a zucchini kick like no other lately! And with the cashew ricotta and that lentil marinara?? This sounds like heaven! Perfect summer-y comfort food!
I have been making way to many recipes with zucchini! It’s kind of a problem, lol.
This looks incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever had cashew ricotta but I think I’d like it! :)
Oh my goodness Sarah, it looks like you’ve outdone yourself with this recipe. It looks so beautiful and sounds so good! I definitely will be trying it soon! :)
Cashew ricotta — wow! That’s so creative, and I’m dying over that marinara. I have zucchini growing right now and love making lasagna with it — who needs pasta?? This looks wonderful, Sarah!
Cashews never cease to amaze me in their versitility. One minute they make ice cream extra creamy, the next you’ll find them making cheeeese! I just need a constant conveyer belt comin to my pantry. Rob says I need to buy stock in Cashews (no such thing I’m sure!). This is sooo delicious, Sarah and I can see why all food lifestyles would love this recipe! This is another delicious reason why I wish zucchini was in season year round! Delicious work my dear!
Are you freaking kidding me?!? It’s like a work of art! I’m just now getting into cashews more, and I’m amazed at how perfect they are for… well… almost everything. I’ve never tried them in a savoury dish so far, but making a cheese is pretty epic. Gorgeous recipe, girl!
This looks delicious Sarah. Loved the addition of breadcrumbs in it.
This looks amazing. I’m a big Zucchini fan but I’ve never tried cashew ricotta. Something I’m definitely going try soon :) Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Stephanie! I hope you enjoy it! :)
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Thanks for the recipe. It was definintely time consuming, but tasted very good. For me, I had way too much sauce and breadcrumbs. I only could use half of those portions. I also used an 8×8 pan. I did use all the ricotta though. I don’t know why I had so much extra, but I’ll just freeze the sauce and use it on pasta or something. Next time, I would only use one can of tomatoes, half the mushrooms (there was a lot and I didnt even out all of it in my pan) and half the herbs.
Thanks for the feedback, Jessica! I did have sauce leftover as well which I forgot to mention in the notes. Sorry about that! I will be sure to add it now.
Hi Sarah,
No problem. I actually think the whole sauce thing can be halved and it will fill the recipe well, but of course making more and freezing it for later is good too!
BTW, my husband and i LOVE the recipe so much! Since I’m not able to eat cheese, this was an amazing substitute. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
I love your blog so much :)
Thanks Jessica! It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I’m grateful for your readership! :)
We loved this recipe! Added a grilled zucchini noodle layer between two whole wheat lasagna noodle layers. The cashew ricotta with spinach was a big hit.
That sounds delicious! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment, Rach! :)
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Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Can’t wait to make this!!
Yes! Fresh spinach will work. I would probably wilt it on the stove first though. Blending it in fresh will turn the cashew ricotta green and might not look as appealing. :)
On second thought, you could probably finely chop it and stir it in fresh. For some reason I was thinking that you would add it to the blender. Sorry for the confusion!
Just made this, and I am so happy with how it turned out. The cashew ricotta is lovely, and the fire-roasted tomatoes add a subtle smoky hint. Also loved the addition of wine. Next time, I would stir the fresh basil in with the ricotta instead of sprinkling it on top. I added lasagna noodles to it to make it more filling, and easily filled my 8×8. I put the extra cashew ricotta, zucchini, pasta, and sauce in separate containers that I will mix together at work for a “casserole” with all of the same flavours. Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kia! Thank you for the feedback!
I made this lasagna last night. It turned out wonderful! The zucchini cooked perfectly. Next time I make this dish (and there will be a next time), I plan to double the ricotta. The ricotta was the highlight of the dish for me. Based on another comment, I threw in fresh basil while I was processing the cashews. I think this is a must! I plan to use this spinach ricotta recipe in the future for a spread on crackers. It is a real keeper. I over-salted my marinara, but other than that this was a really great dish!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rhonda! I agree, adding fresh basil is always a good idea. :)
The absolute BEST vegan lasagna I ever had!!
Wow, that’s quite the endorsement! Thanks Linda! :)
I tried out this recipe today . It looked great and tasted pretty good. It would have been perfect if the tomatoes didn’t taste sour. I rarely used canned tomatoes, not sure how to get rid of that sour taste .
Have you tried tomatoes in a jar? I switched from canned to jarred and I love this brand: http://amzn.to/2tymnEF
Hopefully that helps!
Made this last night. Definitely a 5 Star dish! I’m doing a fitness challenge with my gym and they have greatly restricted my carb intake. It’s an accurate statement that this dish tastes like the real thing. My husband went back for 2nd’s and 3rd’s. Definitely a recipe I’m going to keep around AFTER my challenge is over!
I love hearing this! Thank you for the kind review and best of luck with your challenge!
I used whole wheat lasagna noodles instead of the zucchini and instead added chunks of the zucchini to my sauce with mushrooms , vegan Italian sausage sliced and diced carrots. I also let the frozen spinach thaw and sauté in a pan with some garlic chopped. My husband and brother in law ( both meat eaters) ate most of this lol. Love this simple cheese!! Most have lots of ingredients and/or more work to make. This is a top 5 best ever keeper
This sounds amazing! Can you freeze the cashew cheese?
I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. Sorry! If you do please let us know how it turns out!
Started eating vegan in January and made this lasagna in February with the help of a friend. It was delicious. My carnivore husband even ate it and asked for seconds.
Will make again next week. Do you know if this will freeze well or will it get soggy. The zucchini stayed crisp for 4 days. I had made a double recipe.
Do you have any idea of the nutrition. especially the protein. I am having trouble getting my daily protein needs.
This was great. I am the odd one out bc the sauce made just enough for our dish, but I did use a 9×13. So, I’d actually add a can of tomatoes to mine if I were doing it again or lessen the lentils by 1/2 c.
My husband is still shocked he’s full from something…VEGAN! ♀️
Just made this Recipe came out delicious my husband loves it will be making it for others is this recipe OK to freeze leftovers
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I just read this recipe and wondered if you roasted the zucchini if it might not be as watery.