If you're a fan of lasagna and ratatouille, you'll fall in love with this vegan ratatouille lasagna that combines them in one irresistible dish. Filled with flavours, this ratatouille lasagna is layered with a rich veggie sauce, vegan bechamel made with cashew milk, and vegan mozzarella. You'll actually have a hard time believing it's vegan!
Vegan lasagna is not always easy to nail because you have to work without dairy, which is an essential part of traditional lasagna. But fear not, you can still enjoy delicious lasagna on a plant-based diet, and this ratatouille lasagna is living proof.
This is basically an aubergine and courgette lasagne to which I also add sweet peppers, one green and one red, but you can add other veggies too, if you like, such as mushrooms or green beans. Anything that's fair game for ratatouille works well for this vegan lasagna.
How do you make vegan bechamel?
One of the key steps of making lasagne is the bechamel sauce, which can truly make or break it. I make a vegan bechamel sauce with vegan butter and cashew milk, to which I add half a tablespoon of nutmeg and a handful of vegan mozzarella.
It's difficult to tell it apart from the real thing, but you need to do it right to get a perfect consistency.
To make a cashew bechamel sauce, you need some quality vegan butter (I'm in the UK and I use the one from Flora) and your favourite cashew milk. You can substitute this with another kind of dairy-free milk, but cashew works great because it's slightly nutty and gives the bechamel a unique flavour.
Making vegan bechamel is not complicated, as you can follow the steps required to make regular bechamel, but substitute the dairy with vegan products.
You start by melting the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour gradually, then whisk it until thickened and bubbling, but careful not to allow it to brown.
Next, start pouring the cashew milk, whisking continuously, until the sauce thickens. Room temperature cashew milk works best here. You then add some nutmeg, a handful of vegan mozzarella, and season to taste.
This is a versatile vegan white sauce that you can use for other things, too. I use it to make vegan moussaka and vegan cannelloni, for example.
What type of lasagne sheets should you use?
Fresh lasagne sheets are great for a veggie lasagne, but most of the ones that are readily available in supermarkets are not vegan because they're made with eggs.
Your best bet for a killer vegan aubergine lasagne is no-boil lasagne sheets. The ones from Barilla are readily available in supermarkets and they are vegan. There's no pre-cooking needed, as the lasagne sheets will cook in about 20 minutes in the oven.
If you can't find no-boil lasagne that are vegan, you can use any type you have on hand, but make sure you pre-boil them first according to the instructions on the package.
Recipe tips for the best vegan lasagna
- The lasagne sheets may not fit your oven dish perfectly, so it's perfectly fine to break them to wedge into any empty spaces. You want to have pasta in every bite.
- If you use lasagne sheets that you have to pre-boil, make sure you drain them well, as they could make your lasagna too wet otherwise.
- If you're in the UK, I found the Violife mozzarella grated non-dairy cheese alternative to be an excellent substitute for the real thing. The texture is on point, and it melts pretty well.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge, covered, for about 3-4 days. You can reheat the lasagna in the oven or in the microwave.
If you liked this vegan ratatouille lasagna, have a look at some of my other quick and easy vegan recipes:
20-Minute Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
Creamy Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Pasta
Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew
Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Vegan Ratatouille Lasagna
Ingredients
For the ratatouille
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 small aubergines, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 medium courgettes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 sweet green pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) crushed tomatoes,
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 basil leaves, chopped
For the béchamel
- 1.5 oz (40 g) vegan butter
- 1 ounce (30 g) plain flour
- 2 cups (500 ml) cashew milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) nutmeg
- 2.5 oz (75 g) vegan mozzarella, grated
For assembling
- 10.5 oz (300 g) uncooked lasagne sheets
- 5 oz (150 g) vegan mozzarella, grated
Instructions
- Start by making the ratatouille sauce. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onion for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until it softens a bit. Add the auberines, courgettes, and sweet peppers and cook for 8-10 minutes until they soften.2 tbsp olive oil1 onion2 small aubergines2 medium courgettes1 sweet red pepper1 sweet green pepper
- Next, add the garlic, thyme, and oregano and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, and basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.4 cloves garlic1 tsp dried thyme1 tsp dried oregano1 tbsp tomato paste2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) crushed tomatoes1 bay leaf12 basil leaves
- Meanwhile, make the bechamel. Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan, add the flour an whisk vigourously to make a roux. Start adding the cashew milk gradually, whisking continuously. When you've added all the milk, continue to stir until the bechamel thickens. Turn off the heat, and stir in the nutmeg and vegan mozzarella. Whisk until the cheese has melted and set aside.1.5 oz vegan butter1 ounce plain flour2 cups cashew milk½ tsp nutmeg2.5 oz vegan mozzarella
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (395°F). Spread ⅓ of the ratatouille mixture over the base of an oven-proof dish (or cast iron casserole), then cover with a single layer of lasagne sheets. Top with another ⅓ of the vegetable mixture, then cover with a second layer of lasagne sheets.10.5 oz uncooked lasagne sheets
- Pour half of the white sauce over the second layer of lasagne sheets, then top with the remaining vegetable mixture. Top if off with a third layer of lasagne sheets and add the remaining bechamel on top.
- Sprinkle with grated vegan mozzarella, then bake for 35-45 minutes, until the topping is bubbling and slighlty golden.5 oz vegan mozzarella, grated
- Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting to allow the filling to set and cool down a bit. Slice and serve on its own or with a simple salad.
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