• Preheat oven to 350°F. Though this recipe is a little more in-depth and requires some time and work, I promise it’s going to be worth the effort.
• Begin by making the spinach ricotta and cheese sauces as explained in the recipes below. Set them to the side and begin to work on the veggie and sauce mixture.
• In a large saucepan or stockpot, sauté the minced garlic and onion in 3-4 Tbps. of veggie broth, approximately 5 minutes. Add more veggie broth as needed to lightly brown them, then toss in mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.
• Add the dry uncooked bulgur, fire-roasted tomatoes, marinara, and black beans and allow to cook another 5 minutes. I have included lots of options for oil-free marinara in the article above as well as information about bulgur.
• If using the traditional pasta, barely cook the noodles in boiling water, approximately 5 minutes, then remove from water and set to the side. If these are cooked any longer, they fall apart while you handle them. I like to buy whole grain, oven-ready lasagna noodles because they don't have to be cooked, so I'm able to skip a step of cooking in this recipe. However, you can definitely use traditional lasagna noodles.
• Cover bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish with a THIN layer of tomato black bean sauce, then a layer of noodles. This keeps the noodles from touching the bottom of a baking dish and sticking.
• Next, add another thicker layer of tomato black bean sauce. Then a layer of Tofu Ricotta. You'll use 1/2 of the entire ricotta mixture here. Plop tablespoons on top of noodles. I've included photos of this process above.
• Then take a fork or spoon and smear it around on the top a little bit to even it out over the whole dish.
• Next, drizzle the creamy cheese sauce over the top. It won't be pretty but that doesn't matter because no one will see this part, and it's going to be delicious.
• Continue the same order of layers, starting with another layer of noodles, then using 1/2 of the remaining tomato black bean sauce, and all the remaining Tofu Ricotta, Lightly drizzle with cheese sauce.
• The last layer will begin with the remaining noodles, topped by the remaining tomato black bean sauce, and then drizzled with cheese sauce.
• Bake in the oven at 350°F for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle a little more cheese sauce on top. Serve!

Tofu Ricotta

• The Tofu Ricotta is a layer of this vegan lasagna that you definitely don't want to leave out. It's is made with only 8 simple ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes for a deliciously healthy plant-based cheese alternative.
• Simply drain the water from the block of tofu and press. Then add it and all of the ricotta ingredients EXCEPT THE SPINACH to a blender and process until nice and smooth.
• Once the ricotta is blended, place it in a mixing bowl and add previously frozen spinach that has been defrosted and drained. You'll need to squeeze out all the excess water by placing it in paper towels and squeezing it over a bowl or sink. This is VERY important so the spinach will not add water to the ricotta.
• Now it can be added to the mixing bowl with the ricotta. Be prepared to stir this well for up to a couple of minutes. It takes a bit of work to get the spinach worked in well with the ricotta.
• Once it's mixed well. set it to the side or in the refrigerator for a few minutes while working on the cheese sauce.

Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce

• In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
• When veggies are tender, drain and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
• This recipe makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks to be used on baked potatoes, tacos, pizza, and so much more!