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Vegetable Lasagna With Basil Ricotta
Vegetable Lasagna With Basil Ricotta
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A lasagna in the Instant Pot sounds a bit kooky, and you might be wondering why you would want to do such a thing. For starters, the look of a round, layered lasagna is unique and eye- catching. Second, you can enjoy lasagna in the summer without turning on your oven (though there is the option to broil it for a few minutes if you wish). Finally, it’s perfect if you don’t have a lot of mouths to feed and don’t want to make a huge casserole.
This recipe calls for no- boil lasagna noodles, which speeds things up. To ensure there is enough moisture to cook the noodles, remember to thin out the marinara sauce with some water.
The tofu “ricotta” works perfectly in this lasagna, lending a comforting, cheesy feel, along with a protein punch. I blend the ricotta in a food processor, which gives it a luxurious creamy texture, but you can also use a fork to mash every-thing up (and save yourself some dishes). Not a fan of tofu or want to keep this dish super quick and easy? Substitute your favorite store- bought vegan cheese— just be sure to use a variety that can melt nicely.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
4 people
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Ingredients
VEGETABLE FILLING
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup finely chopped zucchini
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
LASAGNA ASSEMBLY
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce of choice or Fiery Arrabbiata Sauce
- 6 to 8 individual no- boil or oven- ready lasagna sheets see headnote
- Basil Ricotta or 2 shredded vegan mozzarella or other cheese recipe follows
- 1 cup chopped spinach or shredded Tuscan (lacinato) kale
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella for finishing (optional)
BASIL RICOTTA (Makes about 2 cups)
- 1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp white or yellow miso paste
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Ingredients
VEGETABLE FILLING
LASAGNA ASSEMBLY
BASIL RICOTTA (Makes about 2 cups)
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Instructions
- Make the vegetable filling: Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and, after a few minutes, add the olive oil, followed by the onion. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, then add the garlic, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 3 minutes , tossing frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and cook for 30 seconds . Select the Cancel setting and remove the inner pot.
- To assemble the lasagna: Pour the marinara sauce into a large measuring cup and add 1/2 cup water to equal 2 cups, stirring to incorporate (thinning out the sauce with water ensures the noodles will cook evenly).
- Pour
1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan, spreading evenly with a silicone spatula. Top the sauce with half of the oven-ready lasagna noodles, breaking them into pieces and fitting them to cover the sauce in a mosaic-like pattern. - Add another
1/2 cup of the marinara sauce on top of the noodles. Using a silicone spatula, spread one-third of the basil ricotta (or shredded cheese) on top of the marinara sauce, followed by half of the vegetable filling and half of the spinach or kale. - Repeat the layers: Add
1/2 cup of the marinara sauce, followed by one-third of the basil ricotta (or shredded cheese), the remaining vegetable filling, and the remaining spinach or kale. - Finish with the remaining lasagna noodles (broken into pieces), the final
1/2 cup marinara sauce, and the final one-third of the basil ricotta (or shredded cheese). If you can’t fit all of the lasagna noodles, just leave a few pieces out. You don’t want to layer them on top of each other because that might cause them to cook unevenly. - Spray a piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray and tightly cover the pan.
- Wipe out the inner pot of any remaining vegetables and give it a rinse. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the inner pot.
- For easy removal of the pan from the Instant Pot, create a foil sling. (Alternatively, you can use oven mitts to carefully remove the pan.)
- On the counter, place the pan on top of the steamer rack (with the handles facing up) and arrange the foil sling (if using) underneath the steamer rack. Carefully lower the steamer rack and pan into the inner pot using the foil sling or steamer rack handles.
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 20 minutes.
- Once the 20-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release. If you want to broil the lasagna in your oven, turn on your oven’s broiler.
- Open the pot and, wearing oven mitts, grasp the foil sling or steamer rack handles and carefully lift the pan out of the Instant Pot. Carefully remove the foil cover, taking care to not drip any condensation on the lasagna.
- If desired, top the lasagna with the
1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella and place the lasagna under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on the strength of your broiler and the distance between the heat and oven rack) to brown the top. You can also broil the lasagna without adding the vegan mozzarella. Garnish with fresh basil.
Directions for Basil Ricotta
- Drain the tofu and blot away the excess water with a few paper towels. For a smooth ricotta, crumble the tofu into a food processor. Add the nutritional yeast, garlic, miso, onion powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend until you have a creamy, smooth texture. Taste for salt, acidity, and cheesiness, adding more salt, lemon juice, or nutritional yeast, respectively, as needed. For a chunkier ricotta, place the tofu in a large bowl and break it into smaller chunks using a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together until the consistency resembles ricotta cheese.
The Vegan Instant pot Cookbook:
A new and vibrant vegan cookbook authorized by Instant Pot, from the creator of the Rainbow Plant Life blog.With food and photos as vivid, joyous, and wholesome as the title of her popular cooking blog–Rainbow Plant Life–suggests, Nisha Vorashares nourishing recipes with her loyal followers daily. Now, in her debut cookbook, she makes healthy, delicious everyday cooking a snap with more than 90 nutritious (and colorful!) recipes you can make easily with the magic of an Instant Pot pressure cooker. With a comprehensive primer to the machine and all its functions, you, too, can taste the rainbow with a full repertoire of vegan dishes. Start the day with Nisha’s Homemade Coconut Yogurt or Breakfast Enchilada Casserole, then move on to hearty mains like Miso Mushroom Risotto, and even decadent desserts including Double Fudge Chocolate Cake and Red Wine-Poached Pears. The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook will quickly become a go-to source of inspiration in your kitchen.
About Nisha:
Nisha Vorais a food blogger, photographer, and author of The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes (June 2019, Avery). After graduating from Harvard Law School and working as a lawyer for four years, she exchanged her casebooks for cookbooks and launched a career in her dream world of food by creating Rainbow Plant Life, a popular vegan Instagram account,blog, and YouTube channel.
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I couldnt find the headnote about the no boil or no bake lasagna. Can you please explain? Do we need to cook the lasagna noodles before placing in IP!?
No boil or no bake lasagna is a type of lasagna that doesn’t need to be cook first. Regular lasagna pasta, typically the noodles have to be precooked before assembling then you would cook the whole lasagna. No-boil or no-bake, it will state on the package, you can simply assemble the lasagna then cook; no need to precook the noodles.