METHOD:

The lentil bolognese:

Chop the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and garlic very fine with a knife or you could use a food processor with the small bowl attachment and an s-blade for ease. If using the food processor first cut the vegetables into chunks and then pulse the chunks from one vegetable at a time until a fine chop is reached.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium low heat. Once warm saute the chopped vegetables for 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their juices and most of it has cooked off.

Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir through the sauteed vegetables for a minute or two to remove the “raw” tomato flavour.

In the meantime transfer the whole peeled tomatoes and the juices from the can to a bowl and crush the whole tomatoes using your hands. You want to create a fine chop texture.

Pour the tomatoes into the dutch oven or pot along with the water. Season with stock powder or cubes, dried herbs, soy sauce and baslamic vinegar. Stir well to dissolve and combine.

Rinse the lentils and then add to the durch oven or pot. Stir to disperse. Bring everything to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Make sure to stir once in a while throughout.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper towards the end.

Cashew cheese sauce:

Drain the soaking cashew nuts. Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth. Set aside.

Tofu ricotta:

Pat the firm tofu dry using a clean tea towel. Break it up into bite sized pieces using your hands. Add the tofu pieces to the bowl of a food processor equipped with an s-blade.

Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor bowl as well and then blend on auto until a ricotta like texture is formed.

Taste and adjsut the seasoning, you want it to be savoury but not too salty.

Make the lasagne:

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Oil a large oven safe dish suitable for lasagne, meaning it should have a high rim, sparingly. Spread a thin layer of the lentil bolognese in the bottom and then add the first layer of lasagne sheets to cover the bottom of the pan.

Add another layer of lentil bolognese on top of the lasagne sheets, this time a little thicker. Top the bolognese with 3-4 tablespoons of cashew cheese sauce and spread it out carefully using the back of the spoon. Next dollop about a quarter of the tofu ricotta in an even pattern across the sauces. Finish with another layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat these steps 3 more times.

For the final layer of sauce there should be a little more lentil bolognese than the layers you just did. Then spread the last of the cashew cheese sauce across the top of the lasagne.

Cover the lasagne dish with tin foil and bake the covered lasagne in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the top of the lasagne looks somewhat solidified and got some nice colour around the edges.

If you wish you can sprinkle some grated vegan cheese over the top of the lasagne and bake that on top for the last 5-10 minutes.

If you wish top the finished lasagne with fresh basil leaves, whole or chiffonade cut.

The lasagne keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheats well, covered with tin foil, in the oven or uncovered in the microwave. You can also freeze it and if doing so I would recommend doing it in cut portion sizes.