There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked lasagna in the oven to make the holiday come alive. So indulge in this easy, delicious, protein-packed, vegan mushroom spinach lasagna and make it a part of your family tradition!
This post was sponsored by Explore Cuisine, but the opinions and text are fully my own.
The winter holidays are already here. And now more than ever, with everything else going on in the world, I’m ready to embrace the warm and cozy holiday feeling to maintain that sense of self and renew those family bonds. Holiday parades are in full swing, decorations are up, people are shopping, outdoor ice skating rinks coming up around us, tree-lighting festivities, holiday movies on TV, and it’s a time for family traditions.
And let’s not forget…it’s also that time of year to break out all your most decadent recipes!
I’ve been working away in the kitchen the past few weeks to bring you the most perfect recipe to serve over the holidays! This is my latest creation, Spinach Pesto Lasagna with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!
It isn’t just any ordinary mushroom spinach lasagna recipe. This spinach mushroom lasagna is pure indulgence, the ultimate comfort food, healthy, protein-packed like no other, complete with veggies, and easy to make ahead of time! It’s bound to become a new family tradition, although this will become more like a monthly tradition once you dive in with a fork.
I’ve partnered up with one of my favorite brands, Explore Cuisine, to bring you this delicious healthy lasagna recipe!
Why I Love Explore Cuisine
If you haven’t figured it out by now from all my posts on social media, I’m a HUGE fan of Explore Cuisine products. Their pulse pastas have been a staple in my pantry and a first-choice when it comes to Italian.
First, I want to take a moment to talk about lentil based pastas.
I’ve tried most large brands out there that make lentil or bean-based pastas in search of the perfect one. My idea of perfect is packed with protein, good quality ingredients, and the right taste and texture. Unfortunately, most lentil or bean-based pastas don’t taste that great or leave you with this dry, chalky texture.
Some of the quinoa-based pastas taste good, but are actually not high in protein and ultimately have very little quinoa and more of something else like corn or rice flour. This is totally fine if you’re simply looking for a gluten-free pasta, but I’m looking for something healthier with more protein that I can use on a regular basis to make a complete well balanced meal. And, I’m definitely not willing to sacrifice taste or texture.
Enter Explore Cuisine.
I’m going to be honest here and say that I’ve only ever tried their edamame spaghetti, chickpea penne, red lentil pasta, and green lentil pasta, green lentil lasagna sheets, and their red rice pad thai noodles. All are delicious! The edamame definitely has a different bean-y texture to them and work well with something more saucy.
Explore Cuisine pulse-based pastas are ah-mazing and a staple in our house ever since they first came out. My entire family loves them and you can’t tell much of a difference when comparing to regular pasta! They’ve managed to figure out that perfect combination of lentil and brown rice flour. The outcome is great tasting pasta and ideal texture, while still keeping them mostly lentil-based and therefore high in protein.
Few Facts About Explore Cuisine products:
- Gluten-Free & Vegan
- Non-GMO
- Made with 100% Organic Ingredients
- High in protein, Iron, and Fiber
- Main ingredient is the lentil flour for their pulse pastas
They even list the percentage of lentil flour to other ingredients for each of their packages!
When choosing which of their products to work with for this recipe, I went with their no-boil green lentil protein lasagna sheets. I’ve been dying to create yet another delicious vegan lasagna recipe, and had a few different sauce ideas in mind. Plus, what better time than the holidays to share the ultimate comfort food.
Family Traditions
This vegan lasagna recipe was inspired by my childhood and memories of times with my Dad. Every winter, for as long as I can remember, my Dad would take my brother and me for several day-ski trips up to Big Bear Mountain. My brother, although the youngest, quickly surpassed us on the slopes, leaving my Dad and me to partner up as ski-buddies.
Skiing with my Dad became a tradition. He’d always say that one day I’d also get bored skiing with him, but that day never came. And here I am many years later, wishing I could have just ONE moment of any of those days back where it was just him and me, up on the mountain, skies clear, skiing together.
If you’re a skier, or have been up on the mountains, you know how important and exciting that mid-day lunch break becomes. Taking off those skies, unlocking the buckles off your boots, taking off your coat and gloves, relaxing and enjoying that perfect warm meal before heading back out.
That perfect warm comfort meal for my Dad and I was a delicious slice of lasagna. It was always the same kind every time, white and stuffed with spinach and veggies, and only offered at the lodge at the very top of the ski lifts.
This family tradition was my inspiration when developing this mushroom spinach lasagna.
Vegan Mushroom Spinach Lasagna
The creative side of me took control, and I turned a simple idea into this decadent Spinach Pesto Lasagna with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!
The creamy mushroom sauce is the star of the recipe, offering so much additional flavor than any other cream sauce. The base of the sauce is a classic bechamel that I veganized and enhanced with garlic, onions, loads of sliced mushrooms, and herbs. The sauce itself was so delicious that I wanted to stop and drink an entire bowl-full (hint…spin-off soup recipe coming soon).
Although the layers seem quite simple, the entire combination is to-die-for and each bite will leave you asking for more!
- Green Lentil Protein Lasagna Sheets from Explore Cuisine
- Garlic Basil Vegan “Ricotta”
- Sauteed garlic spinach
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Creamy Pesto Sauce
Follow these steps and end with one more layer of lasagna sheets, the creamy mushroom sauce, and pesto for 3 decadent layers!
I added in a few drizzles of my quick homemade creamy pesto (which, if you know me, I always have on-hand in the freezer), a simple yet delicious sauteed garlic spinach layer, and of course throw in my favorite 10-minute Garlic Basil Tofu Ricotta.
All of these delicious ingredients come together with the use of Green Lentil no-boil Lasagna Sheets. These sheets are protein packed, containing only 3 ingredients…organic green lentil flour (50%), organic green pea flour, and organic brown rice flour. That’s it!
The no-boil lasagna sheets are key when it comes to cutting down prep time. They bake up perfectly and taste just like any other non-lentil based lasagna sheet, if not better! My family didn’t even notice the difference, especially my husband would never compromise pasta texture and taste.
There are several variations to this mushroom spinach lasagna recipe, including some prep-ahead tips, so be sure to check out the notes below. If you’re not a mushroom fan, believe it or not I have you covered as well! You can omit the creamy mushroom sauce all-together and end up with a vegan Spinach Lasagna with Creamy Pesto Sauce. I’ve tried both versions and they’re delicious! Otherwise, trust me when I say you don’t want to skip out on that creamy mushroom sauce…it’s SO SO good!!
There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked lasagna in the oven to make the holiday come alive. So get your hands on some Explore Cuisine green lentil lasagna sheets and make this healthy vegan mushroom spinach lasagna a part of your family tradition!
To get your hands on some Explore Cuisine Pasta, you can purchase their products through their website, on amazon, or from a few grocery stores, including Sprouts.
You can also find Explore Cuisine on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, @explorecuisine #exploreyourtraditions
Spinach Pesto Lasagna with Creamy Mushroom Sauce (Vegan)
INGREDIENTS
- 6 Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagna Sheets , see notes below
- 1 cup Garlic Basil Vegan Ricotta “Cheese”
- fresh basil , chopped for garnish
- freshly ground black pepper , optional
- red crushed peppers , optional
For the Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1 medium white onion , finely diced
- 16 oz. cremini mushrooms , stems removed & thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour , or rice flour for gluten-free version
- 3 cups unsweetened cashew milk , room temperature – see notes below
- 1/8 teasp salt
- 1/8 teasp dried oregano
- 1/8 teasp dried basil
- 1/8 teasp ground nutmeg
For the Spinach Layer:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 7 cups fresh baby spinach leaves , roughly chopped
For Cashew Cream:
- 1.5 cups raw cashews , soaked 3-4 hours (see notes below)
- 1 cup water
For Creamy Pesto:
- 1/2 cup vegan pesto
- 1/4 cup cashew cream (prepared from above)
INSTRUCTIONS
To Prepare Creamy Mushroom Sauce (see step-by-step photographs in post above):
- Heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat.
- Add the vegan butter and allow it to melt.
- Add the minced garlic and diced onions. Saute until the onions start to become translucent.
- Add the thinly sliced mushrooms. Saute on medium-high heat until the mushrooms cook completely, and the water released from the mushrooms is mostly evaporated.
- Turn the heat to low-medium.
- Add the flour. Mix thoroughly with the onion/garlic/mushroom mixture.
- Allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes, mixing frequently so that the flour mixture doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Add only 1 cup of the room temperature unsweetened cashew milk to the pan and mix thoroughly with the flour/mushroom mixture. I like to use a whisk for this step so that the mixture breaks up and blends easily into the non-dairy milk.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add the salt and remaining non-dairy milk and mix in.
- Adjust the heat so that the creamy mushroom sauce maintains a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the mushroom sauce reduces by 1/3-1/2 in volume and becomes nice and thick. Mix frequently in between to make ensure that the sauce and mushrooms aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue on to cook the spinach, prepare the creamy pesto sauce, and make the tofu ricotta while you are waiting for the sauce to thicken.
- Once the sauce has thickened (it should still be pour-able), add in the nutmeg, dried basil, and dried oregano. Season to taste with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Turn the heat off and set aside. The sauce will thicken even more once cooled to room temperature. If you feel like the sauce is too thick while assembling the lasagna, feel free to add a little more non-dairy milk as needed.
To Prepare the Spinach:
- In a large non-stick pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add the roughly chopped fresh baby spinach leaves. Mix and allow the spinach to cook until it is all completely reduced and the water released has mostly evaporated. You may think this is a lot of spinach, but it will considerably reduce in volume once cooked.
To Prepare the Creamy Pesto:
- Make the Cashew Cream – Drain and add the soaked cashews to a high speed blender (see notes below), along with 1 cup water. Blend until you get a completely smooth cashew cream with no pieces left.
- Make the Creamy Pesto – Combine the prepared pesto with 1/4 cup prepared cashew cream. Thin out with a tiny amount of water and season with salt if needed. Store the remaining cashew cream in an air-tight container in the fridge.
To Assemble & Cook the Lasagna (see step-by-step photographs in post above):
- Once the creamy mushroom sauce is done, you are ready to assemble the lasagna.
- Turn the oven to 400 degrees (according to uncooked lasagna sheets package).
- Lightly grease an 8×8 square glass baking tray with a little olive oil.
- Add a generous layer of the creamy mushroom sauce to cover the bottom of the glass tray.
- Place 2 uncooked green lentil lasagna sheets on top of the sauce, side by side, in a single layer.
- Spread a layer of the prepared Garlic Basil Vegan Ricotta on top of the lasagna sheets.
- Spread 1/2 of the cooked spinach on top of the vegan ricotta layer.
- Add a layer of the prepared creamy mushroom sauce on top of the spinach so that it is completely covered.
- Drizzle on some prepared creamy pesto sauce.
- Repeat with another layer of the uncooked lasagna sheets, vegan ricotta, the remainder of the cooked spinach, a layer of the creamy mushroom sauce, a drizzle of the creamy pesto, followed by a final layer of uncooked lasagna sheets. (3 layers of uncooked lasagna sheets total)
- Top it off with the remainder of the creamy mushroom sauce and a final drizzle of the creamy pesto. You should have used all the creamy mushroom sauce, but will still have a small amount of the prepared pesto left over.
- Cover and seal completely with a sheet of foil.
- Bake in the oven (once at temperature) for about 40 minutes.
- After the lasagna is done cooking (mine finished in exactly 40 minutes, but you can check by taking a small bite from the side with a spoon to make sure the lasagna sheets are cooked), remove from the oven and take off the foil.
- Allow the lasagna to cool for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature (it will continue to cook and all come together during this time).
- Garnish with freshly chopped basil, red crushed peppers, and some freshly ground black pepper (optional). Cut and serve hot with a side salad or garlic bread!
NOTES
- I’ve made the tofu ricotta, creamy mushroom sauce, creamy pesto, and spinach the day before to save time.
- Prepare a large batch of pesto and freeze it for use when needed. Or you can use store-bought pesto if you find one that is vegan.
- Spinach: You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach, but be sure to defrost it completely and squeeze out any excess liquid prior to using.
- Omit the Creamy Mushroom Sauce: If you are not a mushroom fan or simply don’t have the time to make the creamy mushroom sauce (although I highly recommend it), you can make a Creamy Pesto Spinach Lasagna instead. To do this, prepare more creamy pesto (thinned out with a little water so that it’s thick but pour-able) and use this as the main lasagna sauce in between all the layers (including the bottom layer). I also added a sauteed mushroom layer along with the spinach.
- Omit the Creamy Pesto drizzle
- You can also include other veggies along with the cooked spinach if you prefer. I personally love the combination of mushrooms and spinach only in this lasagna.
Laura Jeanne Hansen
I’m eager to try them all to find my favorite!
anjali
You’ll be surprised at how awesome this brand is compared to others out there!
Kristen
This is so fantastic! I love everything about this!!
anjali
Thanks Kristen!
michelle
this recipe was amazing..only thing I think was an expensive waste was all the extra cashew cream stored in the fridge… so much and I think feeds more like 6. maybe 7…I couldnt stop eating it:) thank you for sharing
anjali
Hi there! Glad you loved it! I will double-check the amount of cashew cream so it’s the perfect amount for this recipe. I always find i need to make a certain amount of cashew cream in the vitamix to blend properly, but i’ll have to double-check the amount I ask for in this. In the meantime, if you do have extra cashew cream that needs to get used up, I love making creamed spinach with nutritional yeast and a little cashew cream. I also love a vegan alfredo with cashew cream.
Sandi
I am always looking for good gluten free pasta. Can’t wait to find this.
anjali
Oh you will LOVE this brand Sandi!! They are by far my favorite gluten-free pasta brand AND they pack in the protein so win-win! They are readily available on amazon or a few stores or on their site!
Pgc
Made in China. Why?
anjali
I asked them and they said that they make it in some northern parts because they want to stay true to the beans…apparently the best quality beans come from china. some of the other lentil based ones are made in italy. Again this is coming straight from them, so if you want more info, I’d email through their website. Hope that helps!
Ali from Home & Plate
What a delicious alternative to traditional lasagna. I love the flavors you have going on here and I’m sure you would make this recipe a keeper.
anjali
Thank you!
Hannah
It’s great that you went for the protein lasagna sheets, you can never go wrong with that. My favorite type of lasagna is a spinach one and I bet this tastes even better with the pesto and mushrooms! 🙂 Great choice!
anjali
Thank you!! Yes…I’m already in love with their other pulse pastas, and I wanted to create another healthy lasagna recipe. The lentil sheets exceeded my expectations and were so delicious!! Leftovers are awesome too, which you can’t always say for lentil based pastas!
Gunjeet Bhatt
Looks so delicious! Where can I find vegan pesto?
anjali
I know some smaller markets carry vegan pesto, but i’ve also seen it at whole foods! I personally just make a HUGE batch of my own vegan pesto with the recipe linked to above and freeze it for quick use. You can buy the large tubs of fresh basil from TJ.
Marie - Not Enough Cinnamon
OMG this lasagna sounds SO good! Some of my favorite ingredients in here 🙂 YUM!
anjali
Thanks Marie!! My favorite ingredients all in one amazing comfort food dish!
Christine Lee
A holiday tradition of mine is to have dinner at my uncle’s house on Christmas dinner. We bring a mix of traditional American thanksgiving food and korean foods. I bake the cookies and we have a gift exchange.
Ginny McMeans
This sounds so delicious. Such quality in so many layers. This is the type of dinner I like to get into sometimes. Lots of love poured into it.
anjali
Thanks Ginny!!
anjali
Thanks Ginny…this was definitely fun to develop and has become a favorite of mine from the past year.
Sarah
This looks so good! Yum!!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I love lasagna! This looks amazing, especially with those mushrooms. And I happen to have some Explore Cuisine lasagna noodles at home!
anjali
Oh yay!!! Then you need to try this recipe!
Michelle
I’ve only tried their spaghetti pasta and it was delicious. I’d like to try their other products.
Dee Johnson
My favorite holiday tradition is baking baked goods with my family every year. I would love to try the Red Lentil Spaghetti.
anjali
The red lentil spaghetti is my kids favorite! I have plans to bake cookies with the kids next week!
Ashley
My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve, my partner and I make sugar cookies, drink sangria and watch The Grinch. 🙂 I would love to try the lasagna! Thanks so much for the chance to win.
anjali
Watched the Grinch for the first time with my kiddos this year! We also went to see the grinch at the playhouse and it was awesome. Such a great holiday tradition…good luck with the giveaway!
Leigh
My favorite holiday tradition is getting an ornament every year from my mom representing something from that year! I would most love to try the lasagna sheets…not only for this delicious recipe but also that lasagna was my favorite food before being diagnosed with celiac! Love that they are no boil too ?
anjali
What a great holiday tradition…I would love to see your tree. Every ornament having meaning behind it. You will love these lasagna sheets…my brother has had celiac for 15+ years now and although there are other brown rice GF lasagna sheets we’ve used in the past, these are way better. They taste good and they’re packed with more protein 🙂 OH…and NO BOIL!
REEMA
Love this brand! Didn’t know they made lasagna and I’m excited to try!
anjali
Yes they do and they’re awesome!
Reshana
This recipe looks to-die-for! Wow, it has to be on my top 5 list! I love the story of your dad and the mountains! He is always watching over you my dear x
anjali
Thank you!! muah
Rashmi Asharam
This had me drooling and wanting to lick my screen, hahaha! What a show stopper, looks and sounds absolutely DIVINE! I love the step-by-step photo too.
Your DAD is always with you Anjali and I know he must be so proud!
anjali
Thanks Rashmi! THis is definitely one of my favorite recipes from the past year! I’m glad the step by step photos helped! And you are too sweet…this time of year always makes me miss my Dad even more.
Anna
This made me so hungry, I can hear my stomach rumbling! 🙂 Absolutely delicious, and that creamy- dreamy mushroom sauce! Winner!
anjali
Haha…thank you Anna!!
Cassidy
This sounds like my kinda dish! Mushrooms and creamy sauces are definitely my favourite!
Kristen Wood
Yum! This sounds so delicious!
Sarah Newman
I’ve tried the pasta and loved it, but now have my eye on those lasagna sheets – WOW!
anjali
My first time really experimenting with their sheets and they blew my mind! I’m sad i didn’t get to them sooner haha!
Melissa
This looks so incredible! I had no idea Explore Cuisine made lasagna noodles, let alone no-boil ones. I MUST go look for those. 🙂
anjali
YES!! They do and they’re awesome!! It’s always a hit and miss with the no boil lasagna sheets in general, but these came out so great…AND they’re made with green lentil flour!
Shira Isenberg
I’m very interested in eating less refined flours, so I’d like to try all of these pastas!
fiona
omg YUMMMM I love lasagna and I love mushrooms and I love spinach and this basically looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it.
anjali
Thanks! You’ll love it!
anjali
CONGRATS to Pooja, Jami, & Naomi for winning the giveaway!! Thanks to everyone for entering!
Michelle
This looks like the perfect vegan entree for Christmas! Has anyone tried doubling it in a 9×13 pan?
anjali
I have actually! I made it for our huge holiday party last year and did a 9×13 pan! Turned out great and all 35 non-vegans loved it!
Keri Smith
Trying this recipe out today!! I’ve had the lasagna noodles from Explore for a while and just bought some beautiful Callaloo, mushrooms and purple pesto at the farmers market. I will update how it turns out!
anjali
Yay! Can’t wait for you to let me know how this recipe is! I love this specific lasagna…so many awesome flavors combined together. But I also just love a good roasted veggie lasagna layered with veggies and spinach and marinara! Either way, the explore cuisine lasagna noodles are a staple in our house. Love that they are no bake! Let me know how it goes!