Tofu is often considered an accompanying ingredient to a vegetarian dish. While this recipe can be made fully vegetarian, you do not have to be vegetarian to love tofu.
I’m not a vegetarian but a close friend I’ve known since childhood is, so eating delicious and different foods with her family on rare occasions made me open to trying foods that are a little unusual.
A few years ago, I purchased a book entitled “Incredibly Easy Vegetarian” and found a tofu lasagna recipe. Once I got a look at the list of ingredients, I decided that everything didn’t look as incredibly easy as the book had promised.
So I took matters into my own hands.
Since then, my recipe has evolved into combinations of the original complicated recipe and my mom’s recipe. Each time I make it, it’s a little bit different but that’s part of what I love about it. It’s one of the few dishes I’m brave enough to make my own.
Because the tofu replaces the heavy amount of cheese normally in a lasagna, this dish feels lighter in comparison to its counterparts. This lasagna is also flexible, so you can add more vegetables, use different cheeses or add meat and adjust it to your own tastes. Last, it’s not easy to burn, which is a major advantage for novice cooks!
I love to cook this for family and friends. The occasions are rare when we gather to relax and laugh together, and that’s what makes those cherished memories stay in my heart. When I make this lasagna, I reminisce in some of those memories and smile without fail.
Mushroom tofu lasagna
(Courtesy of Jane Lindeman, Kathy Goodman and Krista Goodman)
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients
1. 16-ounce package lasagna noodles
1. tbs. olive oil
1. 8-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
1. 64-ounce jar pasta sauce
1. egg
1. 16-ounce package medium firm tofu
1. bag shredded Italian cheese blend
1. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1. lb. ground beef, optional
Equipment
1. pot
1. frying pan
1. medium bowl
1. 9 °— 13 in. glass baking dish
1. frying pan (if adding meat)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Fill pot with water and bring to boil. Put in lasagna noodles and cook for approximately 15 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Drain lasagna noodles and rinse in cold water so they don’t stick together. Lay noodles out straight and set aside.
4. In a frying pan, add olive oil and saute mushrooms over medium heat and set aside.
5. If adding ground beef, cook thoroughly in large frying pan. Drain excess grease and set aside.
6. Drain tofu. In medium bowl, thoroughly mix egg and tofu and set aside.
7. Pour a generous layer of pasta sauce into the bottom of a glass baking dish. Next, lay a single layer of lasagna noodles on top.
8. Add a mixed layer of mushrooms, cheeses and sauce. Top with noodles and repeat for another 1-2 layers. Save enough cheese to top lasagna later.
9. Add a final layer of noodles and sauce. Place baking dish uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour.
10. Remove dish from oven and top with final layer of cheese. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
11. Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy.
