This vegan white bean basil pesto cream lasagna with layers of lemony tofu ricotta, roasted summer vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives is topped with crispy, pan-fried sourdough breadcrumbs for the ultimate celebration of summer’s bounty.

It’s good to be back. I apologize for disappearing for the past couple of days. I received my second dose of vaccine on Monday, and the side effects hit much harder than I had hoped. Incredibly, I slept all day yesterday, and I am just starting to feel a bit better now, over 48 hours later. As promised (although a day late), here is a great vegan summer lasagna recipe that I have a feeling you will enjoy immensely.

Mid-July seems the perfect time to share this vegan white bean basil pesto cream lasagna. Basil, zucchini, and peppers are all in abundance at markets and in home gardens right now, and a lasagna that is heavy on the veggies is a great way to showcase them. This particular lasagna features layers of white bean basil pesto cream, lemony tofu ricotta, roasted summer vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. It’s topped off with herby, pan-fried sourdough breadcrumbs, which I recently learned (via Jamie Oliver’s cooking show) have been dubbed “poor man’s Parmesan” in Italy for centuries.

ingredients you’ll need for this vegan white bean basil pesto cream lasagna

For the white bean basil pesto cream, you’ll need white beans, basil, garlic, sea salt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, pepper, non-dairy milk, and extra virgin olive oil.

For the tofu ricotta, you’ll need firm tofu, lemon zest and juice, nutritional yeast, tahini, basil, oregano, sea salt, water, and garlic.

For the roasted vegetables, you’ll need zucchini, red peppers, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.

For the herby breadcrumbs, you’ll need whole grain sourdough bread, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, and sea salt.

Plus lasagna noodles, pasta sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and pitted Kalamata olives.

the method

Make the white bean basil pesto cream: Combine the beans, basil, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, pepper, non-dairy milk, and oil in an upright blender of food processor and blend until very smooth. Transfer into a jar or container until ready to use.
Make the tofu ricotta: Into a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade, crumble the firm tofu into smaller chunks. Add the lemon zest and juice, nutritional yeast, tahini, basil, oregano, salt, water, and garlic. Process until smooth. Transfer into a container until ready to assemble the lasagna.
Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, combine the zucchini, peppers, and onion. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Roast for 25 minutes.
Cook the lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. If using no-boil lasagna noodles, I recommend soaking them in just-boiled water for a few minutes to soften them a bit, since this lasagna is not ultra saucy.
Assemble the lasagna: Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Grease a rectangular 9×13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil. Spread the bottom of the pan with 1 cup of pasta sauce. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, with three going lengthwise and one going widthwise, to cover the entire surface.
Dollop half of the tofu ricotta over top of the lasagna noodles and spread it out with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Add half of the roasted vegetables and half of the sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Dollop half of the basil pesto cream over top and spread out with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
Add another layer of 4 noodles. Top with the remaining tofu ricotta and the rest of the roasted vegetables.
Add a final layer of noodles and top with the remaining basil pesto cream, spreading out with the back of a spoon or a spatula once again. Finally, top with ½ cup of pasta sauce.
Loosely cover the lasagna with a sheet of parchment paper. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the herby breadcrumbs: Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the breadcrumbs, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned and crispy.
Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing, so that it can set. Top with breadcrumbs and enjoy!

more wholesome recipes to celebrate summer!

I hope that you love this vegan white bean basil pesto cream lasagna with tofu ricotta! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made.

Enjoy! 🙂