Vegan Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin lasagna with Italian herbs, meaty wild mushrooms (or baby bella), and creamy vegan ricotta makes an elegant and very, very delicious feast for the holidays.

It’s melted cheesy comfort food, but one that never makes you feel uncomfortably stuffed.

This pumpkin lasagna is a magical combination of filling and light. I make it year round, even in the summer months.

Now I don’t make it my mission to fool people into eating vegan lol. But no one can believe that this is 100% plant based.

They do rave that it is 100% ultra luscious though, so let’s get started making it.

The first layer of your pumpkin lasagna is the pumpkin sauce. You just coat the bottom of your baking dish with it.

I used canned pumpkin purée, but you can use fresh- just make sure it is well drained.

Some folks have trouble finding canned or fresh pumpkin, so you can substitute with butternut squash.

Next layer is your lasagna pasta. Place it over top of the pumpkin sauce, and press down gently.

I use no boil, ready to bake, because it saves time. I also prefer flat, because it’s easier to spread the fillings on it.

There are plenty of choices, gluten free too, but be sure to check the ingredients. Sometimes they make it with eggs.

And for the next part, it’s the ricotta cheese layer! Yeah, I love cheese. haha

You have a variety of choices with this vegan cheese, and I’ve added a couple of them.

Store bought:

Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta Alternative

This ricotta is made by Tofutti, and it’s nut free: Better Than Ricotta Cheese

I think this might be only online- Free the Goat Plain Vegan Ricotta

Homemade:

This one is nut free, and the recipe is by Delicious Everyday

Here is one that is both soy and nut free- Veganista

And this last one is also soy free. It’s by Minimalist Baker.

This is your meaty layer. You can really use any type of mushroom you prefer, but I like wild or baby bella (cremini).

If you are not a fan of mushrooms, you could use cut up (and cooked) butternut, kale, vegan sausage, etc.

I went over the latter two options in my Zuppa Toscana Post.

And the last layer of the pumpkin lasagna is more cheese. Yah!

See my Vegan Dairy Substitutes for options

This is how I put together the top cheese layer…

I very thinly slice some Miyoko’s smoked (or regular) mozzarella, and lay it over the top.

Then I scatter, about a heaping 1/4 cup, of Follow Your Heart shredded mozzarella over that.

Tada, here is the cheesy so full of flavor, baked pumpkin lasagna.

You do have to wait a bit for it to settle in and cool- just a bit. Which is really hard, because the scent is intoxicating.

We added a big salad and some homemade buttery garlic bread to the meal. Uhhh, it was so delicious! And the pumpkin lasagna is even more scrumptious today.

Add soup, sides, Pumpkin Cake, or Cheesecake, and this (you-won’t-believe-it’s-vegan) Pumpkin Pie, and you have an amazing holiday celebration.

I can’t wait for you to make this recipe for the holidays, or when the mood hits. Enjoy!

P.S. New post- Comfort Food plus Sweet Potato Pie!

Pumpkin Lasagna

Print Recipe

Serves: 6 to 8 Servings Cooking Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Sauce:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 1/3 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 TBSP fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 minced tsp fresh)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried sage (or 1/2 minced tsp fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
Ricotta Filling:
1 (8 ounce) container vegan ricotta cheese (1 cup)
2/3 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
Mushroom Filling:
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 small garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces wild or cremini mushrooms, stem removed and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or fresh- 1 minced tsp)
salt and pepper, to taste
6 oven ready Lasagna Noodles (dairy & egg free, gf if you like)
up to 1 1/2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella*
some Italian seasoning

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Coat an 11 cup baking dish or 9 x 9 x 3" baking dish with non-stick spray; set aside.

Pumpkin Sauce: Whisk all ingredients, except salt and pepper, in a medium bow; add salt and pepper to taste.

Ricotta Filling: Add all ingredients, except mozzarella cheese, to a medium mixing bowl.

Beat on medium speed until smooth and whipped. Stir in mozzarella cheese; set aside.

Mushroom Filling: Heat olive oil, in a large skillet, over medium heat. Cook onions for 7 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add mushrooms, cooking until soften, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and basil, and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Lasagna: Coat the bottom of the prepared dish with sauce (just enough to coat the bottom).

I brush it over the bottom with a pastry brush.

Layer 2 lasagna noodles on top, and gently press down. (You may have to cut the lasagna noodles to fit your pan. That's what I do.)

Add 1/2 of the ricotta mix, and spread it evenly over top. I use the rinsed pastry brush to do this.

Top with 1/2 of the mushroom mix. I use a fork to move the mushroom mix evenly over the ricotta.

Add a little sauce to cover the mushroom layer. I use the rinsed pastry brush

Layer on 2 noodles. and repeat the steps. Add the rest of the ricotta. Then add the rest of the mushroom layer.

Add the remaining 2 noodles, and the last of the sauce. Cover with enough mozzarella to suit your taste, and sprinkle some Italian seasoning over it.*

-OR- You can sprinkle most of your shredded cheese on, and then scatter some fresh sage leaves over that. Then sprinkle a little more cheese over top.

Cover lasagna tightly with aluminum foil. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven, lightly cover with the foil, and and let rest on a cooling rack for 20-25 minutes.