Vegan lasagna with tofu, spinach and lentils

Name: Vegan lasagna with tofu, spinach and lentils
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 12 oz regular dried wheat lasagna noodles, with no egg ingredients (340 g), Weigh dry; use regular preboil noodles, not oven-ready sheets. Sheet sizes vary.; ¾ cup dry brown lentils, picked over and rinsed (150 g); 21 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and unpressed (600 g), Weigh after pouring off packing water; do not press.; 8 cups fresh spinach leaves (measure before chopping), washed and dried (240 g); 3 cans 14.5 oz cans plain diced tomatoes, including their juice (1.2 kg); 1 large onion, finely diced (150 g); 4 garlic cloves, minced (12 g); 2 tbsp olive oil, divided; 6 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (24 g); 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tsp dried oregano leaves; ¾ tsp fine salt, divided; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; 16½ cups unsalted water, divided between lentils and pasta (4 l), Use 1 L for lentils and 3 L for pasta; drain excess. Water is excluded from ingredient costs.

Regular lasagna noodles layered with lentil-tomato sauce and a mashed tofu-spinach filling, with clear boiling, pan and batch guidance.

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A layered portion of tomato-lentil lasagna with white tofu and spinach on a gray plate over terracotta tiles

Lentil-tomato sauce and a lemony tofu-spinach filling sit between regular lasagna noodles in this plant-based bake. The recipe makes six main-meal portions, with enough time for cooking the lentils, reducing the sauce and resting the finished dish before cutting.

What contributes the protein

The original portion estimates about 29 g protein and 12 g fibre. Tofu, lentils and the wheat noodles all contribute to the protein total; the filling does more than replace the appearance of a cheese layer. Health Canada includes lentils and tofu among protein foods. Our guide to plant-based protein needs puts a meal’s contribution in the context of the rest of the day.

Choose plain firm or extra-firm tofu and weigh it after draining the packing water, leaving it unpressed. Brands vary in water content, so their labels can give different protein figures. Nutritional yeast supplies savoury flavour here. Its vitamin content depends on fortification; use our B12 and supplementation guide when planning those nutrients rather than treating a spoonful of yeast as a fixed dose.

Keep the layers moist without pooling liquid

Brown lentils need to be tender before they meet the tomato sauce. Simmering them separately gives you a chance to check the center of a few lentils, then drain excess cooking water. The sauce should hold together on a spoon while remaining easy to spread. If liquid runs around it, let it reduce longer before layering.

Wilt the fresh spinach and let its loose water evaporate in the pan. The ingredient amount is the raw leaf weight, not a squeezed frozen-spinach amount. Chop the leaves so they fold through the mashed tofu without pulling out in long strands when you cut a portion.

Spread the tofu in small spoonfuls across each noodle layer, then join them gently. Leave the top layer covered with sauce. Foil limits drying during the first part of baking; the uncovered finish lets you see whether the surface needs more protection.

Buy the right noodles and check the dish

Regular lasagna sheets need boiling before this assembly. Barilla Wavy specifies an eight-minute boil before baking; follow your own regular noodle package when its directions differ. The dry weight matters more than a fixed sheet count because brands have different sizes. Divide the cooked pasta into three groups and use trimmed pieces to fill end gaps.

Use the specified deep metal dish, with room above the final layer. A shallow pan can overflow, and a deeper pile needs longer to heat through. For a larger batch, add dishes at the original depth and check each one.

Portion the leftovers promptly

FoodSafety.gov gives 74°C / 165°F for meatless casseroles. Check the middle, then allow the rest before serving. Divide leftovers into shallow containers promptly; a large pan takes longer to cool. The food-storage and budget guide explains why portioning and a clear refrigerator plan can prevent food from being forgotten.

The recipe

Vegan lasagna with tofu, spinach and lentils

Regular lasagna noodles layered with lentil-tomato sauce and a mashed tofu-spinach filling, with clear boiling, pan and batch guidance.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 100 min
Additional time: 15 min
Total: 145 min
Makes: 6 servings

One original serving: one sixth of the lasagna, a main-meal portion; additional sides are extra

Household amounts use US cups and spoons and are approximate. Metric uses grams and millilitres; small spoon amounts may stay in teaspoons or tablespoons with scaled gram references. About ingredient measures.

Add to shopping list 6 servings

Review the addition before changing your list.

Equipment: Metal 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish, at least 4 L capacity and about 6 cm deep, Large pasta pot, at least 6 L, Saucepan, at least 2 L, Wide deep skillet, at least 3 L, Colander, large mixing bowl and fork or potato masher, Two lined trays for cooked noodles, Foil and food thermometer

Equipment

Metal 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish, at least 4 L capacity and about 6 cm deep, Large pasta pot, at least 6 L, Saucepan, at least 2 L, Wide deep skillet, at least 3 L, Colander, large mixing bowl and fork or potato masher, Two lined trays for cooked noodles, Foil and food thermometer

Ingredients

Instructions

Cook the lentils Put the lentils and 1 L of the measured water in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 25–35 minutes until tender throughout, adding a little extra water if needed to keep them covered. Drain well. Meanwhile, start the sauce and heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. When the lentils are nearly tender, start heating the remaining 3 L water in the large pasta pot; cook the noodles while finishing the filling below.
Reduce the tomato sauce Warm 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Add all the tomatoes and juice, oregano, pepper and half the salt. Crush large tomato pieces with the spoon. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring, until thick but spoonable. Stir in the drained lentils and heat for 5 minutes; reduce longer if loose liquid pools around a spoonful.
Make the tofu-spinach filling Use the emptied lentil saucepan to heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add the spinach in batches and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until wilted and any pooled liquid evaporates. Let it cool enough to handle. In the bowl, finely mash the tofu with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, remaining salt and 1 teaspoon oil. Fold in the spinach; keep a fine, spreadable crumble rather than large tofu chunks.
Boil and arrange the noodles While finishing the filling, bring the pasta pot to a boil if needed. Cook the weighed regular lasagna noodles just to the package al-dente or pre-bake stage; Barilla Wavy specifies 8 minutes, while other products differ. Drain carefully and lay the sheets flat on the lined trays so they do not stick together. Divide them into three equal groups; trim or break pieces as needed to cover the dish in three layers with only slight overlaps.
Layer in a deep dish Grease the metal baking dish with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Spread one quarter of the warm lentil sauce over the base, then one noodle group, half the tofu filling and another quarter sauce. Repeat with noodles, remaining tofu and another quarter sauce. Finish with the last noodles and remaining sauce, covering all exposed pasta. Leave at least 1 cm headroom; use two smaller dishes of similar depth if necessary.
Bake and check the center Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Carefully uncover and bake for about 15 minutes more, until the sauce bubbles and the center reaches 74°C / 165°F on a food thermometer. Continue baking if needed, covering again if the top dries. Check each dish separately when using two.
Rest and portion Rest for 15 minutes, then cut into six equal main-meal portions. Lift with a wide spatula; the filling is moist and may settle as it is served.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate individual portions in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F; keep at 4°C / 40°F or below and use within 3 days. Freeze promptly in sealed individual portions for up to 2 months for quality. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat covered until the center reaches 74°C / 165°F.

Substitutions

Use regular wheat lasagna sheets of another shape or brand with no egg ingredients at the same dry weight; cut pieces to fit and follow that package’s pre-bake directions. Oven-ready, egg, gluten-free and whole-wheat products need separate method or estimate adjustments.
Use another plain firm or extra-firm tofu, weighed drained and left unpressed. Soft or silken tofu adds more moisture and is not a direct substitute here.

Cooking notes

Original times allow overlapping stove preparation, a 55-minute bake and a 15-minute rest; package timing, sauce reduction and cold ingredients can add time. The original method assembles warm components.
Serving controls scale ingredient amounts and costs; use additional dishes at the original depth for larger batches. Keep oven temperature and check each center separately; extra stove batches, oven space and baking time may be needed.
Dry noodle grams set the estimate; 340 g is about 12 Catelli Classic sheets, not a universal sheet count. Fresh spinach is weighed raw, tofu drained and unpressed, tomatoes with juice. Extra sides and plant-based cheese are separate. Check ingredient and cross-contact labels; a shared-equipment egg warning is not an egg ingredient.

Contains: soy, wheat. Check the labels of your ingredients.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories: 516 kcal
Protein: 28.7 g
Carbohydrates: 76.0 g
Fat: 11.0 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Fiber: 11.8 g
Sugars: 10.0 g
Sodium: 690 mg

For one original serving, excluding optional ingredients and suggested sides. How we estimate nutrition.

Ingredient nutrition sources

Estimates use the required ingredient weights above and these food references. Brands, water content, and label rounding can change the result.

regular dried wheat lasagna noodles, with no egg ingredients: Catelli Classic Lasagne manufacturer Nutrition Facts per 85 g dry portion (about 3 sheets; about one sixth of the 500 g pack); all eight tracked nutrients observed. Normalized to 100 g. Energy kcal, sodium mg, other tracked masses g. Regular enriched durum semolina lasagna, not whole wheat or egg pasta; label rounding retained as estimates. Accessed 2026-10-29.
dry brown lentils, picked over and rinsed: Bob's Red Mill Brown Lentils, UPC 0003997811425, Ralphs retailer Nutrition Facts per 50 g quarter-cup. All eight tracked numeric amounts were observed and match the prior same-product record. Several retailer Daily Value percentages conflict with the printed amounts; only numeric amounts are used. Values normalized to 100 g; sodium mg, other nutrients g except kcal. Label rounding and retailer figures are estimates. Accessed 2026-10-28.
firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and unpressed: Nasoya Organic Extra Firm Tofu, retailer Nutrition Facts per 85 g: 90 kcal, 9 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 1 g fibre, 1 g sugars, 5 mg sodium. This is a firm-to-extra-firm branded reference, weighed after draining packing water and before pressing; products vary in water content. Accessed 2026-10-28.
fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried and then chopped: Fresh Express Baby Spinach retailer panel per 142 g bag: 35 kcal, 4 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 3 g fibre, 1 g sugars, 110 mg sodium. Rounded label values normalized to 100 g. Accessed 2026-10-28.
plain diced tomatoes, including their juice: Kroger plain diced tomatoes including tomato juice per 121 g half-cup: 25 kcal, 1 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g fibre, 4 g sugars, 210 mg sodium. Ingredients include tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, citric acid and calcium chloride. Recipe weights include the juices. Accessed 2026-10-28.
onion, finely diced: USDA SR Legacy: Onions, raw. All eight tracked fields were read directly from official food_nutrient.csv per 100 g edible food; sodium mg, other nutrients g except energy kcal. Generic food estimates vary by variety and preparation. Accessed 2026-10-28. Food record: FDC:170000;NDB:11282. USDA SR Legacy dataset download (ZIP).
garlic, minced: USDA SR Legacy: Garlic, raw. All eight tracked fields were read directly from official food_nutrient.csv per 100 g edible food; sodium mg, other nutrients g except energy kcal. Generic food estimates vary by variety and preparation. Accessed 2026-10-28. Food record: FDC:169230;NDB:11215. USDA SR Legacy dataset download (ZIP).
olive oil, divided: Flora Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil retailer reference explicitly states 14 g of oil per serving. Panel: 120 kcal, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat; protein, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars and sodium explicitly 0. Values normalized to 100 g; label rounding retained. Accessed 2026-10-28.
nutritional yeast flakes: Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Yeast, fortified dry flakes; use printed sodium amount 15 mg rather than inconsistent website DV; label values per 8 g, normalized to 100 g; sodium in mg, other nutrients in g except kcal energy. Label rounding retained as estimates. Accessed 2026-10-28.
lemon juice: USDA SR Legacy April 2018 CSV: Lemon juice, raw. Nutrient values from food_nutrient.csv joined through nutrient.csv; kcal energy, grams nutrient masses, and mg sodium per 100 g edible portion. Accessed 2026-10-28. Food record: FDC:167747;NDB:9152. USDA SR Legacy dataset download (ZIP).
dried oregano leaves: USDA SR Legacy: Spices, oregano, dried. All eight tracked fields were read directly from official food_nutrient.csv per 100 g edible food; sodium mg, other nutrients g except energy kcal. Generic food estimates vary by variety and preparation. Accessed 2026-10-28. Food record: FDC:171328;NDB:2027. USDA SR Legacy dataset download (ZIP).
fine salt, divided: Hain Sea Salt retailer panel per 1.5 g quarter-teaspoon: 590 mg sodium; calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, fibre and sugars explicitly 0. Measure fine salt by mass; teaspoon weight varies with crystal size. Accessed 2026-10-28.
ground black pepper: USDA SR Legacy: Spices, pepper, black. All eight tracked fields were read directly from official food_nutrient.csv per 100 g edible food; sodium mg, other nutrients g except energy kcal. Generic food estimates vary by variety and preparation. Accessed 2026-10-28. Food record: FDC:170931;NDB:2030. USDA SR Legacy dataset download (ZIP).
unsalted water, divided between lentils and pasta: Aquafina purified water retailer panel explicitly lists all eight tracked nutrients as 0 per 500 mL. Zero quantities remain 0 independently of volume-to-mass scaling. This purified-water reference is not a measurement of every municipal supply. Water cost is excluded as a utility; no bottled-water price is used. Accessed 2026-10-28.

Ingredient cost breakdown

Estimated cost of the amount used; optional extras are separate.

Ingredient costs · US · USD
Ingredient	USD	CAD
regular dried wheat lasagna noodles, with no egg ingredients	$1.89	$2.70
dry brown lentils, picked over and rinsed	$0.63	$0.41
firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and unpressed	$4.41	$6.84
fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried and then chopped	$1.67	$5.81
plain diced tomatoes, including their juice	$2.80	$2.97
onion, finely diced	$0.35	$0.31
garlic, minced	$0.22	$0.11
olive oil, divided	$0.34	$0.32
nutritional yeast flakes	$0.88	$1.69
lemon juice	$0.07	$0.09
dried oregano leaves	$0.09	$0.14
fine salt, divided	$0.01	$0.01
ground black pepper	$0.03	$0.02
unsalted water, divided between lentils and pasta	$0.00	$0.00
Recipe total	$13.38	$21.40
Per serving	$2.23	$3.57

Price reference: 2026-10-27. Price reference: 2026-10-27. Regional prices vary. Pantry ingredients included; taxes, delivery, and utilities excluded.

Price sources & package sizes

United States · USD

regular dried wheat lasagna noodles, with no egg ingredients: Walmart US, Phoenix E Thomas Rd Supercenter, Arizona; default page context, not independently selected; $2.52 / 453.59237g. Price source (observed 2026-10-29). 16 avoirdupois oz =453.59237g of dry noodles; no cooked yield or cup density is used. US costing uses Barilla Wavy and nutrition uses the separately identified Catelli Classic label. Sheet weights and actual nutrient labels vary by product.
dry brown lentils, picked over and rinsed: Walmart US, US online listing; store not stated in captured result; $1.92 / 453.59237g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and unpressed: Walmart US, Sacramento Gerber Rd Supercenter, California page context; $2.92 / 396.89332375g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried and then chopped: Walmart US, South Hill Supercenter page context; state not captured; $1.97 / 283.49523125g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
plain diced tomatoes, including their juice: Walmart US, Atlanta, Georgia; 30301 page context; $0.96 / 411.06808531g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
onion, finely diced: Walmart US, Phoenix E Thomas Rd Supercenter, Arizona page context; $2.76 / 1197.4838568g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Edible package mass uses USDA Food Buying Guide yield: 1 lb purchased mature whole onions yields 0.88 lb raw ready-to-cook onion; actual trimming loss varies.
garlic, minced: Walmart US, Sacramento Gerber Rd Supercenter, California page context; $3.07 / 170.09713875g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
olive oil, divided: Walmart US, US online listing; store not stated in captured result; $5.94 / 469.23333572g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Package mass is estimated from the olive-oil label reference of 14 g per 15 mL (0.933333 g/mL); retailer package quantity is volume, not measured mass. US fluid ounces converted at 29.5735295625 mL per fl oz.
nutritional yeast flakes: Walmart US, United States online listing; retailer default context, checkout not verified; $5.17 / 141.747615625g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Avoirdupois ounces converted using 28.349523125 g per oz. Product described by retailer as suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
lemon juice: Walmart US, South Hill Supercenter (retailer listing context); $2.24 / 946.352946g. Price source (observed 2026-10-27). 32 US fl oz = 946.352946 mL. Density assumed 1 g/mL for costing only; not a measured density. Bottled reconstituted juice reference; freshly squeezed juice may cost more.
dried oregano leaves: Walmart US, United States online listing; retailer default context, checkout not verified; $1.08 / 24.664085118750002g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Avoirdupois ounces converted using 28.349523125 g per oz. Single dried herb pricing reference.
fine salt, divided: Walmart US, Sacramento Gerber Rd Supercenter, California page context; $0.94 / 737g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
ground black pepper: Walmart US, US online listing; store not independently selected; $3.58 / 85.04856937g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Net avoirdupois ounces converted at exactly 28.349523125 g per ounce.

Canada · CAD

regular dried wheat lasagna noodles, with no egg ingredients: Walmart Canada, Heartland Mississauga, Ontario; L5V 2N6 default page context, not independently selected; $3.97 / 500g. Price source (observed 2026-10-29). Declared dry package mass500g; no density, drained yield or cooked yield adjustment. A separate category listing showed CAD2.97 sale pricing; the product-page CAD3.97 is used. Current promotion and checkout price were not verified. No egg ingredients are listed, but the manufacturer warns of shared equipment handling egg. Check package allergen and cross-contact statements.
dry brown lentils, picked over and rinsed: Walmart Canada, Canada online listing; store not independently selected; $4.87 / 1800g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and unpressed: PriceSmart Foods, Richmond - Ackroyd pickup context displayed on the Canadian retailer page; $3.99 / 350g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Cost proxy only. Preserve the separately identified Nasoya nutrition reference and its warning that water content varies; ingredient weight remains drained, before pressing. Single displayed payable price; no was price, sale-information section, promotion label or expiry shown in captured primary product listing. The retrieved retailer snapshot was crawled six days before access; this is a dated estimate, not a checkout quote.
fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried and then chopped: Walmart Canada, Mississauga Heartland, Ontario; L5V 2N6 page context; $3.44 / 142g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
plain diced tomatoes, including their juice: Walmart Canada, Mississauga Heartland, Ontario; L5V 2N6 page context; $1.97 / 796g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Package mass is estimated at 1 g/mL for this liquid food, with all juices included; the retailer label supplies volume, not measured grams.
onion, finely diced: Walmart Canada, Canada online listing; store not stated in captured result; $2.44 / 1197.4838568g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Edible package mass uses USDA Food Buying Guide yield: 1 lb purchased mature whole onions yields 0.88 lb raw ready-to-cook onion; actual trimming loss varies.
garlic, minced: Walmart Canada, Mississauga Heartland, Ontario; L5V 2N6 page context; $3.97 / 453.59237g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
olive oil, divided: Walmart Canada, Mississauga Heartland, Ontario; L5V 2N6 page context; $10.97 / 933.33333333g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Package mass is estimated from the olive-oil label reference of 14 g per 15 mL (0.933333 g/mL); retailer package quantity is volume, not measured mass.
nutritional yeast flakes: Metro Canada, Canada online listing; retailer default context, checkout not verified; $9.99 / 142g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Retailer ingredient list: inactive nutritional yeast (dried yeast, vitamin B12). No currency conversion.
lemon juice: Walmart Canada, Canada online listing; retailer default context, checkout not verified; $2.88 / 946g. Price source (observed 2026-10-27). 946 mL bottle; density assumed 1 g/mL for costing only. Bottled reconstituted juice reference, not freshly squeezed. Retrieved listing showed out of stock; price is a reference snapshot, not availability or checkout verification.
dried oregano leaves: Walmart Canada, Mississauga Heartland, Ontario; L5V 2N6 page context; $2.27 / 32g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28). Package size explicitly appears in indexed primary retailer specifications and image alternative text; direct page also lists CAD 7.09/100 g. Ingredient is dried oregano leaves.
fine salt, divided: Walmart Canada, Mississauga Heartland, Ontario; L5V 2N6 page context; $1.63 / 1000g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).
ground black pepper: Walmart Canada, Canada online listing; store not independently selected; $2.27 / 85g. Price source (observed 2026-10-28).

Read our cost methodology.

Estimated costs: US · USD $13.38 total / $2.23 per serving. Canada · CAD $21.40 total / $3.57 per serving. Required ingredients only; local prices vary.

Source: https://lentilogical.com/recipes/tofu-spinach-lentil-lasagna/

What contributes the protein

Keep the layers moist without pooling liquid

Buy the right noodles and check the dish

Portion the leftovers promptly

Vegan lasagna with tofu, spinach and lentils

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Storage & reheating

Substitutions

Cooking notes

Estimated nutrition per serving

Ingredient cost breakdown

United States · USD

Canada · CAD

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